Entry No. 3: BUTTERFLIES // The Design Behind the Collection

Our series of stories and behind-the-scenes from our Founder, Kate Frantz, continues with a look at the design behind the Butterfly + Moth Clothing Collection.

Entry No. 3
Species: Butterflies + Moths

Design Process

At this point, I was armed with a love for butterflies, microscopic images, and scientific facts. The hard part? Turning it all into artwork that felt fashion-forward — inspired by science without being too science-y.

Remember how my dad is a retired science teacher? I started by taking individual pictures of butterflies within his collection. It looked something like this:

spicebush swallowtail butterfly

Above is a Spicebush Swallowtail from my dad's butterfly collection.

I cleaned up each file by redrawing antennae, erasing backgrounds, and double-checking against the original photo to keep the species' essence intact.

Here's an example of the above photograph turned into vector art:

Above photo: Spicebush Swallowtail as vector art

I liked how it ended up looking like a stamp or silhouette, accentuating only the most prominent features.

I did this over and over again with other butterflies. Many didn't make the cut.

Next came the art (and science) of pattern-making — designing seamless repeats that feel natural and balanced, like fabric you'd buy by the yard. It took a lot of trial and error, but eventually, I found the flow.

Pattern of black butterflies on a white background with yellow corners.

Above is the repeating pattern I decided to use.

I played with color, but always came back to simple off-black and off-white. It was as if with color removed, you could actually see and appreciate the intricate patterns.

Color found its place in the scarves and shirt fabrics instead. Each tee color was intentionally chosen to pair with a butterfly scarf, reflecting butterfly colors often seen in nature: blue, yellow, orange, black, and white.

Above: 4 butterfly + moth statement tee options

Designing the scarves was a labor of love. I traced the little scales I saw under the microscope, and took some creative liberties to arrange them almost like a kaleidoscope.

Next I added color to reference specific butterflies: Monarch, Tiger Swallowtail, Blue Morpho, and Marbled White.

butterfly wing under a microscope Monarch Butterfly Scarf | Microscopic Wings