Disruptive Pattern Material: An Encyclopedia of Camouflage

From animal survival to anti-war irony.

Camouflage occurs naturally in the wild as a mechanism of protection and illusion. Learning from nature, military strategists reproduced, painted and printed camouflage patterns to protect equipment and soldiers.

Disruptive Pattern Material is an encyclopedic history of camouflage from its roots in nature, through to its adoption by armed forces and on to its current popularity within modern civilian culture.

The book begins with the wide variety of wildlife that protects itself by blending into the environment. Military camouflage covers the first uses of camouflage to disguise artillery and ships and eventually individual soldiers. A comprehensive, historical guide features the various camouflage patterns issued to soldiers of 107 nations around the world.

The use of camouflage outside of the armed forces first began in the 1960s by anti-war protestors. From there, camouflage was further explored by artists and designers. The book covers the uses of non-military camouflage in:

• Fashion
• Architecture
• Music
• Sports
• Film
• Art and graffiti.

Featuring 5,000 compelling images by leading photographers, Disruptive Pattern Material is an authoritative reference with fascinating cultural insight.

Hardy Blechman, the Creative Director of Maharishi, a fashion design company, has been influential in the proliferation of camouflage and combat pants in civilian fashion over the past decade.