Sixties icon swings back into style

At 80, Celia Birtwell has scored a hit with her new range for Next

SHOW me an iconic item of clothing from the 1960s or 1970s and chances are it’s a Celia Birtwell print. Her bohemian look is inextricably linked to every dream girl of the era: Patti Boyd, Anita Pallenberg, Marianne Faithfull, Bianca Jagger ... they all wore Celia.

Her greatest collaborator was her then husband, the late Ossie

Clark. Together, their designs defined a generation. Clark did the cuts; Birtwell the prints.

After her CBE for services to the fashion industry in 2011, it was half expected Celia would quietly retire, but now aged 80, the Lancashire-born artist still feels as relevant as ever. Her latest collection comes courtesy

of next, which has bagged Britain’s most iconic print designer for a striking new capsule range for 2022.

it goes without saying that the patterned fabric is beautiful, eye-catching and exciting, but the best bit is that it’s genuinely inclusive. every item in this 20-piece collection is available in sizes 622. And it’s one of the few collections on the High Street that will flatter everyone.

Birtwell’s prints decorate empire-line midi dresses, 1970s-inspired jumpsuits, wide-leg trousers and batwing blouses.

She said of her ex-husband’s designs that ‘the clothes Ossie made me were tailored, which worked because i was so rounded. My sketches are totally unmakeable, but Ossie had the genius of being able to create them in 3D. He knew about bosoms and bottoms in a way nobody has since’.

However, the influence of Ossie’s style of cutting is obvious in this collection. Just look at the contrast print midi-dress with its flattering deep V-neck, flutter sleeves and A-line skirt. Or the bold, red floral wrap dress with a tie-waist belt that pulls in beautifully at the waist. everything will easily carry through to spring, especially the black floral-print midi skirt and tiesleeve blouse, which look fabulous together but also work brilliantly as separates.

The tiered plisse midi dress in multicoloured ditsy daisy print, and the wideleg trousers with matching wrap top are versatile enough to work all year long.

it’s not often you can say that a grandmother of six has created one of the most sought-after collections of the season. But this year we’ll all be wearing Celia.