Flaming June, the saying goes. But June is rarely flaming. After the early theatrics tulips in the spring garden, the display softens – old roses in pastels and blush, cranesbill threading through lavender and foxgloves. This is the season of village fetes and garden trails, while the grass is still green and summer still a long-awaited novelty.
That feeling of freshness, freedom and unashamed prettiness is the inspiration behind the early summer collection.
The initial spark came from a length of Moygashel cotton in a splashy impressionist floral. Likely from the 1980s, it sits somewhere between cottagey chintz and modern abstraction, timeless in the way that only genuinely good things manage to be. The colour palette of teal, blue, pink and soft yellow led naturally to art deco turquoise pottery and the softest of pastel shades.
For the brave, there is Victorian painted china that is too often dismissed as twee. Look closely, and the hand-painted flowers are recognisable and completely charming. Primroses, anemones and heathers jumbled together in posies, like postcards from the cottage gardens of the time.
Cushions in needlepoint and linen have been sourced for layered interiors built slowly, with pieces collected over a lifetime. The touchstone throughout was Miss Marple – perpetually underestimated, always the sharpest person in the room. This collection is too.
Discover the early summer collection.