The first thing a customer sees when purchasing products online are the photos – they need to be captivating, clear, informative and simple. As an artist or designer, it’s important to know how to photograph your products to capture all facets of them and help customers make confident purchases. You want visitors to be compelled […]
From one of the most iconic pieces of military uniform, to one of the most iconic pieces in fashion; the trench coat is so much more than an accessory. The history of the trench coat dates back over 150 years, and we are going to delve deeper into the folds of this stylish and essential […]
Chiffon is synonymous with elegance in the fashion world. This floaty, sheer fabric is often used in luxury garments such as evening wear or lingerie to add a touch of class as it drapes well. Chiffon has a lightweight texture and a semi-mesh weave which is what gives the fabric a chic transparent appearance, as […]
Welcome to our 8th edition of our meet the Contrado artists series. We are constantly amazed at the incredible talent that we meet every day. The artists who make up our designer platform are growing in numbers, and fill our marketplace with rich diversity and artistic visions. Since launching the Contrado Creatives earlier in the […]
What is Denim and what is it made from? Denim is a sturdy cotton twill fabric, generally used to make garments such as jeans, dungarees and other clothing. It is typically blue in colour. However, it can have a multitude of different finishes such as being stonewashed, striped, faded, napped and indigo. Traditionally it is […]
Where to Start Sewing for Beginners When it comes to sewing for beginners, where to start with your sewing kit can often get overlooked. Needles? Check. Threads? Check. Ready to go? Not just yet! There’s a whole array of other useful things you should have in your beginner’s sewing kit from day one, allowing you to breeze through your first craft […]
Whether you have embraced the unicorn trend or fled from it, one thing is for certain…unicorns are going nowhere! Especially if our Instagram feeds are anything to go by. What is the unicorn trend? From Starbuck’s infamous Unicorn Frappuccino, to the thousands of unicorn make up tutorials flooding YouTube, knowing how to be a unicorn […]
Types of Applique What is Applique? Whether you’re a seasoned fashionista or an experimental designer, the art of applique is sure to come up in your textile practice. Applique essentially means applying one piece of fabric to another – usually shapes or designs on top of a fabric background – and it can be a […]
What is Neoprene? You’ve probably come across Neoprene before without even realising. But what is Neoprene? Neoprene was the first ever successful synthetic rubber created, dating back to 1930. It can be found on tires, wetsuits, hoses, and as well as being a particularly useful material its now also made its way onto high end […]
The artist Svetlana Petrova (who has recently joined Contrado community) is the artist behind the infamous Fat Cat Art. She has taken her love of cats to the next level – by adding her ginger tabby Zarathustra (yes, that’s the actual name of her cat) to some of the world’s greatest artworks. Svetlana then went […]