That'll be degradé - how to DIY a flecked Marco De Vincenzo degradé top

An easy-peasy painterly effect? Fleck yeah!

Furansu Jean Sweater (see more multi colored sweaters)

Marco De Vincenzo Blouse (see more short sleeve blouses)

In appreciation of the flecked degradé effect, exemplified in these tops by Furansu and Marco de Vincenzo (the new protégé of LVMH and one to watch, according to the Telegraph), I took on the look in DIY form. The warm, graduating hues and leaf-like dotted textures worked well as an evolution of this year's art and brushstroke fad, so I'm dubbing it a trend, at least in my mind.

You will need...

NB: The paints I used were from the 'Setasilk' range by Pébéo. I'd recommend a maximum of four colours, as they blend very easily.

The top I used was from Miss Selfridge.

I'd also strongly recommend some white spirit for cleaning up the inevitable resultant mess of the project!

Difficulty

Very easy

It doesn't get much easier or more straightforward than this. The only challenge this project really presents is cleaning up afterwards and/or engineering it to avoid making a devastating, irreparable mess.

Cost

The top cost £25 and the paints cost about £4 each (although you might be luckier if you shop around).

Time

Time spent on the actual project: About 10 minutes.

Time spent scrubbing like a fishwife possessed between each colour: About an hour and a half.

Degradé, yourself

Pour one of the silk paints into the bottle and spray it in the desired area.

Remember to apply the colour on both sides and take care to avoid 'cross-contamination' of colours, through smudging or putting the design face-down on wet paint.

When you are finished with a colour, pour the paint back into the container and rinse the spray bottle thoroughly to stop the colours from mixing, unless you want them to (it's a great effect if you do, especially for ombre graduation). I find that it helps to fill the spray bottle with water a few times and spray it out until the water is completely clear.

Repeat the process with the other colours you intend to use and leave the top to dry. Finally, fix the paint by ironing it.