Orlebar Brown collaborates with florist Phil John Perry

Men surrounded by flowers on their heads and chests

(Image credit: Press)

Orlebar Brown marks the release of its floral new men’s collection, titled Wild Garden, with a heady collaboration with florist and designer Phil John Perry. It kicks off the brand’s Wild Garden Sensory Series of artist collaborations – each reinterpreting the clothing collection through one of the five senses.

Perry takes an olfactory focus, and brings the vibrancy of lush summer gardens to life with colourful and fragrant headdresses and accessories. The tactile sensuality of the new clothing collection, crafted from airy linen, cotton-silk and organic cotton, is reflected in Perry’s verdant designs.

‘For me, it was the sensory aspect of Wild Garden, and that it was menswear, that made me really excited,’ he says. ‘Nature inspires most of my work. The ability nature has to adapt and transport us away from the mundane fascinates me. My creative process began with seeing a “wild garden” as an ethereal destination to be created, a place to escape to after a long period where no one could travel. I wanted to use imagery, florals, moving image, and Orlebar Brown's prints as a medium to create a wild garden destination.’

Man in patterned red flower shirt wearing a red flowers headdress

Man in yellow shirt wearing a large flower crown

Perry shares a love of bold design with the brand, and his creations cut a dramatic silhouette: ‘The Eden print in the collection really resonated with me, and making a modern paradise via my designs and direction was what I wanted for the photoshoot. I saw the models as Eden's inhabitants, so the floral wear needed to appear as if it had grown on them. Like if they had sat down in a garden for too long, the flowers and plants would have taken them over. This, combined with the backdrop, truly created the sense of being elsewhere.’

Orlebar Brown founder Adam Brown was keen to bring the escapist sense of a tropical garden to life: ‘Just like the perfect holiday, wild gardens are joyful, colourful, romantic and sensual, so we worked with some talented creators to bring these sensory qualities to our campaign in unexpected ways. We decided to work with Phil John Perry because he has a wildly creative mind and uses flowers to whisk you away to dream-like places. His work is beautiful, unexpected and filled with emotion.’

Sketch — Inspiration sketch by Phil John Perry

Two men wearing flowered patterned clothing and a large flower crown on a London street

INFORMATION
orlebarbrown.com
philjohnperry.com

Hannah Silver is the Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*. Since joining in 2019, she has overseen offbeat art trends and conducted in-depth profiles, as well as writing and commissioning extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury. She enjoys travelling, visiting artists' studios and viewing exhibitions around the world, and has interviewed artists and designers including Maggi Hambling, William Kentridge, Jonathan Anderson, Chantal Joffe, Lubaina Himid, Tilda Swinton and Mickalene Thomas.