Sisters Sarah Campbell and Susan Collier founded one of Britain's most iconic design partnerships, Collier Campbell, and their half-century career has produced a whopping 30,000 patterns. Suffice to say, you'll have seen, used, worn and lusted over their designs…
The siblings worked with a huge range of names in fashion, furnishing and interior design, including Yves Saint Laurent, Liberty, Habitat, Cacharel and Jaeger. Their designs being used for a huge range of items, from wallpaper to fabrics, bedding to clothing.
For the first time the sisters' fascinating design archive will be accessible to the public from December 2012, in the shape of a lavish, 320-page, full-colour book, The Collier Campbell Archive: Fifty Years of Passion in Pattern (The Ilex Press).
We were simply blown away by the original sketches, designs, patterns and more featured in the book, which was written by Emma Shackleton with Sarah Campbell, plus forewords by Sir Nicholas Serota and Sir Terence Conran.
Whether you're a textile designer or simply love beautiful things, this book is a must-have – think of it as a slice of personal indulgence or a magnificent present for someone special – that gives a real insight into the creative process. Inspirational hardly covers it! Here's just one example...
Sadly, Susan Collier passed away in May 2011, but her sister is still working and producing stunning designs, as can be seen on her blog. In fact, Sarah Campbell will be in conversation with Mary Schoeser at the Fashion & Textile Museum in London on Thursday 22nd November and tickets for the event are still available here.
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