STYLE | August 2023
Behind the Scenes: How Original Art Becomes Iconic Fashion
We’re hiding a secret at the Tommy Bahama headquarters: The most important office in our downtown Seattle HQ isn’t an office at all, but a complete art studio! This is where our exclusive prints and panel back designs come into bloom for each new season as part of a highly collaborative partnership between our artists and product designers. Join us as we pull back the curtain for a peek at our unique creative process.
IT ALL STARTS WITH THE RIGHT INSPIRATION
Planning a new print is a little like planning a vacation—it starts with the perfect destination. From Madagascar to Miami, our design directors begin by choosing a location that evokes the feeling of paradise, with plenty of sun, sand, sea and sky.
Drawing from the locale’s rich heritage, unique architecture, and craftsmanship, along with the indigenous plants and animals, our design team creates mood boards filled with inspirational colors, materials, objects, motifs, and images.
Drawing from the mood boards for inspiration, beach scenes, jungle vistas, and tropical flowers begin to bloom on paper beneath the talented hands of our artists. Bradley O’Brien, Tommy Bahama’s Executive Vice President of Product Design, oversees it all.
“Our design teams work closely with our in-house artists to share inspiration and commission artwork based on these boards, and present back a wide array of original prints in what we call an ‘art fair’,” she explains.
Art Department Manager, Mitch Green, adds, “This is also my team’s chance to put our own creative inspiration into the mix and to experiment with new techniques, like indigo dyeing, batiking, or painting with bleach, all through the lens of Tommy Bahama.”
The ‘art fair’ transforms our offices into an informal gallery with paintings lining the walls. This is an opportunity for every artist to shine, from the most senior to more junior members of the team. Any original artwork on the wall could become a touchstone for that season’s exclusive print-in-the-making, as different divisions lay claim to the art they want to work with.
COLLABORATION COMPLETES THE PICTUREThis is when the apparel designers step in and work their magic.
“A skilled fine artist might paint the original motif, but then someone with a great eye for color and fashion will take it to the next level for placement on shirts or swimwear,” says Mitch. “When the process works, it elevates everything.”
“As an artist, there’s no bigger compliment than seeing someone having the time of their life, wearing a design that I helped to create.” - Megan Dowling, Textile Designer
We've had fine artists working behind the scenes here at Tommy Bahama since the beginning. Through the years, our commitment to artistry has come to define us as much as our reputation for quality.
“It’s something that sets us apart,” says Mitch. “It’s really unique in the industry and integral to the handcrafted feel of our products. To have true fine artists painting these motifs from scratch... it’s a pretty big deal.”
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