I'm always impressed by Emmy Design Sweden's collections; they're consistently rooted in the past and yet still feel timely and fresh every season. This spring/summer collection titled "Homebound Holiday" has a vaguely Edwardian feel with snappy waistcoats in bright colors, pristine dresses and skirts in crisp cotton and linen, and as always their classic knitwear. Edwardian walking costumes seem to be a point of inspiration (walking was considered one of the best forms of exercise in this era and people would have walking and hiking holidays) but re-created in bright colors for a more modern look. I love old black and white photographs from the early 1900s of women in their walking suits and dresses out hiking on famous landmarks with big walking sticks and I was tempted to try to make a modern version of that with some of Emmy Design's new pieces, but in the end I settled on an outfit that is more "me." I took their Swirling Sundress and layered it with a blouse for a more pinafore-style look and brought along their peach Susie Q cardigan for our cooler evenings. Still an appropriate look for walking about although I might need to opt for more practical shoes if I want to hike!
I couldn't resist making a quick collage featuring Emmy Design's new collection side-by-side with Edwardian photographs and illustrations. There's also a 1940s look to some of the new pieces in Emmy's collection, but I'm convinced a number of the pieces were modeled after vintage styles like these--which is what I've always said I love about Emmy Design: they're inspired by practical vintage garments. So many of their collections are based off of workwear or in this case outdoor/active clothing, so the clothes are still made in a style that feels wearable for every day rather than special occasions. You can definitely tell I've been wearing my clothes since there's so many wrinkles! The light lingers until so late that I've been taking my pictures later and later in the day which does mean occasionally looking a bit more "lived in."
One of my favorite sights in spring is the rapeseed fields. When we drive around our region we're often surrounding by rolling green hills with fields dotted with sheep--then suddenly amongst the green will be this vivid flash of brilliant yellow. They're so striking especially on a sunny day and draw your eye immediately. The flower is actually a crop (rapeseed makes a cooking oil), so you always have to have a farmer's permission before entering these fields or be following a public path--although even in those places you should stick to the path to avoid trampling flowers. We've gone to a few awkward lengths to get permission from knocking on stranger's doors to chasing tractors! It's always so wonderful to walk down the tractor lanes between all these yellow flowers.
CONVERSATION