The moody tropical trend evokes a sense of escapism, lush abundance and falling deep into those dark hues. I love the contradition between the tropical vibes and how this totally lifts moody colours into something upbeat, friendly and fun.
Palm, fan and ferns leaves have been popular for a few years and pushing the tropical theme into the mass market. You can’t miss it and people seem to love this style. Nature always has a fresh feel to it and makes everyone happy. I think the tropical aspect gets consumers thinking about far flung travels and exotic holidays they want to take. Day dreaming of this is never a bad thing so makes the perfect style to add to your home or wardrobe.
The addition of tropic animals to this trend (both illustrations and their skin prints) updates this theme and adds a new dimension. Mix it with dense and luscious moody colours and you’ve got a new twist on this popular style.
There are many different routes you can take with wild trend and exploring this has been pure wanderlust.
Key design styles I’m inspired by:
- Distorted tropical shapes that are inspired by the trend but not obviously connected straight away
- Animal skin patterns used within the shape of other tropical motifs
- Addition of animals to the theme so it not just about the greenery
- Pops of monochrome or super bright colours mixed with moody shades
- Oversized palms that are cut off so you don’t see the whole leaf
Do you love the tropical trend? I’d love to hear your thoughts so comment below!
Image sources (clockwise from top left): 1. Matthew Williamson 2. Lia Griffith 3. Amanda Swart 4. PNG Tree 5. Varpu Kronholm 6. Etsy 7. SF Girl by Bay 8. Iori Tomita
