I started thinking about ideas for Spring Summer 17 on a trip to Margate where Tom and I spent a lot of time walking the coastline of chalk cliffs and sandy beaches. The beautiful white cliffs, the colour of the sea and the tranquility of being somewhere quiet and far from the hustle of city life. At the time we were considering a move outside London so our conversations revolved around a search for a better way of life for our family. In London we had been working hard, running at full pelt juggling all sorts of projects and yet only managing to keep our heads above water so I guess we were searching for a place to be able to breathe, to change the pace of life and to enjoy living.
“A time for reflection” feels apt not only for where our heads were at when we created the collection but also taking into account all the current goings on in the world at the moment.
Anyway, returning to some of the things that sparked ideas… back in Margate at the Turner contemporary an excellent exhibition by local artist Rose Wylie added to the thought process. The white figures in the painting “Pink Table Cloth” were an element I wanted to include in our styling and white was to become key in our seasonal colour palette.
Next in the mix was a re-visit to the first collection I ever worked on for Dries Van Noten which was inspired by a book by photographer Jackie Nickerson called FARM. If you haven’t ever seen a copy then do. It’s a beautiful collection of photographs of African farm workers. Along with incredible style the images have an overriding sense of calm and wide open space which was something I wanted to capture in our new campaign.
Last up is a postcard of a figure painted by Lowry. Coat, black hat and boots. So there you go, add in a few great leathers and hey presto!
