In Conversation With: Laura Prochowski, Our Textile Print Designer

Laura Prochowski, is a textile and print designer based in Sydney, Australia. She has played an important role in creating some of our most loved and iconic Silk Laundry prints. We sat down with Laura to explore her method, her most loved Silk Laundry collaborations, and her goals through these testing times.


How and when did you start textile print designing? 

I began working in the industry in 2009 after I completed studying.

What inspires your designs and how do you stay inspired? 
I’m often inspired by other creatives, the natural world and old reference books.

 
Laura wearing the Flowers print she designed & the Sharp Collar Shirt Flowers featured in Collection 1/ 2020

When and how did you and Katie, our Creative Director, meet? 
Katie and I began emailing each other in 2018, with ideas for some of the first Silk Laundry prints. Our relationships developed and we met in Sydney in late 2018. We have been working together ever since!

What are some of the prints you have designed for Silk Laundry? 
Silk Laundry’s first leopard print, first socially responsible design - the bee embroidery and the Flowers print featured at MBFW 2019. 

The 90s Silk Slip Dress Leopard from our Fall 19' campaign.

Do you have a particular print that you favour? How long is the process of creating a print? 
The Warhol print is my favourite we have worked on to date. Warhol is the second colourway of the Flowers print. The colour palette for this design was inspired by Katie’s son, Felix who has made her a beautiful card utilising these colours. The process depends on the design, as Katie and I always throw ideas back and forward to get it right. Sometimes it takes a while to land on the perfect balance and palette.

The Full Sleeve Bias Cut Dress Warhol & Felix's artwork to Katie, his mum.  

Do you have a personal favorite Silk Laundry piece? How do you style it? 
At the moment I really love the 1920s shorts, the button details on these are beautiful and the fit is perfect. I often wear these with a simple white ribbed tank and an oversized boyfriend shirt.


Bias Cut Skirt Leopard paired with the Ribbed Tank Black 

What has your career taught you, and where would you like it to take you? 
My career so far has taught me to follow my intuition and to work with brands I believe in. I’d love to work with even more socially responsible, environmentally conscious brands that are committed to creating unique and original artworks. I see print design at wearable art, and I only work with brands with a similar vision.

Our first charity slip- 90s Silk Slip Dress Save The Bees

Do you have a dream project or collaboration?
I’d love to work on a wallpaper and interiors collection, with a focus on sustainable interior design.

What are your tips for staying positive and creative in the current situation in the world? 
Focus on the facts and be careful what your news source is. This is a great time to discover new writers, artists, and other creatives. Look to nature for inspiration and focus on all the small and beautiful details in life that we often miss. 

The Full Sleeve Bias Cut Dress Warhol

Three things you hope to achieve during isolation? 
Practice Spanish with friends online.
Catch up on reading all the books I never have time for.
Start working on paintings that are just for the sake of creation, and not for work.