Unlikely inspirations for a fashion collection can come from all sorts of places and, leafing through vintage magazines, you may spot adverts that can lead you to other discoveries and ideas.
For example, it is not rare to stumble upon Formica® adverts in magazines from the '40s or the '50s. Initially used as a substitute for the mineral mica in electronic components (that's how the surface got its name), Formica had already turned by the 1920s into a durable solution for products such as radios. While black and brown were first used on the radio exteriors, little by little, surfaces became more complex: the Formica Corporation developed first a dark woodgrain pattern, then a green marble laminate. When in the '40s New York-based modernist architect Morris B Sanders was making a name for himself, he was called to create a pattern for Formica.
Inspired by the light of the moon reflected on the surface of water and by the motif created by the waves and ripples, Sanders came up with the "Moonglo" pattern in 1948. The pattern - in six colours - represented the very first one that the Formica Corporation created in partnership with a designer. At the time it was dubbed a "glamour pattern" as it was considered subtle yet elegant and went on to become a very popular one which is currently being rediscovered by the Formica Corporation to celebrate the company's 110th anniversary.
So, there you go, from a vintage advert you can actually discover a nice pattern with an intriguing story and inspiration behind it. Actually there's more good news for pattern fans: Formica will be rediscovering on its site one vintage pattern a month to celebrate its anniversary. Fashion designers should keep an eye on the next posts: Formica collaborated in the past with fashion designers on products such as jewelry, buttons, head combs and sunglasses. Maybe its vintage patterns could be rediscovered as prints?
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