If you’re a certified sucker for prints and patterns or have a penchant for Pinterest, Birmingham-based Abigail Borg’s hand-drawn flora and fauna has a 99% chance of holding a spot or two in your bank of dream décor.
 
Factoring in the ten thousand – and some – rule, Abigail is the almighty in the arena of homeware and wallpapers, with previous collaborations with KEW Gardens, Laura Ashley, John Lewis and Crabtree & Evelyn already firmly under her belt. And now, following suit with the moves of textile and fashion designer Celia Birtwell (a chief inspiration of Abigail’s), who pioneered seamlessly worked across the fields of interiors and fashion in the 1960s, she translates her talents across a 20-piece capsule collection of ready-to-wear, swim and accessories in collaboration with J.Crew.

As she’s catapulted into the industry, we talk being proudly printed in England and what made the collaboration a match conjured in heaven.

Your first collection was a series of fine wallpaper prints – could you take us back to that time and tell us what’s changed for you since then? 
I’ve always loved interior decoration and drawing separately – it was only while studying Printed Textiles and Surface Pattern Design at art school that I realised I could combine the two by designing wallpapers.

My final collection was picked up by Liberty, which as a recent graduate gave me the world’s biggest confidence boost and inspired me to pursue my passion for pattern design and interiors. Since then, I’ve gone on to design furnishing fabrics and home accessories alongside wallpapers, and I’m proud to work with stockists and interior designers across the globe. I feel incredibly fortunate.

What inspired this transition from the world of interiors and would you agree that the two are connected, especially now that everybody uses their home and wardrobe as an extension of their personalities?  
Before J.Crew reached out, I’d never considered transitioning into fashion; interiors had always been the focus.

However, I do think that the two worlds are connected – especially when it comes to timeless floral patterns, which work seamlessly across both. My designs for J.Crew could quite easily work on wallpaper; the loose brief I was given actually asked me to design as if I were for wallpaper!

Your prints in the collection are a celebration of flora and fauna. What is it about the English countryside that, for you, is so special – and what makes it unique? 
The English countryside is a magical place to escape to – it doesn’t get much more relaxing than enjoying the beautiful surroundings of small villages with pubs dotted around. It's a nice reminder of the olden days of a slower pace of life and focus on community and surroundings. I've come to appreciate it a lot more as I've got older, especially when working from my studio in the centre of Birmingham. I spend a lot of time in Herefordshire right on the Welsh border, which is where I get a lot of my inspiration from.

What resonates with you about the J Crew brand; why is your collaboration a match made in heaven? 
J.Crew know fashion and I know patterns, so it makes for the perfect partnership. It’s a real honour to be working with such a well-regarded brand, and I really appreciate their willingness to reach out to me about the collection, and to be so enthusiastic about setting me such an open design brief.

In case you missed it, discover and shop Richard Quinn's Limited Edition accessories collaboration with Liberty London.