Summer.
Hair gets lighter. Skin gets darker.
Water gets warmer. Drinks get colder.
Music gets louder. Nights get longer.
Life gets better.
A few little words with a great big impact.
Summer. Isn't it bliss?
Come sneak behind the scenes of the design process for the Palmae collection with our in-house designer Shweta Deliwala, who has spent the last few seasons expertly steering No Nasties from being your fave organic t-shirt company to a fully fledged (and fully excellent) ethical fashion brand.
Over to Ms Deliwala!
Inspiration
The poem above really sparked the creative flame for this launch. We wanted to capture the essence of summer, to create an easy to wear collection that spoke of vacations and resorts, cruises and sunsets and sand between your toes.
Living in Goa has of course been a major inspiration and the ever-present palm trees rustling overhead became a key design feature.
The design process
The Print
Imagine an afternoon nap in a shady palm grove, swaying gently in a hammock. The dappled sunlight falls lazily through shifting gaps in the canopy of leaves, while a soft breeze stirs the air. That's our Palmae print. It's the shadows, the tranquility, the filtered light through tall trees. We toyed with paying homage to Goa's rice fields in the print too, but the right blend of graphics and scale never emerged.
The shadowy palm design became really versatile though; it looks almost like smeared paint up close, while the leaves emerge from a distance. It creates a really textural surface for the clothes without being too loud or too obvious.
The Palette
Our Palmae colour palette is subdued, very relaxed and organic but I've also thrown some colour in, especially for the women's pieces. With the whole look being around summer and vacations, the bolder colours reflect what you might see in the sky as the sun sets around you. For the guys, coconut shades of earthy green and off white combine with dark grey and sky blue.
The Silhouettes
For guys I've kept it very simple: a minimalistic collection of basics that can fit into any wardrobe for the summer. Each piece is easy to pair with existing neutrals like linen pants, casual trousers or bermuda shorts. Layer them with a shirt over the top, or even a light jacket to keep the breeze off you on that cruise.
For the ladies, I've created easy to wear silhouettes, comfortable pieces that look almost freeflowing but when worn, drape beautifully on all body types. There's texture in a lot of the materials, like a slub in the cotton, which create a play in the way the light reflects off the fabric. The varied collection includes a beachy printed day dress, a shorter, bias-cut dress with a really unique drape, a maxi dress (with pockets!) in brick and mauve shades just perfect for lounging, and two tops in a range of neutral colours to throw on over your bikini or wear with jeans.
Classic, timeless pieces that fit into your wardrobe whatever your mood, whatever the trend and whatever the season – though of course, we favour eternal summer!
So there’s Palmae in the words of its creator.
And now, it’s over to you.
Show these pieces how you do summer.
Chuck a tee in your beach bag.
Wrap one of the scarves in your hair on that bike ride.
Take a dress from breakfast to beach to bar.
And sit under a tree and watch that dappled light.
Oh, summer.
