Over the past year, our talented designers have been busy pushing the boundaries of design and reimagining classic pieces for the summer 2024 season. We're thrilled to share the collection, which features a capsule of exclusive scarves – our finest designs yet – perfect for the warmer weather.
We're incredibly proud of this collection and can't wait to see how our customers react to seeing a contemporary take on popular designs. Stripes and plains feature in this collection, but our paisley prints really are the attention grabbers. Conveying a breezy feel with a touch of the whimsical. Fresh colours are printed on light navy, camel and pink shades of cashmere in the popular, ornamental design. This ornate pattern is designed to stand out, and worn-all season long.
What is a Paisley Pattern?
A paisley print can be characterised by its distinctive, intricate patterns of a curved feather shaped figure, based on an Indian pine-cone design. Every version of the Paisley is unique, adding to its beauty, but its characteristic shape is often likened to that of a kidney, a comma, or a teardrop.
History of Paisley
The paisley pattern has a fascinating journey that transcends centuries and continents. Its origins lie in 11th century India, where it adorned textiles with swirling, teardrop-shaped motifs. The original Persian droplet-like motif – the boteh or buta – is thought to have been a representation of a floral spray combined with a cypress tree, a Zoroastrian symbol of life and eternity. The seed-like shape is also thought to represent fertility, has connections with Hinduism.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, exquisite shawls featuring a swirling design arrived in Europe from India and was widely imitated across Europe, notably in Wales and the Scottish town of Paisley, Renfrewshire. This is how the motif acquired its English name, although other regions have their own quirky nicknames, like "Persian pickles" in the US and "Welsh pears" in Wales.
Interestingly, the 19th century saw the paisley pattern embraced by those who challenged convention. It became a symbol of both cultural exchange and flourishing trade. Even renowned artists and designers incorporated paisley into their work, from William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement to Pre-Raphaelite painters like William Holman Hunt. Paisley's presence in art and fashion solidified its status as a mark of sophistication and artistic flair.
The next surge in paisley’s fashion ability came in the 1960s, helped along by The Beatles – in their Eastern-influenced phase the band were paisley mad, and John Lennon even painted his Rolls-Royce with the pattern. It became emblematic of the ‘summer of love’ and the often eye-watering aesthetic of the psychedelic era, its vertiginous acid-trip patterns and mind-melting colours chiming with the hippy zeitgeist. It has been sported – with the requisite strut and swagger – by David Bowie, Prince, Paul Weller, Bobby Gillespie, Liam Gallagher among many, many others.
How to Style a Paisley Print?
Because of paisley’s origins, there has always been a sense of exoticism and luxury about it. It’s an organic motif that is also stylised and has a complexity and depth to it. The captivating pattern has a certain richness to it, an over-the-top quality, making it perfect to compliment every summer outfit.
As a bold print, pair it with muted, solid colours to avoid overwhelming your look. Paisley prints look timeless when paired with a crisp white top, and denim trousers, or a flowing maxi dress. For a touch of vintage allure, consider draping the scarf over a tailored leather jacket.
Make a statement this summer! Shop our exclusive paisley stoles and discover a world of luxurious style possibilities.
