OUT OF THE BLUE EXHIBITION SERIES - THE EARLY YEARS

As part of our ‘Out of the blue’ exhibition series we are sharing spotlights from our exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum. First, we venture back to the very beginning..

“It has been wonderful delving in and out of our archives, rediscovering designs, reliving pivotal moments and reminiscing about everything in between, all from the past five decades!

Our story started in 1970, on a small corner of King’s Road where our flagship store is still based to this day. I saw an opportunity in the lack of stores that offered a ‘lifestyle’; this concept didn't exist and had very little meaning in the early seventies.

I had always been more interested in the total look of an interior and how one went about looking at the room as whole, as opposed to just looking at disparate elements. I upholstered furniture, laid rugs down, made cushions, created lampshades and presented a concept.

We challenged the taste for matching patterns with single colour cloths with our first collection ‘Village’ (1975).

A pivotal moment in this decade was meeting the renowned knitwear and tapestry artist Kaffe Fasset - I was struck by his tactile 3D work and his free, flamboyant style. During a visit to his studio, I saw an enormous panel called ‘Geranium’ and I instantly saw a fabric..

In 1976 we launched the ‘Geranium’ collection of fabrics and wallpapers, which was a huge success.

I did what felt right at the time and was led by my instincts. Fortunately it paid off and has led us to the point we are at now, as an international lifestyle brand.” Tricia Guild

Book tickets through the Fashion and Textile Museum.

Head to the Fashion and Textile Museum for more info - exhibition running until 21st February 2021.