There are few guarantees when it comes to the British summer time. Sunshine? Nice try. England winning a football tournament? Good one. Frankly, even drinking with your mates in a pub garden feels a little optimistic in Covid times. One thing we can say with a lot more certainty is that you can at least look your best during the summer months with a little help from stellar British brand Orlebar Brown.
Founded by Adam Brown in March 2007, the label was launched with the express intention of bringing a more tailored approach to the world of swim and beach shorts – in its own words, “not so much a swim shirt, but shorts you can swim in”.
Brown, a former photographer, used his keen eye to bring a classy resort aesthetic to the clothing range, creating garments that screamed ‘summer’ from the moment you pulled them off the rail.
Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long for Orlebar Brown to gravitate from shorts to an all-round resort wardrobe – fitting you for the beach, restaurant, and everything in between. In fact, so successful has the brand’s assault on the holiday clothing market been that it was acquired by Chanel in 2018.
Now in its 15th year of operation, Orlebar Brown shows no sign of slowing down. Its flower power Summer '21 collection shows just how far the brand has come.
The collection includes an array of charming floral prints inspired by the rural summer gardens of Tuscany and Provence. The local flora from these natural spaces inspire the collection’s colour palette, along with Orlebar Brown’s extensive archive-sourced floral prints.
To match the aesthetic, the brand has selected a number of its favourite airy fabrics to ensure its garments are as summer ready as you are – from linen and cotton-silk shirting, to organic cotton T-shirts and sweats.
Wild Garden Sensory Series
But it’s not simply the new garments garnering attention. To launch the Summer '21 collection, Orlebar Brown has pulled out all the stops to tell the story behind its floral fancies.
The Wild Garden Sensory Series brings together a host of world-renowned artists from all walks of life to celebrate the restorative power of nature through a number of transformative sensory experiences.
Each artist will create their own artistic interpretation of Orlebar Brown’s Wild Garden prints, with a unique focus on one of the five senses.
Kicking off the series is renowned florist and designer Phil John Perry, famed for his work with high-profile celebrities like Beyonce and Kendall Jenner. For the Sensory Series, he has created a collection of eye-catching floral headdresses and unique accessories, adorning models as they walk the streets of Mayfair. It’s quite the sight when you’re on your way to the new Orlebar Brown Store in Burlington Gardens.
Coming up next, one of the hottest names in mixology, the award-winning Mr Lyan, will be creating a number of bespoke wild garden-themed cocktails, which will be unveiled via a live masterclass with Martha Ward on Instagram.
Australian chef, forager and botanist Elijah Holland has produced a Wild Garden inspired menu to complement the cocktails, featuring fresh hand-picked ingredients gathered on a coastal foraging walk from Bronte to Bondi Beach. Holland will be walking viewers through how to prepare this bountiful array of ingredients into dishes worthy of gracing the tables at his Melburne restaurant Lume via an Instagram Live session.
Capping off the Wild Garden Sensory Series will be a live DJ set by Ohxalá. In front of the stunning backdrop of a historic mill in the Portuguese countryside, Ohxalá will play a specially curated Wild Garden soundscape and will be streaming live around the world.
For more information, see orlebarbrown.com
