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Fabulous Florence – Signature Prints & Florence Broadhurst
After reading ‘Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret And Extraordinary Lives’ a few years ago, I fell in love with
Florence Broadhurst and the amazing work that Signature Prints have done to honour Florence’s life and work in
such a genuine way. A huge THANK YOU to Helen Lennie for the amazing effort she has put into this weeks
guest blog, it’s going to be a fabulous week! – Jenny x
Left: Florence photographed in a painstakingly embroidered Manilla Shawl (Collection: Powerhouse Museum, Sydney). Right: Helen and
David Lennie photographed by our friend Gary Heery.
Firstly a big ‘hello’ and thank you to Lucy and Jenny for the amazing opportunity to showcase the fabulous follies
of Florence Broadhurst and Signature Prints!! Over the past decade I have been asked a thousand questions
about the extraordinary life of Florence Broadhurst and Signature Prints’ role in re-releasing these iconic designs
to an international audience. An underlying theme that is so often raised in many people’s minds is “how did
someone so dynamic and ahead of her time, a design celebrity in her own day, come to be lost and almost
forgotten? How did a design library of nearly 530 designs fall off the face of the earth?” During this week I will tell
you the story of how these designs have come to life once again as part of one of Australia’s biggest export
success stories. Signature Prints is a born global brand, here’s to an over night success story, 12 years in the
making!
Our company Signature Prints is a hand-printing company based in Sydney. We specialise in the design and
printing of premium textiles, wallpaper and limited edition art. Here we pride ourselves on using traditional screenprinting techniques and contemporary colour in a market where we are so often used to seeing a mass produced
sameness. We have created a range of products that excel in the current design market. Most notably, we are the
proud custodians of the extraordinary Florence Broadhurst design library and we own the exclusive world-wide
rights to print the unique artwork of this Australian icon.
Florence Broadhurst was a bright and eccentric character who we believe to be one of Australia’s national
treasures. Broadhurst’s adult life began at the age of 19, the flamboyant and brave Broadhurst reincarnated
herself as Bobby Broadhurst and left her home town in rural Queensland. Here she joined an eight strong cast of
musicians, transvestites, singers and comedians on a 15 months tour of Asia.
Theatrical Florence pictured offstage in Bobby Broadhurst mode – 1920 India. (Collection: Powerhouse Museum, Sydney)
Left: Florence with Globe Trotter pianist Wallingford Tate – 1925. (Collection: Powerhouse Museum, Sydney) Right: A rare signed photograph of Bobby Broadhurst taken in Hong Kong.
In 1927, after sustaining a head injury in a car accident Broadhurst moved to England, here she married Percy
Kann and reinvented herself once again. This time, as her French alter ego, Madame Pellier. By the 1930’s she
had became an individual, feminine couturier creating an up market dress salon, a playground for the rich and
flirtatious on London’s Bond Street.
Left: Florence Broadhurst on her wedding day to Percy Kann, on Friday 7th June 1929. Right: In 1933 Florence set up shop as Madame
Pellier at 65 new Bond street, London.
Florence delighted in making a scene, her history and accent changed for each of the fictional characters she
played. Her final incarnation before her death saw the very creative Florence run the world’s boldest and most
exciting wallpaper studios of the 1960s and 70s. Her designs were works of art, hand-drawn, hand-screen printed
with Warholian parallel in terms of repetition, colour sense and inclination to take advantage of mistakes in the
registration of screens. The imagery she created was lush and ranged from exotic birds and florals to psychedelic
and oriental patterns.
Left: The Paper Makers Australian Home Journal, 1968. Featuring Broadhurst’s chief assistant Cathy Asimus. Right: Broadhurst stands behind her desk in her wallpaper showroom at 12 – 24 Roylston Street, Paddington.
Florence revolutionised wallpaper, she abandoned the conventions of mass production and rapidly left behind
traditional, conservative wallpapers. She herself called her prints ‘Vigorous designs for modern Living’. Here at
Signature Prints we are reviving these fabulous designs once more, expanding Florence’s horizons, giving our
fantastic collection of prints the recognition they deserve once again. We pride ourselves on promoting lovingly
made, luxury Australian design and delivering it to the world!
Florence Broadhurst in her later years appearing for the press. On the left working from her easel and on the right working at light box. Even at
this age Florence had amazing charisma, fantastic energy and a love of the lime light.
Unfortunately Florence’s life came to a tragic end when she was murdered in 1977. As production stopped, Florence’s prints became a thing of the past. Time went on, tastes changed and her work was almost forgotten. This
is where Signature Prints stepped in, we have reincarnated Florence Broadhurst for the last time, we believe that
her work will continue to thrive in this unexpected revival.
We have been very lucky to have had the help of Helen O’Neill, who is the author of the lavishly illustrated,
‘Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret And Extraordinary Lives’. Without her, much of the information we know today
would still be undiscovered. This book contains designs which have been unseen for decades. Helen O’Neill
documents the world wide rediscovery of Florence Broadhurst as well as exciting tales and insights into the life of
such a flamboyant and unique woman. This book is available for $59.99 online on our Signature Prints website.
Looking forward to sharing more tomorrow!
- Helen
Special thanks to the Powerhouse Museum for their continual involvement and support in preserving and promoting the legacy of Florence Broadhurst and other significant Australian designers.
Fabulous Florence – Signature Prints, History and Collaborations
After leaving Chanel for true love x2 [David & wallpaper], Helen’s life is no less connected with designers of note.
Apart from being surrounded by Florence Broadhurst’s designs, Helen also works closely with Akira Isogawa &
Cadrys. Whilst Helen’s posts are bursting with content, her stories are truly fascinating! – Jenny x
Above left to right – Japanese Bamboo print on matt gold paper being rolled up, drawing art work on acetate sheeting, rolls of printed paper in
our heated drying room, many screens on the drying rack after being washed down.
At Signature Prints we enjoy and pride ourselves on maintaining the standard of excellence that was set by
Florence Broadhurst over 40 years ago. With the support and expertise of our dedicated staff we have continued
to hand-print high end, quality wallpapers, fabrics and limited edition art and these are continuing to appeal to the
21st century. Our workshop and showroom is based in Sydney’s Rosebery, and we export to twenty three
countries around the world. The creative hub of our business is the workshop, we have five huge tables enabling
us to print up to 800 meters a day on either fabric or paper. Along the length of these tables, mounted on the wall
is our collection of 530 Broadhurst screens. Beside our printing area lies a small art room, the office of Huang
Chongfu. A very talented artist who spends hours painstakingly restoring and repairing Broadhurst’s precious
artwork to its former glory. Original Pieces of Florence’s work are now so rare they are now collected by the
Powerhouse Museum.
Left – Solar in Purple and Black, right - Horses Stampede.
Over the last ten years we have been working to usher Florence’s work back to the main stage, this hasn’t been
without a great struggle of course. Signature Prints was once seen as a manufacturing company, we are now
recognised as a world leader in product design, marketing and branding.
Left – Tudor Floral Print in black ink on silver paper, right – Tortoiseshell Stripe, a stripe that experiments with an organic notion of vertical
stripes.
When Signature Prints first acquired our collection of 530 screens, we thought that only 112 were of Broadhurst’s.
After days of printing each screen he realised that actually, there were 530. David couldn’t believe he had
acquired such a dynamic collection. At the time, in such a minimalist environment, and at a time when Florence
had been forgotten, these ballsy prints were not worth a thing. It was cheaper to dispose of the prints than it was
to store them.
David and I met one evening in Sydney and six weeks later I left my job working for the French label Chanel. I
rolled up my sleeves, came to work at Signature Prints, and we were married within a year. David thought that
coming from a luxury background, I might be the key to opening doors for this company. At the time I obviously
didn’t have a clue about how a manufacturing company was run, but I loved these prints and believed that we
could make it a successful business. We had a library of prints that had been on top of the world, our challenge
was bringing it back to life without a million dollar advertising budget.
From left to right – A selection of our many printing inks, flooding of The Cranes screen, The Cranes screen being washed and a selection of
screens from our collection.
Our key was aiming at the very top of the luxe market, taking things slowly and gradually we began re-introducing
Broadhurst again. Our prints have been used by Akira Isogowa, and can be found at international hot spots
including Liberty of London, John Lewis and Donald Trump’s international hotel in Las Vegas. We have also been
recognised many times for our contribution to Australian design. As the home of the Florence Broadhurst library,
Signature Prints is now considered to be a “National Treasure”. Our commitment to Florence Broadhurst
continues to be identified as putting Australia on the map for international design.
Akira Isogawa is a Japanese born couturier, and an influential player in Australian womens fashion. Akira visited
our studio during the early part of 1999 as a final attempt to solve a printing problem. Akira was designing and
creating costumes for a dance production being performed at the Sydney Opera House. Isogawa wanted net
covered robes, upon which were printed ‘inhale’ and ‘exhale’ Japanese calligraphy. After an hour in the workshop
we found a solution and began to work together.
Akira’s had never seen anything like Florence’s work before, he was surprised to see so much variety, from the
abstract and art deco to textured European prints. Two of our four colour screen designs jumped out at him, the
first being Nagoya (A pattern of pendulous fruit hanging from heavily leafed branches). The second print was
Chelsea, a fluid, dynamic pattern of long petalled chrysanthemums – a flower Akira feels expresses his childhood
in Japan. Akira began to visualise how he could use these prints within his clothing range, and instantly began
producing designs in his head.
Its been a long time in the making, and David and I are both really pleased to be showcasing the work that we’ve
been doing with the airline Qantas. Together we have developed a great set of amenity kits for their business
class customers!
Above left – David and I photographed here with two Qantas flight attendants. In the foreground is the renowned and simple Honeycomb
repeat. Above right – David and I photographed with the very popular Japanese Floral on the easel. Below – Qantas business amenity kit
containing travel size Malin and Goetz products in Oriental Filligree reverse
After much deliberation, and looking through our brilliant 530 strong collection of Broadhurst Prints, Qantas
decided to use two different prints for their business class amenity kits. These were Oriental Filligree Reverse and
Hollow Squares both in curtain call (a charcoal colour). Hollow Squares is a modern geometric, graphic print
where Broadhurst deliberately played with dimension. These prints work really well, and are in keeping with the
Qantas colour scheme, as well as being appealing to both male and female customers. Each kit contains some
great flight essentials and a little summary of information about Florence, informing Qantas customers about her
work.
Florentine Tapestry Alternate Rug and Swedish Strip Rug by Cadrys
2009 has seen the international release of the first collection of Florence Broadhurst luxury hand knotted rugs for
the Asia-Pacific and American markets by Cadrys under license to Signature Prints. Ten designs have been
carefully chosen for the first range of Florence Broadhurst rugs. Each design is available in a variety of
customised colourways, from the strength of the original Florence colours right through to a more subdued and
restrained tonal palette. With Cadrys overseeing every aspect of the manufacture from design to production, the
collection offers remarkable value for unparalleled quality. Hand-woven in Nepal in a traditional manner, the
pieces feature Tibetan hand-spun wool, hemp, nettle, bamboo silk and luscious pure silk. Cut and loop pile, along
with soumak kelim weaving techniques are used to create a unique accent and texture.
Until tomorrow,
- Helen
The Cranes Rug by Cadrys
Fabulous Florence – Behind the scenes at Signature Prints
Following on from yesterdays impressive insight into Signature Prints, today offers a rare glimpse behind the
scenes of the Signature Prints workshop. It’s amazing to fathom that production of this scale is still done by hand!
An extra thank you to Danielle Hooker for working with Helen in putting these posts together. – Jenny x
Above – A two colour print on black velvet
We’re always very busy here behind the scenes at Signature Prints, we have a great, hard working, creative team,
using traditional techniques to create our beautiful designs. Here is an insight into what we do and how we do it!
Above left is our very own Signature Prints CEO David Lennie with one of the two screens from Florence
Broadhurst’s The Cranes design. The Cranes is technically very difficult to print, it’s two screens are almost
impossible to align and leave large gaps between the outlines and infill, these are inaccuracies which add to it’s
charm. In our collection we have 520 wooden framed, original Broadhurst Hand Prints screens, we re-shoot the
most popular designs onto more substantial steel framed screens to preserve these momentous originals. Above
right is our production manager Boyd McCallum printing the very well known Horses Stampede on wallpaper.
Broadhurst loved Mylar, a strong polyester coated paper, which is a really strong paper with a shiny finish. We are
proud to still be importing Mylar from the same suppler Broadhurst used, helping to preserve the aesthetics and
quality of Broadhurst’s original prints.
This is David Orford (our ex production manager, Kiwi gone home) running one of Signature Prints hugely
successful workshops offering classes to the public. Lots of people are really interested in learning about
traditional forms of printing and production, often as a result of the ever increasing digital age of the 21st century.
There really is nothing more refreshing than to learn a new hands on skill, especially one where there is visual
evidence of the maker and the care that has been put into the work.
Above is one of Florence’s delicate, original wooden screens being used to make a print. To create a print, a
screen is secured into position on the table by pushing it flush against a ‘Stop’. (This is a movable metal stopper
which ensures an accurate repeat). Ink is then passed across the screen with a squeegee, this forces ink through
the small holes within the mesh screen. The screen is then carefully lifted from the table from right to left to ensure
the ink does not smudge as the screen is being removed. One of the most important things is to clean the screen
properly afterwards, this makes sure there is no ink residue that may block the mesh screen once it has dried.
Above – Carefully filed and stored original wood frame screens.
Above – This is Florence Broadhurst’s intricate Spanish Tile print being used as research and development for the Russian market.
Here we experimented by using an unusual metallic ink on black velvet.
Above left is Solar, a seventies disco classic printed in repeat at the Signature Prints workshop on one of our
three, 30 meter tables. In this instance Solar has been printed in charcoal and deep red, Solar is a two screen
design, the third colour is a result of over laying the other tones. Above right is Ikeda being carefully printed. Ikeda
is a clean and stylised, repetitive pattern of two-dimensional fans.
A view from our office over looking the workshop. Here we have three 30 meter printing tables and two 10 meter
tables. The two ten meter tables in this picture are currently being used to hold the many different rolls of paper
we print on. Our 30 meter tables have a slightly sticky surface enabling us to secure our fabric to the table without
any creasing. When we wish to print on paper, we simply cover the table with a base cloth and secure the paper
15 cm from the edge of the table.
Our workshop gets rather chilly in the winter, we have a very similar type of workspace to that of which Florence
worked in. This was a large, tin space with a high roof. As Helen O’Neill, the author of the Florence Broadhurst
book (Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret and Extraordinary lives) discovered, Broadhurst used a very powerful,
portable kerosene heater to keep the factory warm enough to dry the printing inks. Apparently she also talked
about it as if it were alive. Florence was a very eccentric woman, she would say “Oh my lovely salamander” and
“Doesn’t it keep warm?”
This is our carefully stored collection of original, wooden framed Florence Broadhurst Hand Prints. We have a
very talented artist who carefully restores and repairs our Broadhurst prints to ensure we can continue to use
them to a great standard, and to enable them to be used by generations to come. We are proud to have the world
wide rights to this collection and with that comes great responsibility.
This deep red print and is a prime example of Broadhurst’s confidence in eye-catching modernist design. The
image above shows the this design being printed in two ten meter sections on one of our 30 meter tables. To dry
our prints, so that they can be rolled up quickly, to free our tables for the next job, we use four very large fans on
each table to ensure that all ink is even and completely dry.
Above – The naive Cats and Mice print being printed from Florence’s Children’s bedroom range.
This image shows the design Monsterio, which is a two colour print and here it is being printed on fabric. A
separate frame is needed for each colour that is in a design, these screens must all ‘register’ perfectly with each
other, if any of them are a millimetre out the repeat will not be consistent or hang properly. Creating more than
one screen involves breaking up the original design and creating separate images on clear sheeting, this will be
exposed onto a screen using a light sensitive permanent ink.
The design in this image is also waiting for its second repeat, but already has had it’s second colour applied. We
print every other section of the substrate we are using to enable the ink to dry, this is because each frame extends
over the edge of the first print. If we were to print on wet or damp ink imperfections would occur and spoil the
whole piece we are working on.
This is a three colour design being printed on 30 meters of fabric. Fabric screens are a lot wider than wallpaper
screens, this ensures that the print covers the standard width of a roll of fabric. Printing on fabric is a two person
job which involves one person standing on either side of the table. Ink is passed across the screen with a
squeegee just like in wallpaper printing. Although in this case the squeegee is pushed through from person to
person at a central point on the screen. Here it is really important that both persons apply the same amount of
pressure onto the screen, both keep the squeegee at the same angle and follow through when passing or
receiving to the other. This ensures that the print has a consistent and even coverage on both sides of the fabric.
See you tomorrow!
- Helen
Above – Artwork for Rabbits and Poodles, a two dimensional playpen of birds, turtles, dachshunds, fish, mice, cats and poodles inspired by
illustrations from 1950’s children’s books.
Fabulous Florence – Living with Broadhurst
After yesterday’s wonderful glimpse behind the scenes at Signature Prints, today Helen shares some of her favorite
projects using Florence Broadhurst’s designs! Suddenly I feel the urge to wallpaper… – Jenny x
So after so much talking yesterday, I thought I would show you some of my favorite prints, and some of the great
ways they have been used. We are really pleased that Broadhurst’s prints are popping up everywhere, being used
just as much now as they were during the time of their creation. These are timeless designs which still look amazing 50 years after their debut.
Above left is a chair which was re-upholstered by the lovely Emma who is part of our sales team at our Signature
Prints showroom. The design shown here is the fun, fashion favorite Aubrey. To the right is an image from Weego
Home in the USA. This is the Egrets, usually a two colour print used beautifully in monotone contrasts this works
elegantly against the mustard yellow. The Egrets display unusual character and stature. Each of the standing birds
is 40 cm tall.
These images are from the Woodson and Rummerfield House of Design, West Hollywood,USA and is the style of
Ron Woodson and Jamie Rummerfield. This house was host to the L.A launch of the biography ‘Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret and Extraordinary Lives’. The couch is upholstered with Circles and Squares print,which combines both Asian styling and simple geometric forms, while the cushions are upholstered in The Cranes. The feature wall behind is Turnabouts, a print that epitomises the importance of the circle to Broadhurst. Turnabouts is the
ultimate in large scale geometrics – each circle is approximately 35 centimetres wide.
The chair on the left is The Cranes, also used by Woodson and Rummerfield. The Cranes is one of our most popular prints, although it is technically very difficult to print; it’s screens are impossible to align and leave large gaps
between the outlines and infill. This means there are often a few inaccuracies which add to it’s charm.
I love this design!! On the left is our very popular Japanese Floral print used in a bespoke colour for Tapet Cafe in
Copenhagen. Its great to see how different people use our prints, and we love it when people choose a custom
colour to give new light to one of our designs. The right is the Shadow Floral print, used elegantly in a bathroom on
Silver Optiuixin teal by De Ce Design, NZ.
Greg Natale has been working in the design industry for 15 years and is a great friend of ours. Over the years he
has honed his experiences in various practices and has worked across the full spectrum of corporate interiors and
high-end residential projects. Greg designs with the purpose of creating cutting edge work with the integration of
design and decoration.
Greg has used many of our Florence designs to completely transform a house in Woollahra. The client that he was
working with was an Australian living in London. Natale thought that it was so appropriate for her to pay homage to
the Iconic Australian designer. The Cockatoos wallpaper was used in a room for a set of twins. Greg believed that
this gave them a real sense of their Australian roots.
This is Steps also used by Greg Natale. For this commissioned piece we printed the fabric for the bed linen, the
wall paper, fibreglass paneling and also some limited edition art. This is a brave choice and works wonderfully.
Greg won the Belle/Space Apartment of the Year award.
Summer Garden used in a refreshing and classic green again by Grey Natale. A closer view of Summer Garden –
This print is originally a two colour print consisting of a key line and infill, in this instance only the infill has been
used.
[Greg’s work can be seen at www.gregnatale.com or on his facebook page.]
I love this very brave quilt and selection of cushions, a great example of how lots of different prints can work well
together!! This image shows Circles and Squares, The Cranes and Japanese Floral all printed using the same
rouge ink. The Cranes demonstrates classic chinoiserie, inspired by the English colonial aesthetic of the late
1800’s. There are only two cranes per 910 mm repeat – unique and effective!
To the left is Solar in yellow and blue, contrasting beautifully against a blue and white stripe. On the right is Fingers
used in a beautiful warm red as cushion coverings. Fingers is a block design alive with an almost three-dimensional
feel. This is Broadhurst’s take on sixties modernism.
This is Oriental Filigree in reverse, beautifully upholstered onto a vintage chair. On the right is Fingers in black and
white, used to upholster a chair and footstool.
Until tomorrow,
- Helen
Fabulous Florence – Living with Broadhurst
What a fabulous week it’s been! A HUGE thank you Helen & David Lennie and Danielle Hooker for such a great collection of guest blogs. Today we get a very special insight into what inspires Helen and a collection of things she
loves. Enjoy! -Jenny x
Inspiring photographs from Aquabumps
One of the best things about working here at Signature Prints is having the opportunity to work with some amazing
clients, collaborate with some of Australia’s best designers and meet some really creative contacts and friends!
At Signature we have recently had the pleasure of working with Alexia Gnecchi-Ruscone, the brilliant designer and
founder of the niche fashion label Eclettica! The Eclettica collection boasts cool linen separates (a must have this
summer!) and stunning Mediterranean-style sandals for everyday wear, the evening and holiday. Eclettica also features a great handbag and wallet range, beautifully crafted in fine Italian leather. The Eclettica range showcases new
and on-trend styles that remain true to their original design philosophy – elegant yet practical.
Alexia and I met almost five years ago, she had only recently moved to Australia from Italy when she stumbled
across the story of Florence Broadhurst. Alexia loved the whirlwind tale of Florence and fell in love with her designs
just as we had a few years earlier. Alexia soon popped in to see us and find out more, and after this we decided it
would be great to work together!
Above – Eclettica‘s Rimini bag, Palm Beach Sandal, St Topez bag and silk, lagoon dip dyed Kimono Dress.
Together we have crafted Florence Broadhurst & Eclettica bags, transforming some of Alexia’s best and most renowned bags with some of Florence’s most prestigious prints. We decided to double brand the product giving each of
our companies’ equal and great exposure. We both love working with like minded people and this was the start of
both a great personal and professional relationship. Our bags went down a treat and we absolutely love them!! To
see Eclettica’s new spring range why not pop down to her lovely shops in Potts Point and Woollahra, all details can
be found on her website,
On the left – Florence Broadhurst & Eclettica Deauville bag in Horses Stampede. On the right – Florence Broadhurst Eclettica Riviera clutch in
I just love Alexia’s designs and have such an appreciation for them. My wardrobe is full of Eclettica’s smart yet practical new spring collection. Her clothing is simple, fresh and great for my busy lifestyle, yet I know that its great quality
and lovingly made. Alexia sources only the finest fabrics which are then made into beautiful garments. This is one of
the reasons our two brands work so well together – we’re both really passionate about showcasing ultra great Australian design which is practical, bespoke and in-disposable.
On the left – Dip dyed, silk, Kimono Dress in Lagoon, the Ailsa sandal and the Rimini bag in silver. On the right: The Cuba dress, the St. Tropez bag
in natural linen with tan trims, double Elba belt and the Pompei sandal in tan.
This is one of my favorite outfits from Eclettica’s new spring range and I recently bought the lovely top and scarf, the
palm beach sandal pictured below in this beautifully photographed image by Juli Balla, I have actually had for a few
seasons – I absolutely love them. I just wish I could get away with these lovely white jeans, a big hazard working in a
hand-print workshop!!
Above – Palm Beach sandal in orange patent, the St. Tropez bag in black cotton canvas with tan trims, Striped T-Shirt and the Classic Panama hat.
Another great design is the Rimini bag, a charming little bag for the evening, just the right size for your iphone and a
few credit cards which enables you to be handsfree! The strap on this bag also unclips, transforming it into an ultra
cute little clutch.
On the left – The Rimini bag in Silver. On the Right: The Rimini bag in Black Mock-Crocodile.
Mr Rose, another of my favorite designers and a great friend has become a real inspiration to me over the past few
years. But who is Mr Rose? Mr Rose is in fact the lovely Sophie Toohey, she herself explains that “He is the fantastical figure I conjured to channel a love of design, exquisite detailing, beautiful fabrics and the joy of dressing-up. With
a team of talented femmes, this affair of the heart translates into seasonal collections that we design and make in
Sydney, Australia.”
Mr Rose is a one of a kind, Australian women’s shirting specialist, here they use premium fabrics with a real focus
creating beautiful femme silhouettes with an eye for the all important detail. Mr Rose celebrates shirting in all its
guises, from the crisp tuxedo to the relaxed weekend “artisan” tunic style. I just love how designer Sophie blends
both feminine and masculine styling to create a boutique label that only produces a limited edition of styles each season. The new spring range consists of a fabulous collection for women that understand and appreciate quality. These
lovely, recently shot photographs of the collection are of local business women who work within the area of their Norfolk Street, Paddington boutique. The Mr Rose team are continuously inspired by the confident women who wear
their shirts.
Here are some of the key looks I love from the spring summer 2010 collection -
Above – This is the lovely “Mu”, a beautiful silk cotton piece available in charcoal, amalfi and blush as seen here. I think this is absolutely brilliant
for an Australian summer, its so easy to wear – dress is up or down, its breezy and the fabric feels divine!
Above – This is the brilliant Mr Rose “Waistcoat” and “Short”. This is a great energetic Italian digital print. Worn separately or together they form
the romper suit of childhood dreams. This piece is great worn with heels on a summers evening destined for a great adventure of the adult-kind.
Above – This fine specimen is one of my favorites – the “Artisan”
I just love the confidence of this brand, their bio states “We love the snap of a crisp white Italian cotton, the visual
splendor of an eye-dancing print, an off-beat colour combination, the weight of a sandwash silk on the body, the
scent of a shirt hot-off-the-press – and we harbour a quiet fetish for sticking pins into a freshly made pincushion – it’s
all about the “pop!”. Mr Rose is unique boutique designer who prides itself on exquisite detailing, which in my opinion
are extremely well received and important in an era of mass production. Here at Signature Prints we just love small
run, niche brands, owner operated and run by people who love design, for people who love design – Just like us!