Textile designer Celia Birtwell shot to fame with her feminine fabrics for Ossie Clark's influential fashion range. Today she is widely respected as one of the most influential designers of her time. Birtwell talks to mydeco about her new camping range for Millets, the importance of silk cushions and why she moved from fashion to interiors.
I started to design camping goods... because in my youth Millets was quite a key figure in fashion for art students like myself. Also, my daughter-in-law, Bella, is a keen camper and has been a fan of Millets for many years, so it was her idea to meet with them.
My only experience of camping... was when I was 21. I went to Greece and the whole experience was hot and itchy. Having said that, I am about to go off for a weekend in Bella’s 1971 VW Camper Van with strict instructions on how to camp in comfort and glamour. This, I am told, includes French Martinis at sunset, then whisky round the camp fire wrapped in a home-made cashmere blanket.
I particularly like... the family tent in my camping range, because for the first time a print is used for the inner tent as well as the outer lining. We have used Pop Check on the inside and Monkey Puzzle on the outside. The subtle colours sit beautifully in nature and I love the way the Monkey Puzzle grows up the tent.
