Cool stuff: J.Crew Summer 2016's Ratti® Into the Wild print

J.Crew Off-the-shoulder dress in Ratti® Into the Wild print,
available in Regular, Petite, and Tall sizing.

Lovers of tropical fruit, rejoice! This may be the first time I have ever seen lilikoi (passionfruit; Passiflora edulis) flowers printed on fabric. Wait, is that lychee (Litchi chinensis), too? The print was also released on pumps, loafers, bikini separates (top, bottom), a machine-washable blouse, a bandana, and on the beloved Boy Shirt, which unfortunately appears to be completely sold out.

J.Crew says Ratti® is a major textile manufacturer based in Como, Italy, and that this print was resurrected from their archives. (See more of what I assume are Ratti® prints here.) J.Crew is known for vibrant and appealing prints sculpted into on-trend silhouettes, and tends to select just one to highlight each season. This Ratti® print is surely the star of the Summer 2016 collection.

Because of the passionfruit and lychee it incorporates, I put this print right up there with the well-received, head-turning Midnight Floral print from a few seasons ago. I think of this print, like so many tropical prints, as "generic tropical", because the design mixes flora and fauna from throughout the tropics. I would love to see more prints like this one by Sig Zane that feature place-specific plants. There are so many uncommon plants and creatures that help to define "sense of place" because they are endemic that also happen to be visually appealing. One of the reasons J.Crew's products are so compelling is because they often have a story to accompany them (here's one about their coats). It sure would be delightful if that story were a botanical one.

And because I had to scroll through a bunch of pages to find that link above, here's a story about Iris Apfel - just because.

What do you think about this print, and tropical prints in general? 


UPDATE: Check out the post about Ratti® on J.Crew's blog.


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About "Cool stuff":
 
This blog focuses on "landscape", and people fascinated by "landscape" seem to often also love plants and great design. A great botanical print or the convergence of aesthetics, function, and quality in a product can be hard to find. When I make such a discovery, I'll share it on the blog, but there is no affiliation between this blog and any of the products. I just think they're cool. If you've seen something amazing, say something - by leaving a comment below.