For Spring Summer 2023, Hayley Menzies escapes into an abundant and untouched world; free from human intervention and encroached only by our gentle gaze. A flashback to a forgotten time or the daydream of a better future, Hayley continues her long love affair with the wild with a collection centered around paradisiacal landscapes and flourishing creatures. It offers an escape into the extraordinary - a fantasy sparked, as always, by her vintage discoveries along London’s Portobello Road. Inspired by a 1980’s painting traditionally gifted after a safari in the Maasai Mara reserve, native animals wander blissfully in nature; relaxed, full of vitality and joy – a mood that extends to the effortless silhouettes on which they heavily feature.

Each piece celebrates craftmanship; keeping traditional handiwork and techniques alive to support artisanal communities. Even the most polished of party pieces are softened with organic references – wooden belts, rope details, hand-beading and intricate geometric embroidery. New developments arise in machine-embroidered cotton and richly-dyed jacquard tie dye, and an influx of easy day to evening shapes suited to the varied lifestyle of our refined rebels. This season’s explorers will uncover in-house illustrated prints alongside watercolours - painted by Hayley’s father, John - roaming on responsibly sourced fabrics. 

The namesake Memories of Utopia print showcases yellow-billed stork and birds hidden among bountiful flora and trees – the Marula tree and Baobab – whose figures are synonymous with the African skyline. Antelope lives unhunted, relieved to see cats appear only as the Tiger Splash print – featuring in the latest Icon knit and lurex silk jacquard, a highly-technical fabric that has emerged as a Menzies leitmotif. Denim continues its adventures, stalking new territory in inky dyes, bleached washes and fresh prints. Whether an everyday jersey top or a glittering evening gown, every piece is treated with the exactitude required to create the vintage of the future.

 

Want to read more about our commitment to creating the vintage of the future? Read all about Future Vintage here.