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A very long time ago, most probably in July 2016 Mrs Violet Dent and I began the arduous task of inventing our 34th collection.
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We emptied our giant notice board of previous sketches,
doodles, fabric swatches, trims and pins and set to work.
How lucky are we? We have no
constraints, no bosses to boss us, no commercial diktats, no fashion to follow,
no trends to adhere to.
WE CAN DO WHAT WE LIKE.
Which is, of course what we did.
WE CAN DO WHAT WE LIKE.
Which is, of course what we did.
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Usually we think of a person. A
film. A piece of music. To inspire us.
And by the completion of the collection, it inspires us
to abandon all original thoughts of our film, our person and our music, because
the collection has taken on a quite different personality of its own, a film of
its own and music of its own.
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We create what we love, there is no other way to gauge what will sell, we don’t have merchandisers, or trend analysts or any idea whatsoever what is going on in the big wide world, we lead small lives, perfectly content in the world of Cabbages & Roses.
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Somehow, the hotch potch of clothes we fell in love with,
divide themselves into mini collections, somehow they work with each other,
mixing, rarely matching, but nevertheless rubbing along together very
happily.
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The emotional investment that goes into making a collection is enormous.
It is scary, it involves so many people and not an
insignificant amount of money and risk.
Thirty four times have I exposed my soul, my taste and my
lack of formal training, my belief in Cabbages & Roses and the
absurd notion that I have a clue.
And thirty four times, it is you dear reader, that has
come up trumps every time.
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Thank you for your belief in us.
Thank you for looking so beautiful in our clothes.
Thank you for not always waiting until sale time to buy.
Thank you for looking so beautiful in our clothes.
Thank you for not always waiting until sale time to buy.
Thank you press for thinking of us when you are making a
story.
In particular Lucinda Chambers a) for producing the genius that is her son Toby (seen above) and
In particular Lucinda Chambers a) for producing the genius that is her son Toby (seen above) and
b)For featuring us in (we think) your most spectacular
shoots for Vogue Magazine.
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The first time Mrs Dent and I see the collection as it is
meant to be, is when we
Embark on photography for our website.
We would obviously LOVE to print the magnificent photographs that our photographer Toby Knott took, but with an eye on budget/waste/huge costs etc etc for the moment we will have to be content with looking at a website.
We would obviously LOVE to print the magnificent photographs that our photographer Toby Knott took, but with an eye on budget/waste/huge costs etc etc for the moment we will have to be content with looking at a website.
Here is Toby risking life and limb to find the perfect
position. (Above)
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Our model Brogan doing what she does best with Toby, prostrate, having found the perfect angle.
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On occasion we receive comments from well meaning & concerned people, complaining about our models being too thin, too young, too beautiful etc etc.
This I think may be a good moment to say that every model we have used, has eaten more than their weight in twiglets, mars bars, bananas, almonds and hot dogs during our short lunch breaks on our shoots.
They are all grown up, well fed, intelligent, charming and happy.
They all happen to be beautiful, but that’s not their, or our, fault.
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Toby made a film of our collection, with the breathtakingly lovely Lea.
Watch this space.
xx Christina xx
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15 comments
A wonderful sentiment and ethos Do only what you Love, one we could all live by. It has worked beautifully for Cabbages and Roses and stands the test of time. Lovely post x
I have loved Cabbages & Roses from day one and my love for as never stopped growing. The textiles, the patterns, the clothes...oh my!! All so beautiful and comfy. Cabbages and Roses has been (and remains) the loveliest of romantic and endearing styles. xoxoxox
Yes, your models are young, slim and beautiful. I am 75, size 14, and any pretensions I might once have had to beauty are well in the psst. When I wear C&R clothes I still get lots of positive comments.
Absolutely breathtaking. I wish I were younger and could wear every single one of your creations. They are how I always imagined myself, but never had the courage to step into that Alice-in-Wonderland world---just to make ME happy. I continue to covet every piece, every look. Keep up the good work Ladies...Artistas...Creators of great beauty.
I absolutely love your collections. In fact the way that you describe how you design and the simplicity of not worrying about trends and fitting in is perfect. It is how I would describe myself and my life. I don't fit in with trends. My style in my style and that is who I am. I can't wait to see the new collection and the video and all the images. They inspire me daily . S x
Liked what you said about fashion and understand about the vagaries of the process completely, as a fellow creator of not wildly commercial things. And do LOVE your clothes too. Keep going, and thanks for the previous 34. Best wishes, Lorraine Johnson
So inspirational ...looking forward to seeing more
Hi Christina
Great story. Your designs are unique which is their appeal. Nothing else on the High Street compares. As you say the clothes do not always match but they live together very happily indeed.
Just love that Black Gingham dress.
No problems with your models. They are absolutely gorgeous and so good at modelling the clothes. Here's to your 34th collection, and keep on doing what you like!
Love Roger
Christina, over the years I have seen you dressed in your own designs and you do them as much justice as the models. Would be lovely to see more of you in the photographs.
*B* xx
I just love your clothes and fabric (and wallpaper) and the photos. I always feel super inspired by what you do. Love, Kirsten x
www.thelifbissue.com
I discovered Cabbages when visiting the U K around 2005 and was so thrilled when the posting overseas was possible. I love the pink and green hues promised in this collection and that romantic print! The films and Look Books are inspiring and the fact the models are probably 40 years younger than me doesn't stop me finding at least one purchase a season. I have only ever handed on to my daughters to make room for something new, and my duvets are much admired. Thanks for the beautiful blogs
I love C&R! I want to own every piece of your collection! I used to just look through all your posts on facebook and Instagram, trying to find the collections prior my discovery of C&R!
Really appreciate it is still made in England. It is so Chelsea! Thanks Christina！
I discovered C&R only this year and bought a dress that I wore to an anniversary dinner at Gravetye. I felt impossibly special and romantic in that most romantic of places. Since then I follow you on instagram and look yearningly at your collections on line. The photos of your forthcoming collection look stunning and I am saving my pennies for that green dress. I'm in my mid-fifties but feel your clothes offer comfort and style sensitive to the needs of women of any age. Thank you for keeping romance alive.
Beautiful image, does anyone know where to get those wellies from?
Beautiful image, does anyone know where to get those wellies?
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