The 'Victoria' and her namesake

My next post on our A/W 2014 garments is on the Victoria cardigan and Queen Victoria, after whom our lovely knit is named (in case you hadn't guessed).

I've recently had more cause to be interested in Victoria's life and reign and the Victorians in general, as when I got married last year my then-fiancé and I had our wedding reception at Osborne House, which was Victoria & Albert's beautiful, Italian-inspired Isle of Wight escape.

Queen Victoria probably doesn't really need much of an introduction or explanation, but I will endeavour to provide a brief background about this incredible woman and monarch regardless.

Victoria was Queen of Great Britain and Ireland from June 1837 until her death in January 1901 and, together with her husband Albert, is associated with Britain's great age of industrial expansion, economic progress and empire. Victoria married Albert, her first cousin, in 1840 and so one of history's great love stories (in my opinion) began. During their marriage they had nine children, all of whom went on to marry into royal or noble families across Europe.

Seven attempts were made on Victoria's life between 1840 and 1882 but it was her courageous attitude towards these attacks that greatly strengthened her popularity.
After Albert tragically died in December 1861, Victoria was inconsolable, plunged into deep mourning and wore black for the rest of her life. She avoided all public appearances for many years and spent much of this time ensconced on the Isle of Wight with her family.
Victoria died at her beloved Osborne House after a reign which lasted almost 64 years, the longest in British history.

Follow these links to see the posts on the Emmeline dress and Suu sweater.

The 'Alum' and its namesake

We have been sharing with you some of the inspiration behind the S/S 2014 collection and thought we'd end with this lovely vintage postcard below, which depicts Alum Bay on the Isle of Wight. 

As one of the more dramatic coastal locations on the island, Alum Bay is one of the island's main tourist attractions. One of the most popular things to do there is fill tiny novelty glass jars with the various coloured sands which come from the cliffs, which (as far as we know) are unique to the area. Another is the terrifying cable car which takes you down the steep cliff to the beach below.

The luxurious 'Alum' mohair sweater takes its name from this stunning island location. Alum has been made using a blend of super-soft mohair and silk, which is perfectly suited to our lengthy Springs and Autumns and has already become a bit of a best-seller so far this season.

The 'Appley' and its namesake

Our beautiful 'Appley' cropped sweater from the SS14 collection was named after Appley Beach on the Isle of Wight, a short walk from the Hall family home. It's a beautiful, long and sandy beach which connects Ryde with Seaview. It has it's own little tower which, the last time I looked, was occupied by a tiny gift shop and a large shaggy dog with dreadlocks. I don't actually have any idea why the tower was built, or when. If anyone knows, please let us know.

The sweater itself is knitted in our British blend of silk and wool that we've used throughout the collection. It has a foil coated yarn running through the cuffs on the sleeves, giving them a distinctive, structured 'bell' shape.

The 'Steephill' and its namesake

Our S/S 2014 collection would not have been complete without a bikini of some description - we love a bit of knitted swimwear here in the studio and the sheer element of some of our pieces demands that you layer something underneath to protect your modesty... as demonstrated in the image below.

This season we kept it very simple, with a plain bandeau and matching knickers, which we named after one of the prettiest and hidden spots on the Isle of Wight: Steephill Cove. It's not accessible by road, but down some very steep steps which you access via a tiny side road in Ventnor. During the summer there are a couple of dinky cafes serving the most delicious fresh crab, caught right there on the doorstep. 

The 'Whitecliff' and its name sake

Whitecliff Bay is at the easternmost point on the Isle of Wight. The beach there is hugely popular in the summer months and is accessible only by two steep tracks. All the best places on the island are trickier to get to!

Random historical fact: Whitecliff Bay was one of the landing points for the French invasion of the island in 1545. There you are - don't say we don't teach you anything.

Now for the knit: our Whitecliff dress is an easy summertime staple, a relaxed, simple vest dress in a British blend of silk and wool to throw on on a cool day. 

The 'Freshwater' and its namesake

Our asymmetric dress 'Freshwater' is named after one of the more dramatic locations on the Isle of Wight: Freshwater Bay.

Every year in May a charity event called 'Walk the Wight' takes place, where thousands of people walk from the furthest point on the east of the island to the furthest on the west: Bembridge to Alum Bay. My favourite part is when you join the Tennyson trail, which runs along the 'spine' of the island, dropping down into beautiful Freshwater Bay and then leading steeply up again, onto Tennyson Down. The cliffs are stunning and on a clear day, before you come down into Freshwater, you can look from north to south and actually see the distinctive shape of the island either side of you.

Our lightweight two-tone 'Freshwater' dress is knitted using a British silk and wool blend, with the same structured 'bell' sleeve as the Appley sweater. 

The 'Osborne' and its namesake

The 'hero' piece of our SS14 collection is the 'Osborne' beaded jacket. Inspired in part by a Japanese kimono, its almost regal status within the collection was what inspired us to name it after the tiny private beach at Osborne, which was once royal residence to Queen Victoria.

The jacket itself is a heavy piece constructed using a British blend of silk and wool, with a foil coated yarn running through the panels, which gives it a structural quality. The opening edge has been adorned with rows of silver plated beads which have been hand-crocheted on, taking several hours.

On a more personal note, Osborne House has a great deal of personal significance: when my family & I moved to the Isle of Wight in 1996, we started attending their open air concerts and went every year until they stopped them two summers ago. It became such a family tradition that we miss our annual picnic on their vast lawn! More importantly, I love it there so much that my fiancé and I decided it was the perfect spot for our wedding reception in just over two weeks' time.

Summer knitwear, in miniature

We haven't shown at London Fashion Week this season in order to focus our energy on other projects (to be revealed...). Instead, a few lucky journalists across London will have received a miniature 'Springvale' mohair t-shirt in the mail over the last few days. Tatler's 'Front Row Fox' particularly liked his (you can see him appreciating it in the bottom image).

Here it is, with the human-sized version (worn with 'Luccombe' skirt):

Our latest collection, Spring/Summer 2014

London Fashion Week is nearly over for another season and autumn is very obviously here, but we've just unveiled our new collection for Spring/Summer 2014 and we're very excited to be sharing it with you. To view the full lookbook, click here.

This season Amy was heavily influenced by the dramatic British coastline and has named each piece after bays and beaches on the Isle of Wight where she grew up. The palette reflects the bleak yet beautiful colours of the coast in the early Spring months: grey, heather and sand with a touch of blue. The main yarn used this season is a British blend of wool and silk which has a rustic feel, perfect for our slightly schizophrenic seasons, particularly during the transitional Spring months.