Forget Gingham, Checkerboard Is Our New Favourite Print

Move over spring-ready gingham, there's a new print in town and it's bolder than its saccharine pastel-hued predecessor. Checkerboard has emerged as the coolest pattern on our Instagram feed of late, popping up everywhere from interiors to beauty as well as our wardrobes.

Our love affair with the chess-inspired print started in our teens, when any emo and skater worth their salt owned a pair of classic Vans checkerboard slip-ons, but in the later 2010s the pattern lost its shine. Unable to compete with the resurgence of florals, it was relegated to vinyl flooring in kitchens and bathrooms. The print synonymous with punk suddenly became naff.

Fast-forward to the catwalks of SS20, though, and checkerboard sprung up at shows from Milan to New York. A seriously dreamy colourway of chocolate and blush was seen on silky skirts at Vivienne Westwood, while Gucci served up an utterly perfect shell-printed orange and cream checkerboard two-piece. Lanvin's sherbet yellow and duck egg blue ankle-grazing dress was a springtime delight, and Marques'Almeida's blue and red circle skirt with matching long-sleeved top proved that head-to-toe checkerboard should absolutely be braved.

Over on Instagram, we're spying checkerboard manicures in pastel hues and ceramic vases and bedspreads in the bold pattern, too. Brands like TL 180, Lisa Says Gah and Holiday the Label are leading the charge but you can find the fresh print across the high street and beyond. Our rule of thumb? Clash those prints!