London Fashion Week Online showcased more than 90 designers across menswear and womenswear this February.

Erdem AW21.

London Fashion Week held as a virtual event this season has concluded on February 23 and demonstrated that creativity does not stop during hard times and the serial lockdowns did not dampen the spirit of the British Fashion Council nor its ability to stage a successful event, at least from the online experience point of view.

Simone Rocha AW21

The digital show took place for the first time from February 19 to 23, during which more than 90 designers across menswear and womenswear showcased their autumn /winter 2021 collections via a number of ways: the catwalk, a film, a presentation, a lookbook shoot or installation on the LondonFashionWeek.co.uk digital site, in the absence of physical audiences.

Erdem Aw21

Simone Rocha AW21

Bethany Williams presented her new gender-neutral capsule coat collection exclusively for Selfridges.

Dunhill AW21

The London Fashion Week designers had been able to produce their presentations under various formats under strict Covid protocol.  According to organisers, London Fashion Week had worked closely with the Westminster Council to secure free Covid-19 tests for models and production crews.

A packed full schedule was put in place featuring designers from Molly Goddard, and Roksanda to Simone Rocha, Temperley London, Richard Quinn, Erdem, Osman, Emilia Wickstead, Edward Crutchley, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, Edeline Lee and Daniel w. Fletcher.

Priya Ahluwalia, recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design 2021.

Highlights included Bora Aksu who showcased his collection with a catwalk show film at the Tate Britain.  While Rixo debuted its bridal collection, Paul Costelloe celebrated 35 years at London Fashion Week with a live catwalk show.

Stephen Jones 

This season both menswear and womenswear designers were included with Burberry presenting only its menswear autumn/winter 2021 collection alongside other menswear talents Ahluwalia, Bethany Williams, Bianca Saunders, Dunhill, Tokyo James, Saul Nash, and Nicholas Daley.

Apujan AW21

Accessory brands were also on show, including Church’s, Roker, Hill and Friends, Stephen Jones Millinery, Hillier Bartley, Misa Harada, and Isosceles, as well as newcomers such as jewellery brand Completedworks and Lagos-born, Glasgow-raised Olubiyi Thomas, both shortlisted for the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund 2021, and including Av Vattev, Bmuet(te), Eirinn Hayhow, Geo, IA London, Jenn Lee, Kaushik Velendra, Labrum London, Maxxij, Mithridate, Published by, Ray Chu, Tokyo James and Yuhan Wang.

Priya Ahluwalia Receives the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design

Congratulations to Priya Ahluwalia of Ahluwalia for receiving the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, announced on February 23 2021 by the British Fashion Council (BFC) on the final day of this season’s London Fashion Week which has gone digital for the first time due to the Covid19 pandemic.

The Ahluwalia Autumn Winter 2021 collection was presented at London Fashion Week digital event.  Priya’s video entitled Traces  showcased a menswear collection rich in colours, from red and yellow to ombré greens and blues.  The range of sporty ensembles with tailoring is highlighted with bold graphic emblems and prints, on sustainable materials. 
Photos by Laurence Ellis.

The Award was presented by Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex, on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen, during a virtual event.

Ahluwalia is recognised for her active contribution to changing the industry for the better, her work in pioneering responsible sourcing and manufacturing techniques, while telling the stories of those who make her clothes and the communities she works with.

The Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design was initiated in recognition of the role the fashion industry plays in society and diplomacy and the movement of young designers that are both talented and making a difference to society through either sustainable practices or community engagement.

The inaugural Award was announced and presented to Richard Quinn in February 2018 when The Queen made Her Majesty’s first visit to London Fashion Week. In 2019, the prestigious Award was presented to Bethany Williams by The Duchess of Cornwall and in 2020 to Rosh Mahtani by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. 

With sustainability and ethical practice always at the heart of the design process, Ahluwalia has been chosen for her focus on craftsmanship and community. Her sustainably minded menswear  collections, made of dead stock and repurposed locally sourced vintage materials, combine elements and influences from her Nigerian and Indian heritage, making her designs truly unique. She is a progressive thinking leader and agent for change who has used her platform to raise awareness around the challenges of the Black community, especially in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Caroline Rush CBE, Chief Executive British Fashion Council (BFC) commented: “We are delighted to announce Priya Ahluwalia as the fourth recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. Ahluwalia’s unique and ethical design process combined with her ability and passion to give back to communities around London and the globe make her an inspiration for many young British designers. We are incredibly proud to recognise Priya and look forward to seeing her business grow.”

Ahluwalia launched her eponymous label in 2018, after graduating from the MA Menswear course at The University of Westminster and winning the H&M Design Award 2019. In 2019, Ahluwalia was a recipient of BFC’s 2019/2020 NEWGEN initiative, the most established designer development scheme globally supporting the very best emerging talent. 

In 2020, Ahluwalia became one of the eight brands to win the LVMH Prize 2020 and was noted on the Forbes 30 under 30 on the European Arts and Culture List. The label also became part of the Matches Fashion’s Innovators programme which champions emerging design talent through mentorship, preferential business terms and marketing.

In November it was announced that Ahluwalia would be taking part in GUCCIFest and showcasing their first feature film, Joy, with Gucci’s support. In December 2020, Ahluwalia was named a People Honouree at The Fashion Awards.

Stephen Jones presents 'French Kiss' Autumn / Winter 2021 collection at London Fashion Week

 

Bluebell by Stephen Jones.

From runways to race-courses, from pop-promos to royal garden parties, millinery by Stephen Jones adds the exclamation mark to every fashion statement.

Stephen Jones and "Madame Fevrier"

Jones makes millinery seem modern and compelling. In materials that are often radical, and in designs that ranged from refined to whimsical, his exquisitely craftes, quixotic hats encapsulated the fashion mood of the moment.

"En Ligne" by Stephen Jones

Now, as ever, at the forefront of fashion, his beguiling hats routinely grace the most celebrated magazine covers and enliven window displays of the world's most stylish stores. 

Paul Costelloe Autumn/Winter 2021 Collection celebrates 35 years on the London Fashion Week catwalk.

The Paul Costelloe Autumn/Winter 2021 Collection inspires me to get out of my comfy work-from-home casuals and dress up again like I used to, when going to the office was a regular affair.

I'm imagining myself putting on make-up, wearing seriously bold accessories, stockings and even proper shoes with heels.

“After a year of uncertainty, the Costelloe woman is bold, brave and optimistic”. says Paul Costelloe.

The Irish designer's Autumn/Winter 2021 collection showcased on February 19th as one of the opening day events at London Fashio Week is a reflection on the designer’s early days as a young designer in Paris in the late 60’s and early 70’s. 

With a sense of athleticism and freedom, Costelloe tailoring is back, in sculptured outerwear, sharp suiting and softly constructed eveningwear.

Colours hit all the right Autumnal tones, with yellow ochre’s, cedar greens, burnt oranges and midnight blues presented in bold checks, wool plaids and modern, geometric prints.

In house designed prints by William Costelloe are presented in full body suits and stretch leggings.

As ever, Paul has sourced the finest fabrics from our great artisans in Europe, with tweeds from Austria, silk organzas from France, and luxe flannels from Italy. Paul Costelloe Bags and Belts are presented in bold, bright structures that add to this powerful statement.

MY WARDROBE HQ X BELSTAFF introduce first ever luxury menswear rental

The UK’s first luxury rental and re-sale platform MY WARDROBE HQ and iconic British brand Belstaff are embracing the future of fashion together by introducing the market’s first luxury rental offering for men. 

Belstaff Ambassador, British actor James Norton

MYWARDROBE HQ X BELSTAFF launch the menswear rental and resale with a panel discussion on sustainability, during London Fashion Week's digital show that opened on Febraury 19th. Chaired by Jane Shepherdson CBE, guests on the panel include British Fashion Council Chair and Editor in Chief Dylan Jones OBE, Belstaff Ambassador, British actor James Norton, Photographer and Founder of WhatWeSee Misan Harriman and Sustainability Advocate Wilson Oryema.

Belstaff waxed-cotton jacket.

Since launching in 2019, MY WARDROBE HQ has become a leading destination for renting and buying contemporary and luxury womenswear fashion, to which they added the first ever childrenswear offering in Sept 2020. Launched with the aim of encouraging customers to support the fashion industry by looking at new ways to shop, it champions conscious consumption. They believe fashion rental is the solution to consuming fashion in a sustainable way, and are the market’s only truly circular offering as each item can also be purchased outright, should a customer fall in love with it.

The partnership with Belstaff is symbolic of how fashion is changing. The two brands will together cater to both a millennial customerwith their mindset of ‘no ownership’, purchasing and sharing clothing in an exploration of fashion and ‘greener’ shopping’ - and also to those wishing to invest in key wardrobe items that last forever.

Fran Millar, CEO Belstaff, commented “Belstaff has been producing clothes for close to a century and we are pleased to be offering a new customer the opportunity to rent before they buy. Whilst our Icons range is rooted in history, the fits have been modernised to offer a contemporary addition to any wardrobe. MY WARDROBE HQ offers a unique service with sustainable fashion at its core, which works with our built for life design philosophy. We look forward to our continued partnership with My Wardrobe HQ, promoting a circular fashion economy.”

Jane Shepherdson, Chair MY WARDROBE HQ, says ‘Rental is going from strength to strength in the womenswear market, and menswear is an obvious next step- in fact 30% of our existing database are men so we know that the demand is there.

Belstaff were our first choice of launch partner, as we wanted to offer something that is very different to the traditional ‘event’ dressing that the men’s rental market is known for. We couldn’t be prouder of this partnership with Belstaff a brand that is synonymous with long-lasting quality and expert craftsmanship."

Belstaff will offer its men’s Icons range to a new generation through the rental platform- it reflects the brand’s long-held built for life design philosophy, offering bestselling styles that have stood the test of time. Stand out pieces include the iconic waxed cotton Trialmaster, a four-pocket field jacket that was quickly adopted by the moto community when it launched in 1948, and aditional waxed cotton styles like the shorter Racemaster, and the café racer styled Kelland. Belstaff’s 6oz waxed cotton is both wind and water resistant, produced sustainably by the British Millerain, a mill operating in the north of England since the late 19th century.

Leather styles will also be offered, including the Trialmaster Panther- a hand-waxed, water-resistant leather variant of the iconic field jacket, with each jacket, thanks to its hand-finishing, developing a unique patina over time so that no two are alike- and the V Racer, a minimalistic café racer style from the 1960s; plus the Gangster, originally introduced in 1969, a shorter field jacket style with an adjustable fit.

An women’s selection is available too, including the Trialmaster in waxed cotton, the Marianne, a classic biker style leather, and the Mollison – a café racer style with clean lines and moto-inspired quilting on the shoulders.

London Fashion Week opens today digitally. Bethany William presents capsule coat collection for Selfridges

When is a blanket not a blanket.  It’s when it is married to other blankets and transformed into a desirable coat.

London Fashion Week (19 - 23 February 2021) showcases sustainable fashion designer, Bethany William’s new gender-neutral capsule coat collection which is exclusively for the iconic fashion department store Selfridges.

As with every collection and project Bethany works on, the social and environmental issues go hand in hand. 

“This particular project was inspired by our ongoing work with The Magpie Project, a charity that supports women and children under five in temporary, unsuitable or no accommodation. The Women’s Institute community creates a personal blanket for every baby born into the Magpie Family. A blanket is so much more than a piece of fabric, it is a feeling of comfort and shelter and I wanted that feeling to be at the heart of this capsule collection.” - Bethany Williams

 

Drawing on her inspiration, the collection saw Bethany dive into the historical heritage of vintage and antique wool blankets from across the UK. All the blankets are carefully sourced from vintage sellers, whether that’s Antiques Markets or car boot sales. 

Steeped in history, each blanket sourced tells a story from the textile and weaving techniques, to the county, town or village it was made in. 

One of her favourite pieces sourced for the collection as found on a pitch black frosty morning at Sunbury Antiques Market at Kempton Racecourse. With her phone touch as her only source of light she came across a rare and usually very expensive Welsh, patterned wool blanket with brightly coloured pink and orange patches.”

With this collection, the story continues, as each blanket is given a new lease of life through Bethany’s artistic vision and mastering of design-led upcycling techniques, which created this capsule collection. Shapes for the details on each garment come from historical research into childrenswear that she explored with the V&A Museum of Childhood. The complimentary colour palettes, slightly oversized fit and skilful patchwork techniques all create a unique, bespoke-feel to each garment.

Handcrafted in London, the nine upcycled blanket coats are available in three different jacket styles. Each garment is conceptualised by allocating a specific blanket to each style of jacket based on its weight, thickness and colour. The outer material is the blanket wool for optimal insulation with a 100% organic cotton lining, sourced from Wales.

And the story does not end with the wool that was sourced, each element of these coats has a history. From the UK sourced organic cotton insulation to the handmade wooden buttons made by craftsman Spencer Martin from London Green Wood, a not-for-profit cooperative, using Hackney grown wood or waste wood from local tree surgeons.

Twenty percent of the profits from this collection will be donated to The Magpie Project via The Bethany Williams Benevolent Fund, a fund set up by The Magpie Project and Bethany Williams London.

TO VIEW the PRESENTATION, click HERE.

To DONATE to The Bethany Williams Benevolent Fund, please click HERE.

Discover the designers showcasing on the digital London Fashion Week this season as all digital events are open to everyone from Church’s and Temperley London to Bethany Williams and Nicholas Daley and can be accessed on the London Fashion Week website, on the ‘Schedule’ page. You can also visit the Explore Section to uncover more stories from London’s designer community, listen to podcasts and shop the latest collections!

Texworld Evolution Paris - Le Showroom a success, say organisers

Organisers of the Paris Texworld shows for international textiles and fashion companies should be applauded for staging a physical event, albeit at a much reduced size during these challenging pandemic times, with travel restrictions and social distancing firmly still in place.

Texworld Evolution Paris - Le Showroom held February 1 - 5 2021 by Messe Frankfurt France at the Atelier Richlieu in Central Paris has been deemed a success, having welcomed more than 500 buyers and professional visitors from the fashion, textile and clothing industries (those based locally or able to travel in), under guided protocol and safety conditions.  Normally in their original format the fairs would attract 13,000 plus visitors to the Paris shows each season. 

Texworld Evolution Paris - Le Showroom (so named as a new entity and format) presented Spring-Summer 2022 trends and 2,500 selected samples from 75 international manufacturers representing 10 countries.

Messe Frankfurt France confirms the success of its “innovative formula for textile and clothing discovery,” facilitating the trade visitors to discover, touch the selected samples and establish direct communication with the participating manufacturers, resulting  in 3,235 requests for collection projects or orders.

Visitors represented major ready-to-wear brands, start-ups and  fashion designers.  Among them, Tiphaine Le Magoariec, founder of The Green Tone, which assists European and Chinese brands and manufacturers in their quest for sustainable fashion, salutes on Linkedin this "high-end off-line experience."

Revealing on Instagram, the Dotchot Kimono brand underlines "the quality of the eco-friendly fabrics presented in the showroom". On the exhibitors' side, the Turkish manufacturer Zeynar Tekstil highlights on Twitter "the important number of direct interactions with visitors throughout the week", report organisers.

"The undeniable success of this event confirms our choice, which was not easy to make, to offer a credible physical alternative solution, with a personalized welcome around carefully selected products,” said Frédéric Bougeard, President of Messe Frankfurt France in a press release. 

“Beyond the simple pleasure of getting together and working together again, this showroom - enriched with an inspiring Trend Forum - meets the market's expectations. The sourcing necessities of the fashion industry will become more and more linear; they want more regular meetings and are in favour of intermediate solutions such as this one, complementary to the trade shows which remain essential. 

“This is why we will maintain, if the conditions allow it, an event for fashion and textile professionals in July," continues Frédéric Bougeard. This exhibition is to be held for the first time in Central Paris, Porte de Versailles (a new venue for the  show). If the restrictions are still in force, we will in any case propose an alternative to the fashion industry, whose format and concept may evolve on the basis of this initial feedback."

In the meantime, international professionals can access the selection displayed in the showroom online on the digital sourcing platform developed by Messe Frankfurt France with its partner Foursource. This digital connecting solution allows textile and clothing manufacturers to present their collections to international buyers. The latter benefit from a specific section to define their queries (matchmaking, definition of needs), submit requests for samples and quotations and finally build their collection based on selective factors designed for the textile world: country, minimum quantities, type of service, certificates.  The platform is accessible from the Texworld Evolution Paris website. 

All photos from Messe Frankfurt Paris.

Première Vision Paris Digital Show is launched: 15 - 19 Febraury 2021

From 15 – 19 February, Première Vision , the most prestigious and important international trade fair for textile and fashion industry, offers a range of Digital Talks, along with the other content, to help industry professionals get to grips with new consumer behaviour trends and the challenges for the new season Spring/Summer 2022.

During the week-long event the Paris-based organisers are launching new industry-targeted services, reflecting the marked acceleration of the group's digitization. At this time, Première Vision will also be launching its new, single and integrated website, which will be rolled out in several stages over the course of 2021, bringing together all of its shows and its Marketplace.  

Throughout the last few months, Première Vision has been engaged in supporting the international fashion industry as it faces the difficult challenges posed by the Covid-19 health crisis, introducing new and innovative e-commerce features to its Marketplace, and speeding the development of its digital system, thanks to new integrated technology.

Gilles Lasbordes, Première Vision  Managing Director, said: "While the prospect of an upturn, aided by the arrival of vaccines, seems to be shifting to the second half of 2021, the digital transformation of the sector has entered a new phase thanks to the widespread adoption of digital technologies and the implementation of new services. These have helped brands to sustain and personalize their customer relationships, and assist them more closely in the purchasing process.

"At the same time, buying patterns have changed. Sustainability, transparency and traceability are increasingly central to consumer expectations, just are local manufacturing and the «Made in» phenomena. These developments all present incentives and opportunities for brands and industry professionals to develop new know-hows, innovate and adapt their 0ffer to these evolving sourcing methods.

"In addition, we remain convinced that this crisis has demonstrated the extreme necessity and vitality of physical trade shows, which are essential to ensure creative and business interactions between fashion brands and their suppliers.

"We confirm our goal of holding our trade fairs and events slated for 2021, on a course that will henceforth combine physical and digital events. The evolution of the current health situation will set the pace for this resumption.

"Our digital events are much richer now, and they will continue to grow increasingly sophisticated and performant for the market. They already allow all industry players - buyers, creative teams, decision-makers, and of course suppliers and manufacturers - to come together, continue interacting, and dicsover."

The Digital Show, from February 15 to 19, will be focused on 4 event-drivers:

● The international, creative and complementary offer of 1,500+ exhibitors presented on the Première Vision Marketplace - yarns, fibers, fabrics, accessories and components, designs, leathers and garments - with a more effective interactive digital catalog to facilitate products’ presentation, and buyers’ sourcing.

● Inspiration and creation

●  Networking via the Première Vision Marketplace, 

 ● And a program of 13 Digital Talks and Webinars 

Click HERE for the Premiere Vision website, discover and join in.

IDA Puts Sustainable Fashion Brands At The Forefront Of Its Design Awards

Sustainable materials and ecologically-friendly lifestyle products are now at the core of design. And design competitions are where you can find some of the most innovative ideas.

"Attention and respect for the environment is not only an ethical issue but also a business issue. Consumers are becoming more and more receptive to this topic and are looking for designers to teach them how to look great while generating the least possible impact on waste and pollution." 

The International Design Awards (IDA) is a case in point as it has just announced the 2020 winners who are recognised and honoured for showcasing some of the best examples of sustainble fashion and products that not only look good but also do good, from repurposed apparel to sculptural shoe designs to jewellery inspired by the environment and ecological sneakers made with 97% natural materials.

The "V VISIONARY Revisit", Collection of Sustainability by Vickie Au obtained the Hong Kong Design Funding and Social Innovation Funding in Hong Kong in 2020. Vickie's signature designs range from managing a fashion apparel collections that are commercially viable to developing memorable pieces for fashion shows.

Fashion design of the year by V Visionary Limited is a sustainable collection carefully crafted and curated by Vickie Au. With 15 years of experience under her belt, Vickie has a strong background in the fashion industry. Awarded collection Revisit was a product of V VISIONARY working with the experienced-profession, fashion & apparel stakeholders to design and customize sustainable and ethical products. 

"We believe that sustainable initiatives are the key to bring positive impacts in making a better environment to the community and world", said the the designer Vickie Au.

Studio Variously

Awarded with Bronze in Accessory / Accessories category, is Studio Variously,  a sustainable brand based in Michigan, USA that collaborates with some of the most skilled heritage artisanal clusters in India & Nepal to develop their concepts by supporting ethical production practices. They explore minimal design elements by combining environment friendly materials, such as natural yarns & organic dyes free of toxic chemicals, with ancient techniques. "We seek beauty in slow made textiles that bring people & their cultural stories together", lead designer Anjali Purohit commented.

MIRET sneakers - made with 97% natural materials, has been awarded with Gold.  Designer Hrvoje Boljar combines the strongest natural fibres to craft the sneakers which are kind to your feet as much as they are kind to nature, saying: "We are using 10 amazing plants: hemp, kenaf, linen, cork tree, wood, corn, jute, eucalyptus, rubber tree and New Zealand wool to craft our 97% ecological MIRET sneakers. We are industry insiders who have used our manufacturing expertise to redesigned sneakers from the bottom up, making them compatible with nature."

Winning wide acclaim is Qingyi Dong, who was born and raised in Shanghai, and founded an LA-based slow fashion brand named BIG WHITE TOTE in 2018. 

The motivation behind the brand concept came from "The True Cost", a documentary film that unfolds the ugliness of fast fashion industry. Believing in a possibility of transferring feelings through handmade items, the line provides young professionals with day-to-day urban accessories that are not mass produced.

The 2020 International Design Awards (IDA) was deemed the most successful in its 14 year history, attracting thousands of outstanding designs submitted by companies and designers around the world competing for the top prizes in this prestigious award. "Attention and respect for the environment is not only an ethical issue but also a business issue. Consumers are becoming more and more receptive to this topic and are looking for designers to teach them how to look great while generating the least possible impact on waste and pollution," commented jury member of Ihe IDA Cristiano Magni, President and Founder, Cristiano Magni Public Relations.

All images from Farmani Group for International Design Awards.

British designers find inspiration from gardening legends and the English countryside

Photo by Lucia Carpio of her own garden.

As lockdowns across the nation persist, the notion of wellbeing-focused design is more relevant than ever.  Organisers at Decorex (the London-based interiors trade fair) have hand-selected a series of trend reports, articles and webinars to keep us motivated and provide insight into how our homes can form the perfect sanctuary.  

As the pandemic continues to disrupt our lives, we also recognise the importance of staying connected with nature, being in our gardens and open spaces outdoors can provide the much-needed balance for our mental wellbeing.  

BBC’s new weekly programme, Your Garden Made Perfect hosted by Angela Scanlon provides valuable ideas on how “to transform tired gardens into idyllic wonderlands”, and has fired up my enthusiasm to embark on my own garden projects once the weather improves of course.  But not everyone has access to a garden and may find inspiration via various means.

Bunny's Garden scarf, 90 x 90 cm, by Rory Hutton,
available online. 
All of his scarves are from prints created from his original lino cuts. 
The three scarves shown here are from the Garden Collection
made in 100% Italian silk.  

British premium textile designer Rory Hutton who is not only an artist but also a historian has revealed he has made the garden theme his main design focus this year, launching with a new collection of scarves that were recently showcased on the Top Drawer On Demand digital event (which is normally held in London.)

Writing in his blog, Rory says although living in central London without a green patch of his own, he had re-connected with the outdoors through rediscovering three truly original 20th century gardening legends: Vita Sackville-West and Lady Rhoda Birley, and American horticulturalist Rachel "Bunny" Lambert Mellon.  

Orangerie Garden scarf by Rory Hutton, available online.

“These women of means managed to landscape, plant and prune with sartorial panache. Bunny enjoyed gardening attire by Balenciaga and Givenchy, Vita preferred farmhand chic in breeches and gaiters, while Rhoda favoured jaunty straw hats with whimsical scarves,” says Rory.  

Even more distinguished than their style were the gardening achievements of these women, Rory writes. "Vita’s gardens at her home, Sissinghurst Castle in Kent, embody the quintessential English Country Garden and lead the way for English garden design in the 20th century.  Charleston Manor (not to be confused with nearby Charleston House, home of the Bloomsbury group) in Sussex, was Rhoda’s home. From the 1930’s she planted and maintained the gardens herself keeping her roses vibrant by feeding them, rather controversially,  her ‘superior fish stew’.  

"Through lino cutting my illustrations of gardening tools, green houses and watering cans, I too managed to achieve a peaceful state of mind. Industriously using one’s hands to create something beautiful is a reward in itself and something I share with these lady gardeners who inspired me." 

"Bunny’s gardening skills took her right to the centres of power. Her credits include the Rose Garden at the White House and the Kitchen Garden at Versailles. Her own Oak Spring Farms estate in Upperville, Virginia has been celebrated by both garden and interior designers, horticulturalists and tastemakers during her lifetime and up to the present day. The greenhouse complex at her estate with painted trompe l’oeil scenes of garden implements on the storage cabinets, was a particular inspiration to me, " writes Rory.  

Manor Garden scarf by Rory Hutton.
Through lino cutting his illustrations of gardening tools, green houses and watering cans, Rory managed to achieve a peaceful state of mind. Industriously using one’s hands to create something beautiful is a reward in itself, he said and something I share with these lady gardeners who inspired him. 

As an Irish accessory and print designer based in Glasgow and London, Rory finds inspiration in  history, art, architecture, theatre, opera and dance, lending classic themes a contemporary edge with his distinctive lino print illustrations and use of colour. 

Rory starts his creations as drawings, which are turned into linocuts and hand printed before being digitally composed and coloured. The designs are then sent to Lake Como in Italy where they are digitally printed on to the finest Italian silk.  His collections have included luxury scarves, ties, pocket squares, bow ties and also socks.  His prints have also been licensed by museums and galleries for use on a number of complementary products including tote bags, greetings cards, stationary, ceramics and even soap.

Rory Hutton's hand-rolled Ashurbanipal shawl,
140 x 140cm in Italian silk twill.
Rory has worked extensively with the British Museum,
creating collections for their blockbuster
exhibitions - Troy: Myth and Reality,
I Am Ashurbanipal and Rodin
and the Art of Ancient Greece. 

Rory is much sought after for collaborative work with some of the UK’s most prestigious arts, heritage and cultural organisations, including designing collections tied to blockbuster exhibitions staged at the British Museum, The Wallace Collection, Art Fund, Westminster Abbey, The Royal Ballet and The Royal Collection.   

The striking prints on the Ashurbanipal Shawl shown here were created to celebrate the British Museum's exhibition: I am Ashurbanipal, I am King of the World.

Illustrating traditional Assyrian motifs including Lamassu, a protective deity with the wings of a bird, body of a bull and a human head, the prints were developed from linocuts. 

Rory Hutton has a BA in Fashion Design and an MA in Design History.  He has been named runner-up in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards and was winner of the I-on Magazine Breakthrough Designer of the Year 2017.

Clarissa Hulse's Prairie cushion an English countryside scene
played out in warm orange hues accented by shadowy greys
and embroidered detailing in frost white.
All bed linen, cushions and throws are made from 100% cotton.

Separately, British textile designer Clarissa Hulse has also been inspired by nature and one particular gardener close to her heart.

She has just launched a brand-new collection inspired by the English countryside. Available as bed linen, cushions and matching throws, ‘Prairie’ comes in two colourways - orange and navy.

The new Prairie collection features an English countryside spreads across the fabric in intricate silhouettes of Wiltshire grasses wistfully criss-crossing with wild seed heads.

“The beauty of nature completely fascinates me – I draw most of my inspiration from the countryside.  Perhaps this enthusiasm stems from my childhood – my Greek mother was a keen gardener – she used to let me roam in flower beds while she was gardening and taught me the names of all the species.”

Clarissa Hulse's Prairie bed linen set is available in a classic navy accented with hues of soft blue as well as a deep orange accented with grey. Both are printed on soft, white cotton and finished off with a classic trim.
Packaged in eco-friendly, reusable cotton bags made from the bed linen reverse.

Born in Prague, Clarissa lived a nomadic childhood, spending time in Thailand, Spain, Italy and Greece. This eclectic background has had a huge influence on her approach to colour and design.

Clarissa’s designs are based on her nature photography, which is just as likely to originate from a tropical rainforest as it is to feature leaves from a local London park. Grasses, seed heads, ferns and trailing vines feature heavily in the modern, silhouetted designs, often printed onto natural fabrics such as silk and linen which have been dyed with a trademark ombre effect.

After graduating in textiles from Brighton Art College, Clarissa began to produce hand-printed scarves which became highly sought after on both sides of the Atlantic. This evolved into a line of home accessories, and over the course of fifteen years Clarissa has built the business to become one of the most respected textile brands in the UK.  From a small collection of silk cushions, the range now includes bed linen, lampshades, towels, ceramics, an array of gift items, and two multiple award-winning fabric and wallpaper collections produced in collaboration with Harlequin.