Secondary Prints

Despite my disdain towards how fast the trends are coming and going, I feel as though this prediction lies within this fast category of “trends”

Animal prints have come and go over and over again, cheetah print being the latest. Zebra print used to be my favorite back in 2021. Tiger print, blah blah blah. The rich, dark, promiscuous, prints have dominated the fashion industry in different ways. 

While scrolling through Pinterest, I saw a fish print that was spectacularly beautiful. Green and yellow background with bright pink and purple spots. A close enough view and you can't even tell it's a fish. Obviously once I saved one pin, tons more started appearing in my feed and other secondary and tertiary animal prints. Lady bugs. Other fish. Butterflies. Beetles. And even certain seashells. 

I love patterns and printed clothes, not all of them, but if they look good it is hard to hate on them. I’m loving that camo has come into style and I am really enjoying seeing how people style it and use it in their outfits. When camo first came into style, I had an idea to design and make my own camo prints, all different colors, like a Skims type of color scheme. Brown, pink, blue, stick camo. I never got around to it obviously and camo is so mainstream now that the idea is kind of boring to me now, someone’s going to do it soon. 

Anyway, the purpose of the sidetrack is because I can see these secondary animal prints becoming new inspiration to the fashion world and being altered in the same way I thought about camo. Lady bug print. Speckled trout print. Maybe take the contrast down and edit it in a cool way.

Nails & Beetles

While surfing Pinterest for more insect prints, I kept seeing these sick beetles. Blues, greens, pinks, all with a common detail. Chrome. Ironically, chrome overlays are trending in the nail world right now. Some manicure’s I’ve seen resemble the natural appearance of these beetles. Dark blue with a chrome overlay, etc. Beetles being one of the only natural sources that I’ve seen chrome appear on, I think the chrome trend can go further by pulling inspiration from these similar designs already found in nature.  

Regardless of my reservations about the rapid pace of trends, I hope to see a shift towards more niche, nature-inspired prints in the fashion world. Animal prints, which have been a staple for years, continue to evolve, with more unconventional motifs like fish, beetles, and ladybugs gaining attention. These secondary animal prints have the potential to be the next wave of inspiration for designers, much like camo did in the past. While some of these ideas may feel overexposed or lose their charm over time, the natural world offers endless possibilities for creative reinvention. Whether it’s through the sleek, metallic hues of beetles or the soft, organic patterns of insects and shells, nature seems poised to keep influencing fashion in unexpected, and perhaps more sustainable, ways. So, while trends may feel fleeting, the beauty of nature’s patterns offers a timeless source of inspiration that will continue to captivate and shape the industry.