Alice archer always knew what she wanted to do. Niece to renowned artist Celia Paul, daughter to a mother who would spin her own yarn and skilfully knitted clothes, and influenced by the many creative women that make up her family’s strong matriarchy, a career in the arts was always on the cards.
And it's a career that Alice has very passionately pursued. She dedicated herself to a textile fine art degree at Goldsmiths College, followed by a career as an embroidery technician. It was during this time that Alice set out on a mission to bring the worlds of art, print, embroidery and fashion together.
So, how did the worlds of Alice Archer and Anthropologie collide?
“I really love historic textiles, oil paintings and flowers. I visit beautiful gardens all around the world and I find inspiration for my own collections in all of these spaces. Anthropologie and I share a clear affinity – the celebration of florals, and the appreciation of true craftsmanship. We both want to create special and unique pieces that people will treasure forever.”
It’s from this very affinity that Anthropologie x Alice Archer was born. We caught up with the British designer to learn a bit more about the inspiration behind this one-of-a-kind collaboration.
“I really love historic textiles, oil paintings and flowers. I visit beautiful gardens all around the world and I find inspiration for my own collections in all of these spaces. Anthropologie and I share a clear affinity – the celebration of florals, and the appreciation of true craftsmanship. We both want to create special and unique pieces that people will treasure forever.”
It’s from this very affinity that Anthropologie x Alice Archer was born. We caught up with the British designer to learn a bit more about the inspiration behind this one-of-a-kind collaboration.
Are you able to tell us about your inspiration for the collection?
In June last year, just as my collaboration with Anthropologie was beginning, I took a trip to Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Kent. It was a blisteringly hot day and the gardens were looking spectacular. I was so inspired to come across Vita Sackville-West’s white garden, where she had allowed only allowed white, green, grey and silver plants to grow. I loved how when colour was restricted one’s attention was drawn to the textures, shapes and compositions in the garden. I felt this had an affinity with my approach to embroidery and wanted to explore the idea of white flowers on coloured backgrounds, which you can see in some of the dresses and cushions in the collaboration.
Are there any particular flowers that feature repeatedly throughout the collection?
Vita Sackville-West’s white garden is filled with white roses and I wanted to explore these. I love their romantic symbolism of innocence and purity.
Strawberries also feature heavily across the collection...
Strawberries are one of my favourite things about British summer. I wanted to embroider strawberry plants including the white and pale pink unripe strawberries and the white strawberry flowers. I thought it would be interesting to depict strawberries growing naturally rather than how we see them in the supermarket.
Your prints have a very clear painterly technique. How does art influence your process in general, and how has this played out in this collaboration?
Art is very important to me. Going to exhibitions, watching documentaries and looking through artist monographs all inspire me. I’m drawn to colour and texture, I feel moved when I see the freedom of Manet’s brushstrokes, Peter Doig’s use of colour and the emotion in Gwen John’s portraits. I wanted my collaboration with Anthropologie to include textiles with beautiful hand painted flowers to create rich and painterly surfaces.
This collaboration is quite an overt ode to British summertime. What does British summertime mean to you?
Strawberries, playing with my daughter outside, ice cream and wearing my favourite dresses.
In June last year, just as my collaboration with Anthropologie was beginning, I took a trip to Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Kent. It was a blisteringly hot day and the gardens were looking spectacular. I was so inspired to come across Vita Sackville-West’s white garden, where she had allowed only allowed white, green, grey and silver plants to grow. I loved how when colour was restricted one’s attention was drawn to the textures, shapes and compositions in the garden. I felt this had an affinity with my approach to embroidery and wanted to explore the idea of white flowers on coloured backgrounds, which you can see in some of the dresses and cushions in the collaboration.
Are there any particular flowers that feature repeatedly throughout the collection?
Vita Sackville-West’s white garden is filled with white roses and I wanted to explore these. I love their romantic symbolism of innocence and purity.
Strawberries also feature heavily across the collection...
Strawberries are one of my favourite things about British summer. I wanted to embroider strawberry plants including the white and pale pink unripe strawberries and the white strawberry flowers. I thought it would be interesting to depict strawberries growing naturally rather than how we see them in the supermarket.
Your prints have a very clear painterly technique. How does art influence your process in general, and how has this played out in this collaboration?
Art is very important to me. Going to exhibitions, watching documentaries and looking through artist monographs all inspire me. I’m drawn to colour and texture, I feel moved when I see the freedom of Manet’s brushstrokes, Peter Doig’s use of colour and the emotion in Gwen John’s portraits. I wanted my collaboration with Anthropologie to include textiles with beautiful hand painted flowers to create rich and painterly surfaces.
This collaboration is quite an overt ode to British summertime. What does British summertime mean to you?
Strawberries, playing with my daughter outside, ice cream and wearing my favourite dresses.