The Artists Behind the Prints

Photographed in Como, Italy

Some of the most beautiful moments in a collection aren’t staged — they happen among friends, around a dinner table, surrounded by art, fabric, and laughter.

These photos were taken in the home of my dear friend Tamila — we call her Tammy — in Como, Italy, where I lived and worked for many years. Tammy is a graphic designer who helps me develop many of my prints. She’s often behind the scenes, transforming my original drawings into finished textile layouts, refining every layer and color by hand on Photoshop until the design comes alive on fabric.

That evening, she and her daughter Camila were simply trying on dresses while we talked, and I loved the spontaneity of it. Every person in the room was part of the creative process — the painter who created the artwork behind them, the printer who produces our fabrics, and Tammy, who develops the prints themselves. It was a portrait of the culture behind the dresses — artists, friends, and women who live with the art they create.

The Vintage Palm

Worn by Tamila

The first dress Tammy wore is printed with our Vintage Palm design — inspired by antique etchings and faded botanical paintings.
The palm motif feels aged by sunlight, like something you might find in a Mediterranean villa where the walls have been kissed by decades of warmth.

“I called it Vintage Palm,” Samantha says, “because it looks as if the painting has weathered over time. It’s elegant and quiet — not a loud print, but one that holds history.”

Tammy developed this layout from Samantha’s original sketch, layering tone and texture to preserve the hand-drawn feeling. Wearing it was her way of stepping into her own artwork — a collaboration between artist and designer made tangible.

The Granada Rug

Worn by Camila

The second dress, worn by Tammy’s daughter Camila, features the Granada Rug print — a warm, geometric pattern with Spanish roots.

Tammy is Italian, but her husband is from Granada, Spain, and Samantha named this print in honor of that heritage.
“The pattern comes from a traditional rug design from Granada,” Samantha explains. “You can see the symmetry, the repetition, the sense of time in it. It feels like something passed down in a home for generations.”

It’s a print that carries the feeling of history — a connection between place, family, and craftsmanship.

The Watercolor Check

Soft Geometry in Motion

The third design seen in the series is called Watercolor Check. Drawn entirely by hand in watercolor, it holds a subtle pyramid motif within its grid.

Unlike a mechanical check, the lines feel fluid, brushed with air and softness — the human touch still visible in the fabric.
“It’s not just a check,” Samantha says, “it’s a painting that moves with the dress.”

A Portrait of the Process

These photographs aren’t about fashion alone — they’re about process, culture, and the people who make art wearable.
A mother and daughter, an artist and designer, an evening in Como — each dress carrying a story of hands, history, and heart.

What I love most is that none of this was planned. It’s simply what happens when art finds its way into everyday life — when the people who create the prints wear them, and when the work becomes part of the evening itself.