Smiley x Pretty Green collab celebrates festival season

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jul 12, 2019

Pretty Green has had its ups and downs in recent periods but after its administration filing this spring and its acquisition by dynamic retail giant JD Sports, it seems to be on an up and has just launched a collaboration with Smiley for festival season.

Smiley has had a strong appeal for festival-goers for more more than half a century and has been hugely active in festival-linked product in recent years.

The brands have got together for a unisex collection that “celebrates fun, freedom and imagination.”

Pat Salter, Creative Director at Pretty Green, said: “These vibrant visions were dreamt up in the small hours of a sleep-deprived morning. The soul of the collection was influenced by the oil lamp projections that used to be projected over psychedelic bands during music festivals in the 1960s; blending with the sound waves to create hallucinogenic experiences for those watching.”

The range is also inspired by the heritage of the Smiley motif within music culture, and Pretty Green said 1989’s ‘summer of love’ also had an influence “as this was the time music evolved into free parties, raves and house music was a huge part of the UK club scene.”

The marble pattern that’s a key feature of the offer was created exclusively by the design teams for this collection and consists of “a bright 80s colour pattern and a hidden warped original Smiley face.” It’s featured on selected pieces with others decorated with an embroidered Smiley.

It’s a fairly extensive offer with 30 pieces including T-shirts, sweats, polo tops, shorts, jackets and parkas, among other items. The “psychedelic lava and smoke” allover prints are featured on a lot of the collection, including a cape, backpacks and bucket hats. 

The company has also released a number of festival-themed videos to support the launch and has just held an in-store event at the brand’s Manchester flagship.