How to choose, wear and mix things up with prints
Work it, says designer Dawn Bey of Minor Miracles
If your outfit feels a little blah today, maybe it could use a bit of print?
Scratch that. Maybe it could use A LOT of prints.
Don’t hold back. Your choice of prints may just change your mood, your confidence, your style, your decisions… everything.
Prints are powerful – take it from Dawn Bey. She’s the founder and creative director of Minor Miracles, a print and textile studio in Singapore.
“I like telling stories, and for me prints are a visual way of telling stories,” she muses.
“It also involves a lot of colour and movement, which appeal to me a lot. I see them as canvases; but instead of being on the wall, they’re on the body.
“With prints, there are a lot of designs one can do with them, so the sky’s really the limit.”
The print expert
Through Minor Miracles, Dawn and her team create original prints, clothes and accessories that enable women to show off their unique personality and style.
They use a mix of classic and innovative design techniques to develop and produce their collections. Minor Miracles’ prints include The Florist's Palette, Dots of Petals, Breath of Gerberas, and Morning Light.
Don’t they make you feel brighter? Because aside from being powerful, prints ARE fun – so go with what speaks to you and you can’t go wrong. But just in case you’re still unsure, Dawn can help you get started.
#1 Prints are not scary!
“Like your checks and houndstooth, prints are just another pattern you can add to your closet. You can match them with your daily essentials and you don’t need to look like a crazy print lady,” Dawn declares.
“My personal wardrobe has a range of colours and prints from other designers. Some days I go printed and some days I go complete black. I don’t believe in a uniform and I like to mix it up every day!”
#2 You can pair prints with prints
“We design tops and bottoms in the same print, sometimes in slightly different colours so you can wear them together to give a full fashion effect. I do this for events where I know people will definitely be dressing up.”
#3 You can pair prints with plain
“For our print-on-print sets, they can be split apart and worn separately. A printed top can be paired with blue jeans or a printed skirt with a plain-coloured top. I do this with the sets I buy, so I get more out of my purchase.”
#4 Buy what you want
“We tell anyone who shops with us to buy what they like, not what they think someone else likes. Some of the prints I buy are weird, but that’s my personality and I don’t really care. I’m the one choosing what I wear and I dress up for me!”
#5 Prints are not just for women who are stick-thin
“Our clothes are made for women of all sizes and cut wider at the hips intentionally, because women are not going to stay slim forever as they grow older! So our prints are made for everyone.”
See? It’s easy.
What’s more, prints can help you make a statement. Sometimes you don’t even have to utter a single word – just walk in and let your prints do the talking!
Does your closet need (print) inspiration? Follow Dawn and Minor Miracles on Facebook and Instagram for tips.