New York 2015: New York studio Snarkitecture has used patterns of the city's subway tiles and marbled surfaces to cover a range of clothes that allow the wearer to blend in with the urban environment (+ slideshow).
In a collaboration with custom print company Print All Over Me, Alex Mustonen and Daniel Arsham of Snarkitecture used repeated motifs based on architectural materials to create the collection of chameleonic clothing that is launching in New York this week.
"The starting point was this idea of creating moments of architectural confusion, where you become visually lost within different material surfaces," said Snarkitecture.
The Architectural Camouflage collection includes three prints. The first is based on the rectangular white tiles and black grouting that clad the walls and columns of many stations on New York's subway system.
Smaller hexagonal tiles in the same colour scheme are also used as a repeated pattern, while the final design is based on marbled surfaces, with the grey veins of the white stone covering the clothing.
"There's also the possibility of material displacement – so that when you wear your all-subway-tile outfit to the park, it looks and feels as if you've brought a piece of architecture into a different environment," the studio said.
Each of the prints can be added to any of the blank options in Print All Over Me's collection of garments, which includes basics like T-shirts and joggers to neoprene sweatshirts and denim dungarees, as well as accessories such as caps and backpacks.
The patterns are digitally printed onto the fabrics, which are then washed so the dye fully penetrates and adheres to the fibres. The garments are then assembled and shipped directly to the customer.
Print All Over Me was founded by sibling duo Jesse and Meredith Frinkelstein, who are also planning to introduce textile printing for furniture and homeware accessories into their collection.
Architectural Camouflage will be presented in the window of SANAA-designed New Museum in Manhattan, and as part of an installation at the Collective Design fair – Skylight Clarkson Square, 550 Washington Street – from 13 to 17 May.