Birtwell

Celia (1941). English fabric designer, born in Bury. She married the clothing designer Ossie Clark and for him she creates romantic and exotic prints that match the bohemian style of his Collections. She has highly skilled artisans do the handwork, using the most refined fabric. The pieces are expensive and unique, and adored by the Chelsea Set who are fans of the new hippy styles but very demanding as to quality. The couple were immortalized by David Hockney in the portrait titled “The Clarks with Percy The Cat” dated 1970-71. The British market is again interested in Birtwell. The costume makers and set designers for the Harry Potter film go to her shop in Notting Hill for the fabrics with stars, animals, and flowers needed for the little wizard’s cape, and, of course, for the interior décor.
The “21st Century Retro Fever” that overwhelms the United Kingdom convinces Cacharel to have her design the fabrics for the Spring 2002 Collection. The designer is back at work, collaborating with the husband-and-wife team Clements-Ribeiro. Their style is classic: chiffon in florals with designs done by hand, and fabrics for the home in silk, velvet, linen and cotton, in a naive style.
Toward the end of the second year of working with Cacharel, the Victoria and Albert Museum honors Ossie Clark and Celia Birtwell with a large exhibit that brings together drawings, photographs, and sixty articles of clothing from the period 1965-1974.