Trying to think of what to call new collections and products is so challenging. You spend so much time, and put so much care into planning, creating and designing. You then revisit and make adjustments until you are completely happy with your product. Once all of this is done, simply calling it ‘a cosy cowl’ just doesn’t seem exciting enough!
I try to think about how people that look at the collections might talk about what they have seen, what words might be appropriate for it, and see if a light bulb moment comes, either to myself or one of the family. Fashion isn’t the main part of the Meg Hawkins brand, but each year I love to design something new, something a little outside of my comfort zone. It’s good to challenge yourself once in a while! I work with fantastic local seamstresses to bring the ideas to life.
This year, I decided to keep it simple and classic, with two cowls. We decided to keep the fabric plain and simply add the Meg Hawkins branding to them. They are beautiful quality, and this speaks for itself on them. The range will be expanding in future and will soon have print designs too, though!
So, designs chosen, these beautiful cowls needed a name. We grabbed a cuppa and sat as a family on the sofa to discuss the all-important decision.
As everyone knows, Meg Hawkins is a family business. The name we all kept coming back to, and that seemed perfect for them was ‘Florence’ – named after my much loved, dear Grandma ‘Florry’. I hope she’s looking down on the collection and loves it as much as we do!
With the extra bonus of having daughters that put up with me asking them to model my products, we set out to the local forest for a photoshoot. We were so lucky to hit the sun setting over the hill, which provided the perfect atmosphere for the shoot. The colours of the early autumn evening were beautiful, but didn’t give us a minute to lose, as the sun sets so quickly. We got to work getting the shots we wanted.
The ‘Florence’ collection is two different styled, luxury cowls, made in the UK. The teal cowl is a loose wool jersey mix. It’s so soft and comfortable – perfect for lovely autumn walks. The cream cowl is a wool blend mix with slightly more structure and toggle detail on the side – just right for wearing under a jacket for an evening out or with a gilet.
We love the Florence collection of cosy cowls and can’t wait to see them being worn and enjoyed!