With his passion for exotic patterns and vibrant colours, Matthew Williamson often finds inspiration in far-flung places. But the award-winning designer’s favourite piece in his new homeware collection for John Lewis – a mirror surrounded by glossy red twigs – was dreamed up right on his doorstep.
“It was inspired by my six-year-old daughter,” he says. “She keeps bringing home sticks after school, from a tiny little twig up to a massive log, and everything in between. So I thought it’d be quite sweet to do something along those lines, and I absolutely love it.”
The beauty of nature features throughout the 90-piece collection, with florals, feathers and butterflies adorning everything from bedding, ceiling lights and pouffes to towels, throws and lamps. “A lot of my work is derived from exotic destinations, and there’s a few in there – I couldn’t resist a cheeky monkey cushion – but for the most part it’s inspired by the outdoors in England,” say Matthew. “It was designed during the pandemic, so it just felt appropriate to look at the nature outside our front door, whether that’s a hedgerow, a walk in a meadow, or the stars in the sky at night.”
Yet for the former fashion designer, taking the English countryside as a starting point didn’t mean compromising on his trademark rich colours – which are particularly welcome after such a gloomy couple of years. “Brighter tones and vivid saturated colours spark joy and lift the spirits,” he explains. “Colour can really affect your mood, and it affects those around you: if you go in a room in a red dress, you’re going to get a very different reaction to going in the same room in a grey trouser suit. So I take that fashion theory into interiors and think yes, you can have a white duvet, but why not sleep under jewel-toned peacock fronds once in a while?
“Whatever I’m designing, whether it’s a dress, or a sofa, or a wallpaper, my ethos has always been how can I make this product feel joyful? How can I make the purchaser feel better for having it?”
He credits this positivity to his mum, who’s as keen on colour as he is. “As a kid, I remember her as the peacock in the room. She’d wear the bright colours, the lipstick and the nail varnish; people would compliment her, and she felt better. So that’s been ingrained in me since childhood – to offer something that’s going to give that morale boost, even if it’s just a subliminal pleasure.”
Originally from Manchester, Matthew launched his first collection at London Fashion Week in 1996, and his designs were worn by everyone from Sienna Miller to the Duchess of Cambridge until he quit fashion to concentrate on interiors in 2018. Why the move? “Fashion is so cyclical – it’s four collections a year, then repeat – and I was getting bored of the routine. And interiors was always in me anyway,” he adds. “It wasn’t like a jump off a cliff into becoming a mechanic! When I’m doing interiors, I’m dressing a home, just not a person. And there are lots of similarities: I see the lamps as accessories – they’re like the jewellery to the room.”
The new collection is available in stores and at johnlewis.com with prices from £16 to £250, and Matthew hopes everyone will feel cheered by the bright, bold hues. “Imagine putting that chic red twig mirror in a space that’s barren of colour, or a monkey cushion on a sofa that’s really dull and plain,” he says. “I guarantee it will lift the space and do good things.”
An edited version of this interview featured in Waitrose Weekend in March 2022 (c) Waitrose