Toile with a Twist

Groovy Q pillowcase and gift wrap [via eye spy]
 

Take a closer look. You'll find no scenes of 18th century pastoral bliss, no French maidens and no powdered wigs here. Instead, Groovy Q took the traditional toile de jouey print so common in decorating and gave it quite a naughty spin.

I remember seeing Groovy Q's Girl Power bed linens on the Urban Outfitters website a while back, but it was only when I saw another unique toile pattern on my most recent trip to New York that I realized we've got a full-blown trend on our hands.

Groovy Q's Dirty Linen collection no longer seems to be available anywhere, but prints included (clockwise from top left) Suburban Sprawl Toile, Girl Power Toile, Vice Toile and Tom of Finland Toile. [via If It's Hip, It's Here]

I took a break from Fashion Week when I was in New York to visit the Museum of Arts & Design at Columbus Circle, which is where I saw Sheila Bridges' Harlem Toile de Jouey. The African-American designer created the pattern for her own Harlem home, and addressed some deeply embedded stereotypes in the process. Harlem Toile is available here as wallpaper, fabric, bedding, furniture, plates and glasses.

Jessica Smith's South Beach Toile wallpaper is exactly what I'd want in my imaginary Florida vacation home. It reminds me of something out of The Birdcage. [via shelterpop]

Timorous Beasties depicts another contemporary city scene (including muggings at gunpoint) with it's London Toile wallpaper. [via apartment therapy]

Dan Funderburgh designed Chinatown Toile for the NYC Chinatown Soccer Club's clubhouse in Vienna Austria, erected during the 2008 European Cup. [via Flavor Paper]