Astute Graphics on the Catwalk – Workflow tutorial by Kitty Florido

Based in Guatemala City, Freelance Designer Kitty Florido enjoys producing work for a variety of markets. Her work was most recently showcased in fabrics used by Guatemalan fashion designer Eduardo Figueroa.

Kitty used our plug-ins in the making of these fabrics, which were then used in three collections developed by Figueroa for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Shows in Guatemala City.

Both projects were for a 60-by-60-inch canvas, and here Kitty gives us a brief talk through the workflows for the fabrics for Figueroa’s Xar-Ha and Sik’inelab’ collections (Mercedes-Benz Fashion Guatemala 2015 and 2016).

Xar-Ha

For the 2015 collection Xar-Ha ('Blue Water' in the Mayan language), I used MirrorMe.

I started by creating the basic shapes and pattern I wanted to replicate over a canvas. After having a set (roughly covering a small portion of the canvas size), I started using MirrorMe, in a 90º angle and just replicating the design once. I wanted control over the amount of mirroring I had on the design, as the fabric design was conceptualised and very geometric.

After replicating the first design, I reapplied MirrorMe with the same configurations (90º) so that I could replicate it vertically using a 0º angle.

I then repeatedly switched between horizontal and vertical MirrorMe configurations until I had covered the entire canvas in the geometric shapes.

When the entire canvas was covered, I tweaked some of the shapes, and then proceeded to add color. Here you can see that I already have the hue colors selected, so next I give the canvas a bright blue background with the shapes using a dark navy blue.

Below we have the finished fabric on the catwalk at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Guatemala…

Sik’inelab’

For the 2016 collection Sik’inelab’ ('Messengers' in the Mayan language), I used ColliderScribe.

I started the coloring process before using Space Fill. We designed the kite using MirrorMe, and after working the color palette into the shape, we defined a size that would work well in the fabric and the final piece.

Next, I selected the kite shape and the canvas background color, and using ColliderScribe’s Space Fill, I made the space fill using a +3 uniformity, allowing Rotation and Multiplying Filling Art starting at 40 copies.

When reviewing the result, I adjusted the multiplying art to reproduce 275 copies, as well as trying different randomising seeds until I was satisfied with the filling of the entire canvas.

After having the entire canvas covered, I expanded the filled container and manually adjusted some of the kites to overlap and to allow the fabric background to show through.