Ikat Invasion

Not all interior and fashion trends in the States make their way to Turkey. The color 'grey' for home interiors, and Pantone's color of the year 'honeysuckle' for example have remained on the other side of the pond, for now anyway. Hence I was really surprised to see a lot of ikat prints appearing in shelves of home and fashion stores around here. Bathing suits, tea cups, trays, rugs, you name it, its got ikat all over it.

I think more than any other print this season the ikat stands out the most to me because I studied the technique in a Textiles class. I won't bore you with the details (well, that and I cant remember the exact process), but naturally when I walk into a store the print is the first thing that catches my attention. Anyway, here are pictures of some ikat items that I've come across in my window shopping expeditions, starting with a bikini below...

A catalogue picture of the bikini

And here it is on display

Of course my camera phone doesn't do this bikini set any justice. It's by Oysho, the same Spanish company that owns Zara. Below is another ikat bikini by the same company but I couldn't find it on their website.

I'm going to sidetrack from the ikat topic here because I just have to say how much I am loving this store, Oysho. They sell affordable, good quality, great fit, and fun printed clothes. In fact I ended up buying 2 bikini sets from them and this perfect summer top with beautiful embroidery detail on the chest. The catalogue picture below doesn't do the details on the blouse any justice. It's the white one on the right.

And below is a cute ikat beach dress from the same company. I'm all about printed dresses, it hides all my body's flaws and stands out.

Now moving away from ikat fashion and on to home goodies. Check out this beautiful tableware set, what a way to add color and texture to your dining table. I saw it at a department store and have to say  it looks even better in person, the colors just pop out at you.

 

And of course, one of my favorite destinations for home decor - Zara Home. How lovely are these round storage boxes? Now if I could just find a place to display them in our home.

And below are ikat curtains in various colors, although I think I like the pattern in small doses as opposed to something like curtains or a rug where it would be too much.

Well, you're probably getting tired of looking at it so I'm not going to post all the other pictures. That was just a peek of the ikat invasion that made it's way accross the Atlantic. So what do you think, will you be adding it to your home or wardrobe?

Last but not least, Happy Memorial Day weekend to all of you!