Celia Birtwell

Synopsis

Celia Birtwell is one of Britain's best-known, best-loved designers. She is an iconic figure on the global arts scene. This lavish, multi-layered book - the first to be published on Celia - delves into her work and eventful life. The book conjures up all the personal warmth and visual intricacy of a family scrapbook: it features intimate photographs of Celia, her family and friends from her own albums and archive, her drawings, her charmingly idiosyncratic, fashion sketches and a multitude of examples of her fashion and home fabrics. Her bohemian lifestyle in the 60s and 70s, which saw her hanging out with such colourful personalities as Manolo Blahnik, the Beatles, Mick and Bianca Jagger and Paloma Picasso, is brought to life through stylish photographs from the time. Her ongoing relationship with Hockney both as friend and muse, is illustrated by his personal photographs, drawings and paintings of her, including the sketches that led to Mr & Mrs Clark and Percy, recently voted one of the nation's favourite paintings. Celia's renaissance in the Noughties has seen two sell-out collections of frocks for TopShop as well as a plethora of her prints on a wide variety of items.