NOTES ON PAISLEY / INSPIRATION

Ever since I first discovered the paisley print, I’ve been fascinated with the way it captivates my mind (grapes). The paisley design itself actually originates from old Persia, where it’s a vegetable symbol that represents life and eternity. Just like in South East Asian weaving, motifs from nature and everyday life are what inspire these textiles. It’s a translation of how its creators saw our world. As paisley spread through to South and Central Asia, this eye-napping print dug roots into so many more cultures. Again I think of weaving when I say, paisley is another wonderfully mysterious creation that subtly finds itself in delicate details around the globe. I suppose it’s a form that can represent polar opposites in the one time and space. I see it as both elegant, and wildly psychedelic at any given time.

Below I have collaged a few images that ride the same waves that float my boat. Some of them ring true as personal memories like my favourite paisley tattoo on Kapital designer, Kiro Hirata done by Akazaki method (the old Japanese way). The first time I met Kiro, I went to shake his hand only to be (rudely) distracted by his inked forearm. It was the most beautiful tattoo I had ever come across, and not being inked myself, the little devil inside of me became green with envy. I think there is a very fine line between a good organic paisley and those done by machine. Kiro’s spoke of the poetic art that comes with a little bit of free spirited handwork. I’m much more drawn to paisley that isn’t made up of perfectly straight lines, where you see bleeds from time to time, and that have a richer colour that comes from handmade pigment. This is as romantic as it gets.

Indigo Paisley Swatches by American Printing Co.
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