Celia Birtwell.

I first discovered Celia Birtwell from a free bag that came with Elle magazine. I would probably have otherwise never known of her existence. Isn't that sad?
Celia Birtwell is a textile designer mainly, born in Salford, Lancashire, in 1941, she studied Textile Design in Manchester, where in 1959 she met the fashion designer Ossie Clark, whom she married in 1969.
Theirs was an almost perfect marriage of style, and their work together defined the era at the time. I just love her prints and vintagey feeling textiles. Her design sketches remind me of something from a childrens book - I don't quite know what it is, but I find her work enchanting.
Take a look ;


This print, a popular Birtwell design, mingles hearts with feathers and poppies. The motifs appear in red and green on a cream base, other colour combinations were also available. Appliqued feathers accent the collar.
Printed chiffon,
Print by Celia Birtwell.

Similar to this worn by Geri Halliwell in June -

I like Geri in this, it's just not the right choice to launch a Spice comeback!

Here are some examples of Celia Birtwell's illustrations;


Cute huh?!
She's selling some nice silk scarves printed with her designs on via her website at a reduced price - check her out at celiabirtwell.com and also, take a look at her past collection for topshop; celiabirtwellfortopshop.com.

M x