Flames, Flowers, and the Brilliance of Tara Babylon
When you hear the words Winter Babylonia, what kind of thoughts do they evoke in your mind? For me, it sounds like the name of a city in a dystopian future where all sorts of pleasures can be found, secluded from the chaos and ruins outside of its gates. Well, that’s what I would have thought before learning that it’s the name of the new collection of haberdashery from British-Iraqi designer Tara Babylon.
Inspiration can come from anywhere or from any moment in time. Most of our inspiration comes from the past, whether from the recent past or in antiquity. In a way, it’s like taking ideas and elements from the past and giving them a second chance at life in a new era, merging those elements with today’s sensibilities. We see this happen in art, music, and fashion all the time. This is the key to creating something timeless. Tara derived her inspiration from 70’s British punk culture; Jordan Mooney, an avatar of Punk culture in the 70s, and Paul Simonon, bassist of The Clash. Their unique style became the catalyst of inspiration for Tara to form the new Babylon textiles.
The energy from both icons enabled Tara to design prints that evoke spiky punk culture using flames and flowers. This iconography also ties into the history of the Tara Babylon brand: paradise & destruction.
The techniques are classic Tara Babylon, while the aesthetic is a completely new take in stark contrast to previous seasons, showing the breadth of what the brand can do.
Photographs by Gabriella Gum
Shop Tara Babylon and follow her on Instagram
Special thanks to Kayla Wagner at Loft Creative Group
