The Dreamiest of Collaborations with David Austin Roses

When I think of Summer and all the heady blooms that the season holds, undoubtably the one first and foremost in my mind is the classic, English garden rose - and no rose is more timeless, more elegant, or indeed more classically refined than the roses from the David Austin Roses Collection. This Summer I was beyond delighted to collaborate with David Austin Roses on a series of incredible shoots using their exquisite roses, which resulted in some of the most beautiful scenes that I’ve ever had a hand in creating. I’m delighted to share with you a sneak peek of our collaboration today!

With all roses provided by David Austin Roses, these dreamy collections were shot in Manchester, England, only a few hours away from the famous David Austin Rose Gardens in Albrighton, England. As ever, it was such a pleasure to collaborate with photographer Emma Pilkington, and on site my wonderful team worked alongside me to create a number of elegant sets - with some designs featuring classic, timeless elegance, whilst other scenes were laced with a hint of the contemporary.

You might be wondering which roses we were lucky enough to be gifted by David Austin Roses? Across the shoot we designed and styled the following four spectacular varieties:

‘Patience’ (Auspastor)

‘Juliet’ (Ausjameson)

‘Purity’ (Ausoblige) &

‘Leonora’ (Auswagsy)

Whilst I knew that the David Austin Roses would undoubtably be the stars of this show, when considering which blooms to pair alongside them I opted to keep the supporting cast light, seasonal and unashamedly romantic. I included seasonal favourites such as Orlaya Grandiflora and Helenium ‘Autumn Fire’ (I also snuck in a favourite : Amaranthus ‘Hot Biscuits’ for texture) and teamed these goodies with the scented Eucalyptus ‘Gunni’ and the luscious Physocarpus ‘Diabolo’ too.

Whilst steeped in a classic beauty, I find garden roses to be such a remarkably versatile flower to use, and across our shoots we created a plethora of both styles and designs - featuring tablescapes, bouquets, buttonholes and the most sensational gifting vases, packed full of blooms. The six images I can share with you today are truly just the very tip of the iceberg …

Over the coming weeks and months I can’t wait to share more with you from this most dreamy of collaborations!

Until next time!