FairyFloss and our Natural World

Here at FairyFloss, we're constantly inspired by all nature has to offer; the colours, the patterns, the textures. Below is  information about some different natural phenomena, and pictures of how we've incorporated their magic into our clothes.

Sand dunes are the beautiful built up hills and mountains of sand you see at the beach, or in the desert; sand ripples are the tiger stripe patterns that sometimes cover them. When sand is moved by the wind, the grains bounce along the surface and cause other grains to move. Small hollows in the ground are protected from the moving grains, and so once grains are splashed into the hollows, they stay put. The higher areas are more affected, because they stick up into the wind. The ripples move as the hollows are slowly filled with grains, and the higher areas have their grains blown away. The movement and direction of sand ripples is a great way to tell what direction the wind has been blowing, and how hard.

The beautiful colours and patterns found on insects can tell us a lot about them. Insects rely on both bright colors and patterns to warn predators that they are poisonous. Some insects even pretend to be poisonous to fake out their enemies. Others use patterns and colours to hide, blending in with their natural environment (think the green praying mantis, or the moths that imitate the eyes of their predators with their wing patterns).

Birds use their feathers to stay warm, to fly, and sometimes to line their nests to keep their eggs warm and safe. Their colour patterns serve as camouflage, whether they're predator or prey; different coloured feathers on their underside allow them to stay camouflaged while in flight. Differences in colours and patterns within the same species play an important role when birds are choosing a mate; some of these differences can't be seen by humans (the feathers reflect UV light). Some bird feathers are coloured by what the bird eats, rather than genetics; if flamingoes can't get what they eat in their native habitat, their distinctive pink plumage will turn white.