Fashion & Technology Meet As The Epson Monna Lisa Digitally Prints Iconic Designs On Silk For The Textile Museum Of Prato In A Tribute To Mr & Mrs Ossie Clark

Image Courtesy of Museo Del Tessuto

On the occasion of the retrospective dedicated to Ossie Clark and Celia Birtwell by the Prato Textile Museum and the Sozzani Foundation, Epson's Mona Lisa prints on silk a selection of creative designs on show from September

Como, September 2022 - Epson Como Printing Technologies, a company of the Epson group that operates in the textile market of direct printing on fabric, takes part in the project signed by the Textile Museum of Prato and the Sozzani Foundation in collaboration with the Massimo Cantini Parrini Archive which, starting from 17 September, it will bring an extensive retrospective on show to tell the extraordinary work of the two designers Ossie Clark and Celia Birtwell.

Inspired by the incredible creativity of these two absolute protagonists of the London scene and pop culture of the sixties and seventies of the twentieth century, the stylized patterns and geometries together with the floral bouquets take new life in digital thanks to Epson's Mona Lisa, with the which were printed some light silk panels used for the preparation of the exhibition. 

"Participation in this initiative once again testifies to Epson's commitment to supporting cultural projects that make it possible to recover, revitalize and make known the history of design and designers who, with their works, not only tell, but contribute to creating an era ”, comments Paolo Crespi, sales and marketing director of Epson Como Printing Technologies .“Stories of people able to innovate not only in the creation of textile products, but also in the way they express themselves through them. Stories of true innovators with whom Epson identifies, recognizing in their spirit that same ability that is the company's own to bring innovation to a sector - that of design and fashion in the case of Mr and Mrs Clark and that of printing on fabric in the case of Epson. We are very happy to have made possible once again the extraordinary encounter between fashion and technology thanks to Mona Lisa ”.

"We are very pleased to renew the collaboration with Epson Como Printing Technologies on the occasion of our next exhibition, dedicated to two icons of London fashion and printed fabric of the Sixties: a clear sign of the company's sensitivity towards the dissemination of culture and the promotion of quality ”, declares Filippo Guarini, Director of the Textile Museum in Prato . “In fact, the prints reproduced in the exhibition by Epson's Mona Lisa based on drawings by Celia Birtwell are simply beautiful and give an important added value to the quality of our exhibition”.

The Exhibition: Ossie Clark And Celia Birtwell. Fashion And Prints 1965-74

Starting from a first important group of clothes from Massimo Cantini Parrini's collection and archive, the Textile Museum of Prato and the Sozzani Foundation are dedicating a large retrospective to Ossie Clark and Celia Birtwell. Inaugurated on September 16 at the Textile Museum in Prato, the Ossie Clark and Celia Birtwell exhibition. Fashion and Prints 1965-74 will then arrive in Milan at the Sozzani Foundation next January. 

The exhibition not only presents a series of dresses with the iconic prints of Ossie and Celia, but also tells the context and the path of the designer through a series of videos, photos and vintage editorials, memorabilia, sketches and reproductions of the drawings up to an exclusive video interview with Celia Birtwell herself.

A 360-degree experience to pay homage to two figures full of ideas for the new generations who, with a bridge between Prato and Milan, represent a concrete sign of collaboration between institutions that work to promote the culture of fashion.

Mona Lisa: The Digital Printer That Opened A New Era In Textiles

Launched in 2003, Mona Lisa is the progenitor of a series of digital printers that has ushered in a new era in textile printing.

Based on Epson's proprietary MicroPiezo technology, Mona Lisa has offered the textile market the digital tool to move from pioneering sampling to reliable industrial manufacturing.

It stems from a precise design philosophy: foresee market demands to offer the right answers within the required time frame; use the most sophisticated and modern technologies; guarantee maximum respect for the environment as a design condition; promote a constant search for qualitative results.

Equipped with Epson PrecisionCore print heads, the latest evolution of Epson printing technology, Mona Lisa has enabled the textile market to overcome the constraints of traditional printing,

Epson Group

Epson is a world leader in the technology sector and is committed to cooperating to generate sustainability and to contribute positively to communities by leveraging its efficient, compact and precision technologies and digital technologies to connect people, things and information.

The company focuses on developing solutions that are useful to society through innovations in home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, production, graphics and lifestyle.

By 2050, Epson will become carbon-negative and eliminate the use of exhaustible natural resources such as oil and metal.

Led by Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the Epson Group generates annual sales of approximately Yen 1 trillion (approximately € 7.5 billion).