My final textile project ‘A Shropshire Tale’, is a personal reflection and exploration of heritage, storytelling and identity inspired by my home county Shropshire and the folklore surrounding Humphrey Kynaston, famously known as the real robin hood. From 1491-8 Kynaston and his horse Bezzlebub lived a cave on Nescliffe Hill after he was outlawed for his reckless behaviour, often falling into trouble with the law. However, in 1513 he received a royal pardon, and knighthood three years later. Growing up surrounded by the landscape of rural Shropshire, I developed a strong connection to the textures, colours, and beauty of the countryside which have become central to the visual language of the collection. Through textiles and garment construction, I wanted to create a body of work that feels both nostalgic and contemporary, combining personal memory with historical narrative.
To communicate the narrative I developed a series of screen prints inspired by maps, landscapes and textures from Nesscliffe Hill, and explored the character of Humphrey Kynaston through illustration, looking as his surroundings and and point of view. It was important to me to use 100% sustainably sourced natural fibers, with durable and practical qualities. The choice of wool was inspired by the rich history of Drapers and the Welsh cloth trade, and linen from the 17th century Shrewsbury Flax Mill, while contrasting silk fabrics introduce a sense of luxury and delicacy against rugged outerwear materials.
The collection tells a story of Shropshires countryside, consisting of outerwear, tailored shirts, and silk scarves, designed to embody both functionality and refined craftsmanship. My design direction draws inspiration from heritage fashion brands such as Barbour, Ralph Lauren, Hermès, and Burberry. Barbour and Burberry, influenced my interpretation of traditional British outerwear and countryside dressing, particularly waxed textures, construction, and earthy colour palettes. The designs focus on practicality, durability and timeless silhouettes while incorporating textile techniques to create linings and garment details. In contrast, Ralph Lauren inspired the refined romanticised vision of rural lifestyle, balancing relaxed tailoring with heritage inspiration through print while Hermès informed my approach to silk scarf design and detailed illustrative storytelling. The pieces become wearable artworks that capture memory, place and personal identity.
Nabokov’s theory, of that which we can’t see conceals the secret to things that we admire, things that we long for, things that bewitch us lead me to explore jacket linings as a point of luxury, personality and comfort within the design of a jacket. I took particular inspiration from Barbour’s history of collections collaborating with iconic designers and brands such as Gucci, Erdem, and Paul Smith. I love how each brand reflects individual character through details, adding touches of playfulness, luxury and personality evolving and modernising the classic waxed jacket from country to city. Ultimately, the collection is a celebration of the history of Shropshire by combining storytelling, rural identity, and British craftsmanship through material, texture and design.
