Madonnelle of Rome

Rain, rain, go away.

Factor 50 for porcelain skin, squeaky flip flops and sunglasses that make you look important (nobody knows who you are, you could be famous for all they know). Yes it may seem a comical combination but when on holiday nothing seems as wonderful as having the weather to wear your diva shades without judgement and getting out those painted toenails after lathering your body with sun cream. Now back in the UK with drizzly rain and downpours, nobody will get to see that vintage lazy summer floral bikini… unless we’re given another heat wave that is, OR you just feel that anyone and everyone must see it despite the rain!

Suffering from the holiday blues, reminiscing of that city break to Rome which is long gone, why not look back even further. Historians, cut me some slack on my brief upcoming facts!

Known as a holy city, when waltzing through the streets of Rome, those who have been may notice Madonnelle (little Madonna) is framed on street corners, made from mosaic, marble and even wood for the purpose of spirit protection.

Positioned in-between two windows, these sacred images combined with angels were very popular with the lower classes, currently you can count over 500 in the streets of Rome! But don’t try to find them all at once, it would only lead to you stopping at every water tap in sight and there’s probably nearly the same amount as there are Madonelle’s!

Every year a procession takes place of a statue of Madonna Fiumarola being carried across the river Tiber, through the streets and neighbourhoods of Trastevere. This continues the Italian tradition from the early 1500s, when the statue was donated to the Basilica of San Crisogono after found by fisherman in Corsica. Trastevere is filled with events of theatre, music and food festivals to lure in tourists during this time, which slightly loses the popularity of the event with the Italian people. However, this event still remains its strong religious elements.

You may not find yourself a religious believer, but it's impossible to not be drawn to the architecture the city has to offer, all with pious elements attached. So instead of waiting to visit Rome, be a saintly figure wherever you go in our Magdalene set. The central colourfully kitsch print combined with black chunky fishnet side panels on the bra and briefs shows a good girl going bad.

Meet The Team: Eragh

The people behind the company are as important as the company itself! That’s why we decided to run a short ‘Meet the team’ interview cycle, so you can get to know the women behind Playful Promises a little bit better.

Let’s start with Eragh – our super creative design manager, where the print and fabric magic happens...

Tell us a little bit about your journey –  what first got you into textile/pattern design?

 I have always been into drawing and crafts, since I was young and when it came to choosing a career, textile design seemed like the right fit.

Besides design, what other passions do you have and how do they influence your work?

I love to travel, dreaming of exotic locations definitely is a big influence on my work. I enjoy finding new music and going to gigs, the style of all the different people there can sometimes end up giving me inspiration for my next print.

What do you find the most challenging about your job?

Anticipating what the next big print trend is going to be.

 … and the most rewarding?

When I'm right about the next print trend!

 What would you consider your most proud achievement so far?

Beyonce was photographed wearing a Topshop bikini that I had designed the print for, so that would have to be it!

 I often see you with your headphones on while working –  what’s on the playlist?

It really depends on the day! I listen to a bizarrely varied track list, one day it could be 90s rnb/hip hop, the next country and folk and then of course indie rock, such as Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes.

How would you define creativity?

Actively engaging your imagination.

Where do you look for inspiration?

 When I'm stuck for inspiration, pinterest always helps!  Wandering around art galleries inspires me and gets me in the mood to create. Watching Wes Anderson movies usually kickstarts me to create too. I like to read, and find that a good story never fails to inspire me.

What’s the next step for you?  Do you have any future aspirations that you would like to share?

I'm not really sure yet! I suppose the dream is to own your own company one day!

What sets your prints apart?

As I mostly design prints for swimwear, you can be a lot crazier with print design, so I guess that's what sets mine apart.

Any advices for budding print designers?

Get as many internships as possible!

If you were to describe yourself in just a three words, what would you say?

Ambitious, Creative, Mermaid.

Is there an unbreakable rule you live by?

To always dream big.

What do you enjoy away from working?  What is your getaway?

I love to travel, explore new cities, going to festivals and gigs is always a great getaway

What is it like to be working on Playful Promises' team? ;)

It's  incredible to be working with a team of such amazingly skilled and lovely women!

All About Aztec

If there's one thing I love about Summer, despite all the sunshine and cocktails in the garden, it's seeing gorgeous printed patterns everywhere!

But why stop there? I see stylish girls rocking these prints all year round! While the Summer prints tend to be in either pastel or neon colourways, we can see darker colours pushing through for Autumn.

Playful Promises have brought out a stunning aztec print that is already available on a skirt and dress and will soon be cropping up in their resort (perfect for those going away on holiday this winter) collection swimwear, which you can see a sneak preview of here!

I love how this print reminds me just enough of Summer, with touches of colour inbetween the bold black and white geometric shapes. 

Seems I'm not the only one that loves a good aztec print! Check out how these celebs rock the trend!

Jessie J

Beyonce

Kim Kardashian

Psst! Grab yourself 20% off Playful Promises Clothing with code "CLOTHES123" until 19/9/12!

Anatomy of a Heart

The decor at Lounge Lover, where we had some drinks a few weeks ago - fits so well with our AW12 collection!

It seemed quite fitting that when the PP team went out for a drink we were sat right next to the amazing old anatomy posters, seen above! Why? Our current collection for AW12 is called "Anatomy of a Heart", inspired by the colours and shapes inside the human body. 

The collection was first born after Emma took a trip to the Wellcome Collection and the Hunterian Museum; whose halls are lined with anatomical, zoological and pathological specimens. We all know love and passion is a key theme in lingerie, but it was time to delve a little deeper - literally!

Anatomical drawings inspired the rich reds, purples and blues featured in the collection. While you may find all this rather squeamish, it is interesting to remember that the study of anatomy is one of the most historically rich sciences, and without it... well, can you imagine?!

The Love set is inspired by muscles and tendons, with our classic hand-stitched detail re-created in a deep pulsating red. 

True Love and Juliette, colours of blood after and before oxygenation.

One of the prints that didn't make it into production

Sizzling swimwear: How to stay on trend this Summer

If you really think about it, Summer is just around the corner. No really, we are already in January, we got the hardest part over with and now we just have to gradually peel off our layers and cardigans for the next few months. Magazine’s have already started telling you what to cut out in order to get that “Beach Body” (we like you just as you are, thank you very much) and new swimwear is all the rage.

So what kind of prints and colours will you find gracing the shelves this summer?

Swimwear often mirrors current trends in fashion and lingerie, so it’s no wonder that bikini waists are high and prints are inspired by retro classics to coincide with the vintage trend. Embracing curves is one major theme of retro inspired swimwear; details such as cinched waists and fuller cupped tops are being mixed with modern pieces.

Ruffles, too, have found themselves adorning bikinis across the catwalks in another body-shaping trend. Frills and ruffles can add volume where you may be slightly lacking, perfect for balancing out the figure and sticking two fingers up to that diet book.

It’s all about getting you in the mood for a laze around on the beach or by the pool, so bright colours are a constant never-changing trend in swimwear. Designers cannot be as experimental with swimwear as they can lingerie or clothing; therefore the unique detail is often in the print!

And boy, are prints looking bold thanks to digital printing. The wonders of technology are allowing designers to update their printing methods, giving more freedom of detail and colour.

If there is one thing that causes swimwear to sell like hotcakes, it’s the promise of warm sands and tropical climates, so it’s no wonder that designers are channelling this straight into their prints. Sumptuous colours, exotic plants and parrots are everywhere, and we just love it. Our Digital Print Hummingbird bikini rides this trend without being cliché, using bright blues, purples, oranges and greens to inject that exotic look.

Walking hand-in-hand (preferably in the shade of palm trees) with the tropical trend are bold prints, inspired by various cultures and their traditional techniques, particularly those of tribal Africa and Native America. Digital printing is again a catalyst for this trend, but we also see designers using more traditional methods such as embroidery and crochet. We, too, were inspired by far-off lands for our Future Tribal Embroidery bikini, which contrasts a black bandeau bra and side-tie briefs with neon-bright ethnic embroidery.