Patagonia hid a secret animal inside its latest print and now I can’t unsee it

Patagonia has revealed the story behind one of the more unusual designs in its Spring ’26 collection, and it turns out the brand hid a small surprise inside the print.

The pattern, called Moon Tripper, was created by Patagonia colour and textile designer Sarah Lemos, who recently introduced the design in a video shared by the brand.

According to Lemos, the print contains a hidden animal that many people might miss at first glance.

“There’s a secret animal in this print,” she says in the clip, pointing out the creature’s swirling body and tail woven into the pattern.

Lemos explained that she often starts her work using watercolours, creating loose shapes and organic textures before digitising the artwork.

“I usually start in watercolour because it’s very loose and very free,” she says.

From there, the artwork is scanned into a computer, where the colours are adjusted, and the pattern is converted into a repeating textile print.

The hidden animal has a personal backstory, too. Lemos says the creature was inspired by a toy snake her parents gave her when she was young, one she still keeps around today.

“This is a snake toy that my parents gave me when I was very young,” she explains. “Now I keep it in my house to scare people.”

Moon Tripper is also notable because it marks Lemos’ first print created for Patagonia, making the project particularly meaningful for the designer.

Patagonia has already rolled the pattern out across a wide selection of items.

Searching for “Moon Tripper” on the brand’s US site currently brings up more than 20 products, including Baggies shorts, Trail Shorts, the Houdini Stash 1/2-Zip Pullover, Synchilla Marsupials, and even the Maipo Dress.

The result is a colourful, slightly psychedelic pattern that hides a small Easter egg for anyone willing to look closely.

As Lemos puts it: “It’s a funky print, but there’s some funky people out there.”

Find all Moon Tripper products at Patagonia US, with prices from $39 (~£29 / €34 / AU$55).