London Undercover has teamed up with DPM to produce a series of 6 Disruptive Pattern Material umbrellas, utilising patterns from maharishi’s archive.
Each pattern has been developed with the intention of detaching camouflage from its military associations and promoting its roots in nature, art and design.
DPM: British Bonsai / Terrain: Woodland
Inspired by the British pattern used from the 1960’s til 2011, when it began to be phazed out and replaced with MTP. The original pattern was developed by civil servants of an artistic background at the Army Personnel Research Establishment in Farnborough. Sold off (with weapons) to many other nations, the pattern is even worn in a purple variant by the Swazi Royal Guard.
DPM: Tibetan Elemental Tigerstripe Gold / Terrain: Jungle
Inspired by the Vietnamese ‘tigerstripe’ pattern in the coveted gold colourway. First worn by South Vietnamese Marines in the early 1960’s, this pattern was originally known as ‘sea wave’, which was itself an interpretation of the French ‘lizard’ camouflage, used during the 1950’s. Various symbols are incorporated into the ‘Tibetan Elemental Tigerstripe’ patterns, including dragons, hexagons and the elements; earth, ether, fire, water and wind, expressed as Sanskrit symbols.
DPM: MHI90 Splinter / Terrain: Jungle
This pattern was inspired by the Swedish ‘M90 Splinter’ pattern which was first issued to troops in 1990. The desert and jungle variants were developed for the international peace-keeping missions in Afghanistan and Libya.
DPM: Bonsai Forest III (Night) / Terrain: Night All Terrain
The Maharishi house pattern’s latest incarnation achieves a greater degree of balance in its elements. As a key part of the maharishi camouflage message, ‘Bonsai Forest III’ incorporates symbols of peace and nature such as bonsai trees growing from heavenly clouds and the maharishi dragon, representing man’s spiritual quest for the pearl of wisdom.
DPM: 3M Desert Hex / Terrain: Night Reflective
Based on the US Army’s 1980’s Night time Desert Grid pattern, this variant replaces the original’s squares with sacred geomerty’s hexagons and replaces the random disruptive shapes with cloud forms borrowed from DPM: Bonsai Forest. The use of white light reactive 3M print technology reinforces the view that camouflage should not be worn to deceive or hide from others.
DPM: Bamdazzle / Terrain: Confused at Sea
This pattern was inspired by the dazzle paint scheme used on Navy ships, mainly during World War I. It consisted of a complex pattern of geometric shapes in contrasting colours, interrupting and intersecting each other in order to confuse a German torpedo operator as to the direction that the ship was travelling, how far away it was and how fast it was moving – essential information for a direct hit.
