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| Photo by Lucia Carpio of her own garden. |
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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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. |
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.”
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| 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.
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