The "Queen of Prints" Mary Katrantzou Launches a Capsule with Bloomingdales

We would never throw shade on the patron saint of warm weather dressing, Lilly Pulitzer, but when you are feeling a little extra this summer, Mary Katrantzou's prints really hit the spot. Her first collaboration with Bloomingdales' Aqua label tapped into her appreciation for nature with trippy animal prints, including a mesmerizing leopard print, as well as butterflies, parrots, and florals. "The clothes are joyful and playful, I want women to put them on and instantly be in a summer mood," says Katrantzou. "Even I wear black when I am working, so prints and colors signify being off-duty to me."

The Greek designer usually lives in London, but decamped to her family home outside Athens during the pandemic, where she grappled with balancing work and creativity just like the rest of us. "I try to appreciate that we all have had a little more time on our hands," she explains. "It was the first instance where I was really bored as an adult and now I see how important that is, to leave space for creativity and to let inspiration find you."

The capsule was also Katrantzou's first time designing girls' clothes, which coordinate with the women's styles. "Because when you are 14 you want to be 20 and when you are 45 you feel 20, so the collection is sophisticated for a teenager and more playful for someone in their 40s and 50s, but it works for everyone," she says.

As an added bonus, the Aqua capsule is at an affordable price point compared to Katrantzou's runway styles, so you can scoop up the whole collection for a summer filled with vacation-worthy prints.