Five (...Six!) Favourite Things with Designer Isla Simpson

This week I chat to designer Isla Simpson, designer and illustrator with an instantly recognisable feminine aesthetic. Her work brings to mind chintzy English country houses of the 1980s, pie-crust collars and velvet bows, strawberries and cream, Laura Ashley dresses and William Morris prints - all served with a dash of whimsy and nostalgia. After graduating in textile design from Central Saint Martins in 2002, Isla designed handbags and leather goods for fifteen years for clients including Aspinals of London, Anya Hindmarch and Whistles. In 2017, she launched her own studio and now designs her line of stationery, home accessories and original artwork, in addition to working on bespoke illustration commissions. I have followed Isla for many years now, and she has an aesthetic I truly admire. I cannot get enough of her brilliant illustrations and designs, a mix of hand-painted flowers and plants, shells, corals and bows, all delicately beautiful.

Five Favourite Things with Artist Poppy Rosemary Smith

This week I chat to Poppy Rosemary Smith about vintage Laura Ashley dresses, the importance of a good sketchbook and handmade purses featuring her own designs. Poppy is an artist who enjoys working across many mediums but specialising in architectural illustration. She has recently been working on hand drawings for interior and exterior design proposals and private commissions for country houses. Her eye for detail, love of architecture and free style of working make these drawings a timeless reference and works of art in their own right.

The Eternal Influence of Laura Ashley

Laura Ashley became a name in fashion during the 1960s and 1970s, reaching a peak in the 1980s and 90s with her famous floral prints, distinctive Victoriana inspired dresses, velvet jackets and petticoats. Ashley saw a market for women seeking comfort and escapism from today’s world, by looking (albeit with somewhat rose tinted spectacles) to the past and feeling nostalgia for a different time long gone.