LIFE 1939: Red from Kailua earth & gray from Kailua lava inspire new fabric prints. http://goo.gl/M5Ep3G

LIFE 1939: Red from Kailua earth & gray from Kailua lava inspire new fabric prints. http://goo.gl/M5Ep3G

"Every spring, women's dress fashions break out in a rash of prints. Since most little prints look alike and splashy big prints are only for the slim and beautiful, the spring print mania is a headache to those in the dress business. Last June, ten department stores decided to do something about the print situation. They sent Truman Bailey, able and imaginative designer and photographer, to the Samoan and Hawaiian Islands for new colors and patterns adaptable to the American scene. He came back with 60 test tubes of different colors of earth, lava, coral, sand and photographs and sketches of fruits, flowers, ferns and native designs. In a book called Polynesian Venture, published this month, he presents a wealth of source material adaptable to merchandise."

#fashion   #1930s   #textiles   #design   #modernliving   #vintage