OSBORNE & LITTLE

‘Nina brings us an “English country house” look, whereas Matthew’s collections come straight from his couture designs – I jumped at the chance of working with both of them,’ says Osborne. His alliance with the two designers is still going strong – the brand’s releases for autumn/winter 2017 include a mixture of Campbell’s hand-printed linens, which are made in India, with Williamson’s intricate, colour-filled creations.

Unsurprisingly, Osborne’s own home in Notting Hill mirrors the vivacious designs that comprise the brand’s pattern books. ‘My house is decorated exclusively in Osborne & Little,’ he admits. ‘Most recently, I put in Matthew Williamson’s ‘Dragonfly Dance’ – with the bronze background – going up the stairs, and I had a door made to match. I also have a very eclectic mixture of furniture. I love Fornasetti and Memphis Group pieces – it’s all quite busy, and I keep changing it.’

Osborne seems a little surprised at his company’s longevity. ‘Sometimes I think it’s a miracle to have survived from those times at all,’ he muses, thumbing through press cuttings from the brand’s launch. Yet, while times may have changed, digital printing has allowed the collections to become increasingly intricate and experimental – cue Kit Miles’ hyper-detailed ‘Rain Forest’ pattern, which is decorated with exotic birds. Osborne’s ethos has remained the same throughout it all: ‘To be cutting edge, adventurous and at the forefront of design’. It’s this attitude that has carried the brand through five decades, seemingly without having aged a day.

Patterns, from top ‘Dragonfly Dance’ wallpaper in ‘04’, £70 per roll; ‘Orangery’ fabric, £70 per metre, both by Matthew Williamson at Osborne & Little (osborneandlittle.com)