One of the most exciting stages of designing each collection, is our initial search for inspiration. 

For our Spring Summer 18|19 collection, we struck upon the story of Marion Mahony Griffin, and were immediately captivated. 

A lesser known name in the world of architecture, Marion was a remarkable artist, illustrator, and one of the world's first licensed female architects. Her remarkable career saw her collaborate with architects Frank Lloyd Wright and Walter Burley Griffin, whom she later married. 

Left: Marion Mahony Griffin   |   Right: A shot from our SS19 campaign

Graduating as only the second female student from MIT in 1894, Marion began her career in the office of the then-young Frank Lloyd Wright. Working in his office for over 14 years, Marion designed numerous buildings and became celebrated for her architectural rendering style - heralded by some architectural historians as the best in the world. 

Marion Mahony Griffin's illustration of their Canberra design

In 1911, Marion married Walter Burley Griffin and together they established an architectural practice. The following year, they won a competition to design Australia's federal capital, Canberra, with Marion's beautiful illustrations described as a having a major impact on their winning of the award.

Their designs for our country's capital spurred decades of collaborations between Marion and her husband, spanning projects in Australia, the United States and India. Other iconic Australian designs include the Palais and Capitol Theatres, and Newman College at the University of Melbourne. Marion's attention to detail was widely lauded, with custom designs for stained glass windows, parquetry tiling, mosaics and other furnishings. 

Our new collection distills numerous aspects of Marion's life into design motifs. We were even thrilled to shoot it at the Essendon Incinerator in Victoria, a Griffin-designed building.

The Essendon Incinerator in Victoria, designed by Marion Mahony Griffin and Walter Burley Griffin. Model wears Lucy Jumpsuit in Charcoal Floral and Mary Janes in Almond.

Much like good architecture, our emphasis this season has been on understated functionality and - as always - quality craftsmanship. Refined silhouettes draw on subtle inspiration from the historical eras of Marion's life. 

Inspiration for our SS19 Collection

The rich palette touches on a variety of sources of inspiration from Marion's life. Art deco details are reflected in our Tile Print, inspired by parquetry tile, or our Archway Print, inspired by stained glass. Our Ink Stripe print was inspired by the penmanship of architect's blueprints. These are counterbalanced by floral and landscape-inspired designs that are drawn from Marion's architectural renderings and concept illustrations. 

Left: Dolman Top in Rust Landscape, Clara Pant in Olive Floral, Wing Loafer in Olive   |   Right: Lucy Jumpsuit in Tile, Marion Bag in Almond

But most of all, we've tried to capture the essence of Marion Mahony Griffin's spirit: bold, yet refined and considered. 

We hope you love the collection, and can't wait to share more of the story as the season continues.