Today’s project inspiration post comes to us from our guests Pam and Melissa of the whimsical clothing brand Girls from Savoy. They’re visiting the Spoonflower blog to share their Spring collection photo shoot backdrops featuring some fabulous and fashion-worthy wallpapers designed by the Spoonflower community! 

Disco

Pam and Melissa: We didn’t set out to create Girls From Savoy. Instead, it found us. We both had day jobs in the fashion industry, but as soon as we met we spent all our free time together, scouring vintage shows for clothing, prowling mid-century furniture stores, or seeking out esoteric fabrics for our apartments.

Photo 1

Over time, we realized that in all those hours together we had developed a really clear shared aesthetic, particularly in clothing: we wanted pieces that were girlish without being immature, looked great on, and above all, didn’t take themselves too seriously. We were having a lot of fun together, taking in a lot of different influences, and we wanted to express ourselves through clothing reflecting that.

So we started a clothing line together, and were lucky enough to sell it through Anthropologie. Here’s our first piece/bestseller/favorite from that era:

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Fast forward a few years. We’ve expanded, with a brand new site and additional labels, and we are pulling together our own photo shoot for the first time. Naturally, we weren’t going to use just anything for the background. And so a frantic internet hunt began, ending with the discovery of our friends at Spoonflower. We were so excited to find not only the means to realize our own designs, but also a community of talented artists creating all sorts of elaborate patterns. Then the really hard part started–choosing which wallpapers to use for our photo backdrops.

It was really an embarrassment of riches. We’ll spare you the shots of our office buried in samples, but ultimately we realized– we can use a whole bunch of them! The vibrant nature of the mishmash of patterns really worked with our sensibility, and made the clothes and models shine. Here’s a picture of the rolls awaiting deployment:

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We managed to get them all hung while the models and stylists got prepped. Our spring collection is heavy on nautical themes and unexpected prints such as whimsical arrows and bows, and we found that the prints we’d assembled from various designers in the Spoonflower community were just the thing. See for yourself here:

Wallpapers from left to right: Large Crab Netting – Sunset Oranges by Karen Robertson, Freeform Arrows in Cream on Gray by Domesticate, Arrows Scattered – Cream/Midnight Blue/French Rose/Saffron by Andrea Lauren, and Gold Scallops by MrsHervi

Here’s another one, below. The mix of patterns gives a real sense of fun:

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In some ways, our collaboration with Spoonflower for our first shoot has brought us full circle. We’re back where we started, poring over patterns and delighting in discovering far-flung influences. Another constant is the delight we take in self-expression, whether through fabulous clothes or fantastic wallpaper, and in finding a like-minded community online. We’re already looking forward to seeing what comes next.

Cheers and happy hunting,

Pam and Melissa

See wallpaper picks and inspiration for the shoot on the Girls From Savoy’s Pinterest board!

About our Guest Authors

Girls From Savoy is a destination featuring a hand selected group of contemporary designers along with their own label, Mender. Their looks favor unique patterns, textiles and vintage inspired aesthetics and their quirky expression of fashion to differentiate their brand. The company is a collaboration between Pamela Berick and Melissa Charatz, who met as buyers for women’s wear at Barneys New York and Anthropolgie. 

Find Girls From Savoy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest


About Our Guest Author