Lauren Nus Design - Pattern Design

I was inspired by brands like Split Milk that source vintage textiles to turn into apparel to create a repeating vintage handkerchief print, as well as apparel graphics. I am really into thrifted vintage textiles, especially if they are used for upcyling.

I was procrastinating working on another collection, and I decided to enter Spoonflower's design challenge for Hothouse Florals. The prompt was:

"Evolve sultry colors and alluring natural textures inspired by tropical florals and romantic botanicals. Think lush lilies, angular bird of paradise blooms, and exotic orchids. Combine fiery reds and oranges with magenta, orchid purple, and shades of emerald green. Consider incorporating delicious papaya, mango, or watermelon patterns, with jungle animal elements for added maximalist interest. "

I had so many ideas that I didn't want to squeeze into a single pattern. I thought about doing a jungle collage, where pieces of cats and toucans and florals were pasted on top of each other, but I ultimately thought it would be busy to the point of distraction, and not really accurate to the design challenge. I ended up submitting my purple background floral, and leaving this expanded collection for portfolio.

For the apparel graphics, I thought a mixed pattern dress would be great for girls. I also like using elements of the patterns to adorn the dress in a symmetrical way that invokes brands like Aqua Bendita and Farm Rio. For a boys shirt graphic, I did not use pink or florals, but I did use a lot of animal motifs from the patterns. An aspirational brand for this would be Boden Kids.

If 2024 was Tomato Girl Summer, and 2025 was Sardine Girl Summer, it points to Italian coastal foods still being popular for 2026 and 2027. However I think to keep things moving, there needs to be variations on the style. Mid century inspired Italian retro Italian food patterns for vacation wear feel like a natural next step, as well as cookbook inspired shirt graphics.

My process for this collection was to choose about 12-15 simple fabrics that could be used as building blocks for quilted patterns. I spent about a day working on just the simple patterns before putting them into the quilt templates I had prepared. I also created a dog, kitten, goose, and chicken fabric explicitly with the purpose of using the critters as appliques in the center diamonds of the most complex hero pattern.

I used a palette of cream, sage green, denim, navy, and gold to create a collection of vintage jewelry motifs. Brooches have been making a big comeback in fashion, and these styles make upscale style attainable for everyday consumers.

I am inspired by the resurgence of the patchwork, especially designs that reinvent vintage star designs with contemporary colors. I think this style lends itself easily to geometric vacationwear trend, as well as summer styling in general. Emma Jean Janson is a quilt pattern maker and quilter who I follow on social media, and I'm dazzled by her bright colors and quirky shapes.

I was inspired by vintage Whimsigoth moons and suns of the 90s, as well as 90s pop media like The Craft and Practical Magic to create these witchy astrological patterns. I think the hero design would work best as an oversized pattern for vacationwear. I also think pairing groovy fonts of the 70s to create a mixed generation aesthetic of granola naturalism. I chose some bright contemporary colors. This pattern is very crowded because I wanted to play with overlapping shapes and negative space. I think also of primitive cave handprints and depictions of humans that go so well with imagery of the sun and stars.

It feels good to finally contribute to the vintage geese obsession. Yes, 80s country geese are back, but so are 90s hand painted geese, and mid century geese. This mutigenerational geese pack explores childrenswear through a thrifted and crafted angle. The goal of this collection was a tshirt for toddlers with patchwork elements, as well as a knit applique collage imitation hero pattern.

This collection does not follow pattern collections in that the associations between patterns are more conceptual than stylistic. I think consumers crave pattern mixing, but pattern mixing can be intimidating. Patchwork and applique offer a unique opportunity to mix styles in a way that speaks to overall cohesion and not just complimentary shapes.

My Blue Christmas stationary collection explores animals, wintery landscapes, and geometric framing for the most magical time of the year. I think some designers spend so much time on Christmas that they begin to hate it. I would work on Christmas year round if I could, just because the nostalgia puts me in a good mood.

Vegetables and Farm animals are a staple for spring and summer. I chose some of the same motifs with different colorways and geometric elements. The animals are made of loose brushstrokes, filled in by big swaths of color that bleed past the borders at times.

I am inspired by the aesthetic of hunting lodge decor, but I dislike the violence that comes with it. I wanted to show the animals of the United States wilderness living together peacefully. I knew right away that people, guns, and gore would not be a part of this collection.

More detailed information about reference images, inspiration, and process can be found on my Behance: