Written by, Becky Harris
ESVIE Contributor
Meet Miss Milne!
It is funny, but sometimes, don’t you find there are designers who are somehow and somewhat on your radar for a good few years, yet it takes one big moment to really notice them, and then once you do, you’re hooked? Well, that is exactly what has happened to me with the meticulous Miss Milne.
Miss Milne (first name Helen), had her design debut in 2005 when she began working for Pepe Jeans UK. Within time celebrities, including Sienna Miller and Jade Jagger, caught on to her flair for intricacy, resulting in her working with them. Since, Milne has designed collections for Oxford St’s Topshop Concessions, ASOS and a number of boutiques around the world.
I’d always had some awareness of Miss Milne, and with a feeling of revelation, tinged with a tiny bit of guilt from how long this has taken, I have finally caught on to her greatness. Miss Milne launches her new collection for Topshop’s flagship store, Oxford Street, on Sunday 7th November, and it is this collection which has really made me sit up and pay attention.
The range is a plethora of quirky different prints- a lot of designs are made up of two or three uniquely combined prints, which both contrast and compliment each other simultaneously. For example, black dresses with strips of rose prints in unexpected places, or the positioning of a pastel blue and white zebra print with black and blue birds. The attention to detail is extraordinary- find pleats, a variety of origami folds, fuchsia “knotted Nilohs”, draping in all the right areas, creative cuts and the odd bit of fringe or bows to add those special touches.
In terms of how wearable it is, I’d say that I personally would wear pretty much the whole of the collection at some point (ohhh to have the money…). A lot of pieces work well for summer daytime- lounging on a beach, strolling around a hot European town somewhere, but could also take you through to night time at a bar, restaurant or club. The collection in itself does somewhat remind me of a holiday, travelling, or being at a festival. This is probably down to the intricate detailing and no doubt the prints.
Whether you prefer bright colours or pastels, polka dots or quirky prints, there will be something for you in this collection, all wrapped up in the free spirit of summer and the celebration that we women are constantly evolving. Miss Milne embodies the love of the tiny details in life, and this is reflected in her clothes- from the choice of colour to the last intricate stitch on that origami fold. I’ll be sure to get down to Topshop on Sunday to snap up a piece of Miss Milne, and I highly recommend you do too. Or, she can be found online at www.missmilne.co.uk.
