This Spring, Print is the Thing

As the late, great Alexander McQueen showed in his Spring/Summer show, ditto several other designers, including Albert Kriemler of Akris, fashion plus technology is a match made in heaven.

This dress is from the Akris Spring collection:

That beautiful, soft, fluttery print is not woven or painted, but digitally printed onto the fabric.

Here’s another one:

McQueen was a master at this technique, producing vivid, electric prints in brilliant colors:

And his famous “manta” dress was voted one of the “100 Best Dresses of the Decade” by InStyle Magazine:

Here’s Cate Blanchett on the red carpet in Cannes the other week wearing a gown McQueen designed specifically for her just before he died:

Well, the digital print technique has caught fire, according to this article in the Wall Street Journal by fashion columnist Christina Binkley, and the results are spectacular.  Even better, they’re now available to us hoi polloi in addition to those who can afford couture.  Look for an inkjet-printed frock coming soon to a store near you.

(Be sure to click on the slideshow accompanying the WSJ column for a picture of the breathtaking floral gown worn by Carrie Underwood; unfortunately, I can’t reproduce it here.  And here’s a great round-up of McQueen’s prints in huge photographs by the Fashion Spot.)

Let us know what you think…