INSPO ORIGINS: MONUMENT VALLEY

Much of the aesthetic inspiration from is, well, worldly. From the colors and creations of Mother Nature herself to a sense of exploring to the appreciation of artistry from around the globe. As is always the case when a collection comes together, it’s beautifully blended from several sources that we swirl into something so distinctly DDR.

TAKING SHAPE

Silhouettes are trending strong, square, and almost safari-esque right now. Straight legs, boxy tops, cargo pockets – it has a very utilitarian and “explorer” vibe.

“From a design standpoint we were inspired to design Monument Valley based on current trends in fashion like camp and utility,” explained Claire Johanson, one of our talented designers. “Utility has been everywhere and is a heavy influence on our trend forecasting sources like WGSN. Then we had to mold that trend to our branding, so we chose Monument Valley and an archaeological spin.”

COLORS OF THE CANYON

“I think the influence here is apparent,” Cheryl said. “One of the mesmerizing visual aspects of the canyons or valleys or geographical formations is, well, it’s two-fold really – first, there are the colors, those dusty rose and rust hues, and patches of greens – and then the really cool part is how they layer. The strata that are created in rock formations from thousands and millions of years make stripes of the reds and the rusts and also hues of sand and khaki. All of that is a beautiful palette to work with – you can’t argue with nature’s paintbrush!”

PATCHWORK MEMORIES

“Patches are always an easy ‘yes’ for us, when they make sense aesthetically,” Cheryl said. “They feel like pieces of personality, and something that tells a story. In Monument Valley, they made sense to us because it’s a nod to adventure, in a way, and it’s reminiscent for me of all the road-tripping we did as kids and with our kids, and always gathering little mementos along the way. They work well in this collection with the utilitarian silhouettes.”

FABULOUS FEMMES

As a company of women, designing for women, it should come as no surprise that we aim to incorporate the work of women as often as possible. In Monument Valley, we are so proud to be once again featuring the artwork of talented and tenacious Navajo artisan Penelope Joe in several pieces. Additionally, after having the honor of visiting some of them during our travels last summer, we felt moved and motivated to amp up the inclusion of works by the remarkable women we work with around the world, particularly those behind the intricate embroidery we all love so much!