My design starting point is always the same, season after season - I start with my customer. When will she wear it, how will she wear it and what’s the occasion? And when I say ‘occasion’, that doesn’t necessarily mean ‘special occasion, it can mean ‘every-day’. That’s actually something I’m quite precious about - creating designs that work across moments - so from day to night, whatever you have planned (or not!)

I actually think with the right accessories any of my designs can be ‘jewelled-up’ or ‘trainer-ed down’, and that makes me happy that I can say that. It feels like I’ve done my job. What I can tell you is that on my recent trip to Kenya with the family, my daughter Lily and I both lived in our Elsie dresses. In printed cotton poplin, it is crisp and cool for daytime and the v neck detail has a lovely smart look for the evening (again, with the right jewels!)

As many of you know, I launched knitwear last season for Autumn/Winter. I’m so pleased to say that it went down a treat. With our notorious British summers, the need for a jumper is year-round, so I thought why not launch a lighter weight cotton knit? I’m hopeful that the navy will become a true favourite and I’m also hoping it will fade deliciously over the years to give that wonderfully lived in look. I wanted a cheerful jumper in the mix so you’ll see the red and pink stripe too. I’m not sure why but the colours really do just make me smile.

I’m excited about the amount of newness we have in the collection this year! As much as I’d like to, I can’t talk about them all. So if I have to pick, I’ll tell you about two new pieces - The Poet Trousers and The Poet Shirt. Of course these can be worn in many different ways across the collection, but there’s something exciting about them paired up as a coord. I can see lots of my customers owning this look! I wanted to do an outfit that was a little more edgy, yet still flattering and easy to wear. I actually designed this style with my daughter and I couldn’t be happier with the results. I hope you love it too and can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

My coat dress has changed a little this season. I decided that a nehru collar would suit the style better and I think I’m right. When I was designing this dress, I envisaged it would be worn open as a coat and to be layered over something - jeans and a t-shirt, or with our matching Palazzos. I hear that lots of you wear yours as a dress. Either way, the small design edits have really pushed this style. Long and glamorous, it can work wonderfully as a summer wedding look too.

I wanted to develop a garment which I could see myself gardening in on a hot summer’s day but which also allowed me to feel good about myself if a friend unexpectedly popped over for lunch. The Jumpsuit was born from this simple idea. I really thought about the details - something that would allow me to get a little bit of sun on my arms and back, yet could also accommodate a T-shirt underneath if I wanted to cover up a little. I didn’t want my bra on display and I can’t bear it when the straps keep slipping down. And of course I needed big pockets for a note pad, the secateurs or a phone (and they just keep getting bigger)! I’m happy with the end result and I do think I’ll struggle to extract myself from my Jumpsuit this summer.

I wanted to say that you’ll now find some new fabrics in the collection - notably cheesecloth, which I adore. I truly hope you’ll share my love for the various styles across dresses, trousers and tops. From the embroidered detail on the Lyra dress to the pull on easy to wear Culottes, cheesecloth must be one of the easiest fabrics to wear. It shouts holidays and warmer weather - I just hope we get lots of that this season. I’ve got everything crossed.