Pattern Curator

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LAUREN LESLEY STUDIO AT BLUEPRINT SHOW

Kristine Go

Lauren Lesley Studio

Who are you?  Where are you from?

I’m Lauren, owner and creator of Lauren Lesley Studio, LLC.  I grew up in Spartanburg, South Carolina, but spent most of my adult life in Atlanta, Georgia and just recently moved to Birmingham, AL with my husband.  Basically, I’m from all over the South East!

Recently becoming an independent designer after designing textiles for a manufacturer for the past 7 years, Lauren Lesley Studio is my original interpretation of textile and surface pattern design.  I showed my designs at Blueprint Show in New York for the first time this May 2019.

Here I am sharing a few of the designs I showed at Blueprint. It’s a nice group showing how I approach hand-painted abstract designs, trending terrazzo prints, and tropical florals all in a way that feels like it’s coming from the same creative mind. All of my designs are available for licensing.

Why do you love color, print and/or pattern?

I love color, because color energizes me.  A good color palette is one of the most satisfying and exhilarating things maybe because there’s no concrete formula.  It’s somewhat intuitive, but when it’s right you just know it in your gut. People try to apply rules to colors, but it’s very difficult to pin down.  For example, when I was growing up wearing black and brown together was a shameful color mistake begging for social ridicule. But then, take a look at today’s trending African prints and earthy stripes coming on the scene.  Black and brown can be done really well together when the tones are right!

When did you discover you have a passion for it?

I fell into love with print and pattern after being miserable in my first Graphic Design job, haha.  I entered into Graphic Design half-heartedly, because I thought it was the next best thing to being a full-time fine artist.  While working, I discovered print and pattern artists and I remember thinking: how did they get THAT career? I didn’t even know that was a job possibility!  Designing textiles, drawing patterns and prints, that was something I could really love.  I fell in love with the illustrative process of the work.  Plus, it’s so rewarding to see your work on real products you would actually want to buy yourself.

How do you use color, print & pattern in your own work?

When designing textiles, I generally create at least 3 color ways:  a warm, a cool, and a neutral. Depending on the category, I’ll also sometimes create a true multi-colored design that can coordinate well with various colored products.

In my surface pattern designs, I lean towards bright, cheerful colors.  I love researching color trends and try to incorporate fresh tones into my palette.

Same goes for print & pattern!  For Blueprint Show, I designed 5 collections including Abstract, Florals, Outdoor, Christmas, and Uplifting Women.  I heavily relied on subjects that always sell well such as Florals and Christmas, but also relied on trend research and explored new ideas that felt really authentic to my look.

How do you use Pattern Curator in your work?

I love getting emails from Pattern Curator!  Pattern Curator is always ahead of the curve when it comes to trend and color.  Reviewing their trend boards always sparks a new idea or shifts the way I am thinking about an existing design.  How can I tweak this and make it better? How can I use this newness in a relevant way?

What are your services offered?

I am just getting into licensing my designs to companies to sell on their products.  My 2019 collection showed at Blueprint and is still available. I envision a few of my collections in Home Décor and on Outdoor products while others would apply beautifully in Gift and Stationery industries.

I’m currently still freelancing as a Textile Designer in the rug category.

How can others get in touch with you?  

Wanna collaborate and contribute to the Pattern Curator Co-Lab? Have a story, trend or service to share?

Let’s connect!