At 80, Celia Birtwell has scored a hit with her new range for Next
Sixties icon swings back into style: At 80, Celia Birtwell has scored a hit with her new range for Next
Patti Boyd, Anita Pallenberg, Marianne Faithful all wore Celia Birtwell print Aged 80, the iconic Lancashire-born artist still feels as relevant as ever Designer’s latest 20-piece collection in sizes 6-22 comes courtesy of Next
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Show me an iconic item of clothing from the 1960s or 1970s and chances are it’s a Celia Birtwell print.
Her bohemian look is inextricably linked to every dream girl of the era: Patti Boyd, Anita Pallenberg, Marianne Faithfull, Bianca Jagger . . . they all wore Celia.
Her greatest collaborator was her then husband, the late Ossie Clark. Together, their designs defined a generation. Clark did the cuts; Birtwell the prints.
Ditsy print plisse midi dress, £70
White tank, £75, boden .co.uk; floral print skirt, £38
Tie-sleeve blouse, £28 and matching skirt, £30
After her CBE for services to the fashion industry in 2011, it was half expected Celia would quietly retire, but now aged 80, the Lancashire-born artist still feels as relevant as ever. Her latest collection comes courtesy of Next, which has bagged Britain’s most iconic print designer for a striking new capsule range for 2022.
It goes without saying that the patterned fabric is beautiful, eye-catching and exciting, but the best bit is that it’s genuinely inclusive. Every item in this 20-piece collection is available in sizes 6-22. And it’s one of the few collections on the High Street that will flatter everyone.
Birtwell’s prints decorate empire-line midi dresses, 1970s-inspired jumpsuits, wide-leg trousers and batwing blouses. She said of her ex-husband’s designs that ‘the clothes Ossie made me were tailored, which worked because I was so rounded. My sketches are totally unmakeable, but Ossie had the genius of being able to create them in 3D. He knew about bosoms and bottoms in a way nobody has since’.
Flutter sleeve dress, £75, earrings, £22, orelia.co.uk
Clashing print wrap dress, £55
Floral spot print blouse, £45, matching trousers, £55
However, the influence of Ossie’s style of cutting is obvious in this collection. Just look at the contrast print midi-dress with its flattering deep V-neck, flutter sleeves and A-line skirt. Or the bold, red floral wrap dress with a tie-waist belt that pulls in beautifully at the waist. Everything will easily carry through to spring, especially the black floral-print midi skirt and tie-sleeve blouse, which look fabulous together but also work brilliantly as separates.
The tiered plisse midi dress in multi-coloured ditsy daisy print, and the wide-leg trousers with matching wrap top are versatile enough to work all year long.
It’s not often you can say that a grandmother of six has created one of the most sought-after collections of the season. But this year we’ll all be wearing Celia.
White trousers, £138, reiss.com, purple blouse, £40
All dresses and florals Celia Birtwell at next.co.uk Loafers, £195, russelland bromley.co.uk
