By Jeff Maisey
Artist Anita Bradley has taken her vibrantly colorful abstract paintings in a whole new direction — literally from canvas to the fabric you wear out to dinner.
The idea came to her four years ago after a long career in interior design and as a visual artist.
“I thought my paintings would really look good on some clothing,” she said.
Bradley researched print-on-demand companies that could make her vision come to light.
She uses a design program on her desktop computer, which overlays the imagery of her paintings onto stylish shirts, light weight denim jackets, mesh tops, dresses, skirts, pants, and scarves.
NYFO Boutique, a locally-owned quality women’s clothing retailer at the Palace Shops in trendy Ghent, has recently begun merchandising and selling Anita Bradley’s wearable art right alongside such popular product lines as Planet, Suzy D, Paige, and Margaret O’Leary.
“We have sold out of nearly every piece of Anita’s clothing we’ve brought in,” said Lynn Hughes-Hailey, the store’s clothing line buyer and customer consultant.
NYFO Boutique’s clientele looks to the expertise, advice, and exceptional service experience of the retailer to outfit them for upcoming European travels, social gatherings, night out excursions, and dinner with friends.
Before working with NYFO as an outlet, Bradley sold her clothing at select art galleries, outdoor markets and craft shows, but found the process and result less favorable than she had hoped.
For Anita Bradley, having her clothing on the racks and on display at NYFO is something she’s been looking forward to.
“I’m so excited to be in this store,” she said. “I think the quality and the design are excellent.”
The location of the retailer is also a full-circle moment. The space once housed Anita Bradley Design, an interior design company.
As for the process of designing her line — Bradley Paige — she takes photographs of her paintings. She uses a program called ProCreate to layer paintings, and then uses a separate program to overlay the artwork onto the clothing template. It’s an enhanced creative process that expands the realm of her original works.
“I feel my purpose in life is to spread beauty and love, and that’s what I hope I’m doing. For artists, I feel like our job in life is to show people a different way of looking at things through your artwork. Now I’m reaching a larger audience.”
