The Secret Garden: Finding Joy in the Everyday

The story behind our new hand block printed organic cotton sleepwear collection.

I've always had a bit of a fascination with Indian miniature paintings. Whenever I come accross them on my travels, I spend ages looking at them, discovering all the tiny details, the extraordinary colours, the beautiful textiles and the stories that seem to be unfolding within them.

When I came across a series of paintings depicting women in the private quarters of Mughal palaces, something about them really stayed with me.

These were women spending time together, dressing, resting, chatting, surrounded by the most beautiful gardens, flowers and fabrics. I loved the idea that, within these grand palaces, there were spaces dedicated to simply being away from the outside world.

And it got me thinking about how much we all need a bit of that in our own lives.

I don't know about you, but I'm forever trying to carve out a little time for myself. Between running a business, family life and all the usual things that seem to fill every spare minute, it doesn't always happen!

Obviously, a private palace garden would be rather lovely, but I think there's something we can take from those paintings, even in our very different lives today.

That was really the starting point for The Secret Garden, our new sleepwear collection.

The little things that make us happy

I'm a great believer in rituals, particularly the small everyday ones.

I love a long, warm bath, especially at this time of year, followed by putting on a beautiful pair of soft cotton pyjamas. There's something about that feeling of being freshly bathed, wrapped up in lovely fabric and knowing you don't have to go anywhere else that evening.

And I love colour. Always have. Even the things we wear when nobody else is looking should make us feel good, shouldn't they?

It's the same with all those little things we surround ourselves with. A pretty wash bag for your favourite skincare, a lovely robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door, a favourite cup for your morning tea.

None of it is particularly grand, but I do think these things make a difference.

We talk a lot about self-care these days, and sometimes it can feel like yet another thing we're supposed to find time for. Personally, I think it's much simpler than that. It's about enjoying the small things that are already part of our day and perhaps making a little more of them.

That feeling has always been at the heart of our Dilli Grey sleepwear. I want it to be something you genuinely look forward to putting on, not just something you wear to bed.

A garden full of colour and print

Of course, the paintings were also an absolute treasure trove of inspiration for the collection itself.

I was particularly drawn to the gardens, the intricate floral borders, the trailing flowers and the wonderful combinations of colour. There is so much to look at, and I love how beautifully the textiles and the gardens seem to sit together.

Working with our artisans in Jaipur, we've taken some of those ideas and developed them into our own collection of hand block printed fabrics.

There are delicate little mogra flowers, traditional floral buta motifs and flowing jaal prints. These are all patterns with a long history in Indian textiles, but I love finding ways to make them feel relevant to how we dress and live today.

And the colours! We've had such fun putting these together.

**** moodboard

Beautiful dusty blues with soft pinks, fresh jade greens mixed with peach, and those delicious pomegranate shades that I always find myself coming back to.

I don't particularly subscribe to the idea that winter has to mean wearing darker colours. Sometimes a gorgeous print is exactly what you need on a grey November morning.

Everything is hand block printed using traditional techniques, which is something I'm incredibly passionate about preserving. I love that you can see the hand of the maker in the fabric. It has a character that you just don't get from something mass-produced.

After more than a decade of working with artisans in India, that still gives me such pleasure.

Beautiful things for ordinary days

We've brought back some of your favourite sleepwear shapes for this collection, along with a few new ones that I'm particularly excited about.

Our classic organic cotton pyjamas are back in new prints, and we've introduced a rather lovely ruffle pyjama set and matching robe. There are new versions of our smocked nighties, which I know so many of you love, and our quilted cotton robes have returned in some gorgeous colour combinations.

I've always felt that nightwear should be every bit as considered as the clothes we wear out of the house.

Comfort is obviously important, which is why we use beautifully soft, breathable organic cotton, but I also want those lovely details that make something feel special. A pretty collar, a little ruffle, beautiful smocking or a print that makes you smile.

And really, why should we save our favourite things for special occasions?

I'm all for making an ordinary Tuesday evening feel a bit more lovely.

A gift of time, in a way

With Christmas approaching, I've also been thinking about how lovely it is to give someone something that encourages them to take a little time for themselves.

A beautiful pair of cotton pyjamas, a quilted robe to wrap up in on chilly mornings, or a pretty wash bag filled with a few favourite things.

I love giving presents that feel personal, things that someone might not necessarily buy for themselves but will enjoy using again and again.

And perhaps that's what I connected with most when I first saw those miniature paintings.

Those women had their gardens and beautiful private spaces. We might have a favourite armchair, a bathroom with a lock on the door (if we're lucky!) or simply half an hour at the end of the day when everyone else has gone to bed.

Whatever that looks like, I think it's worth making a little time for it.

I hope you love The Secret Garden as much as I've loved creating it.

With love,

Vickie x

Explore The Secret Garden Collection

Discover our new collection of hand block printed organic cotton pyjamas, nighties and robes, designed in London and made with care in Jaipur.