Opening on 27th March at the Fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey, Paint! Pattern! Print! is the long-awaited retrospective celebrating the lifetime work of sisters Susan Collier and Sarah Campbell, two of the most pioneering names in British textile design.
Together for over 50 years, Collier Campbell created vibrant, painterly patterns that transformed printed fabric and the world of interiors, collaborating with iconic names like Liberty's, Heals and Jaeger. What made them truly groundbreaking was their insistence on controlling the entire process, from the first brushstroke to the finished cloth, retaining the rights to their own designs at a time when very few designers, let alone women, were doing anything of the sort. As I delved into their colossal body of work, I was in total admiration: the breadth of prints, the boldness of colour, the sheer joy of pattern.
And so, with spring in the air, I was eager to create.
Sun hats felt like the natural starting point. Their wide brims are the perfect canvas to showcase a beautiful print, and Collier Campbell archival fabrics are exactly the kind of find that makes the hunt worthwhile. It took me several weeks of sourcing, but I settled on three prints that each felt distinct and special: Mary's Garden, Côte d'Azur, and Cottage Garden, the latter originally designed for Liberty. Each one has that signature Collier Campbell quality: expressive, hand-painted in feeling, alive with colour.
As the hats took shape, something else started calling to me. The femininity and elegance of the pieces made me want to build a whole world around them, and that's where the jackets and gilets came in. Made from vintage patchwork quilts and gorgeous upholstery fabrics, each one is adorned with delicate frills and bows that feel entirely in the spirit of the collection. There's something so satisfying about the way these rescued textiles find new life in a new form.
As always, sustainability sits at the heart of everything I make. Every piece in this collection is crafted from upcycled materials, and every piece is entirely unique. One size fits all because beautiful things should be for everyone.
The collection is available in the shop at the Fashion and Textile Museum, where Paint! Pattern! Print! runs from 27th March through to 13th September 2026. If you haven't yet discovered the world of Collier Campbell, the exhibition is the most wonderful place to start.
