The Royal Horticultural Society Flower Show is back! Which can mean only one thing…Chelsea in Bloom!!!

To celebrate a centenary of dedication to glorious gardening in Britain, the theme set for retailers in the Chelsea area is ‘Decades’. As Victoria is a flower child of the sixties, we’ve chosen this swinging era to reflect our ‘Make Cashmere Not War’ motto; a blooming good display, we think!

Last year, with your help, we won first place in the ‘Peoples Champion Awards’ for the best visual display commemorating the Queen’s diamond jubilee, and we’d like to do the same for this year.

As we’re celebrating 20 years of Brora cashmere, it would mean so much to us if you went online here and voted for us – let’s make 2013 Brora’s year!

Jersey in summer is nice, but a Liberty for Brora bit of jersey is an entirely different matter…that’s just plain fabulous!

Made from a viscose blend, our soft jersey dresses, tops and skirts have that unique ability to look casual and relaxed with an ‘easy, but chic’ feel. Add a decorative Liberty floral design and our superior eye for colour, and you have yourself a range of sensationally stylish and unfussy sunshine looks!

Although, if you’re looking to make an impact with cool jersey this summer, we recommend our Liberty print knot dress; which fashions a feminine empire shape, enhanced by the attractive knotted detailing and pleats, highlighting a smaller waist.

Alternatively, if you’re less impressed by a dress, look no further than our Liberty print jersey harems. Über trendy, yet calmed by the jersey fabric, these harems are an ideal choice for showcasing this season.

And don’t forget our jersey basics, which are not only great summer styling pieces, but also handy layering items throughout the seasons!

“My first Brora blanket. Got it on my trip to UK at Covent Garden. Love it for its bright color… Hugs from Jakarta, Indonesia ❤ “

Even in the exotic lands of Indonesia you’ll find a lady lounging besides her lambswool blanket! This time we’ve found Nunik Satriyo.

Both pets and humans alike can’t resist the lure of the lambswool, but we think Nunik looks fab! The colour-way even matches her outfit perfectly – good choice!

For both lambswool and cashmere blankets, click here.

I imagined it as the-morning-after-the night-before – a woman, on an empty English beach at dawn, walking home with her shoes in her hands…smudgy eye makeup and tousled hair with a cotton sweater slung over a party dress… that kind of vibe.

The Lost Weekend is a collection of vintage inspired pieces that conjure up pin up girls with a bit of old fashioned British irreverence thrown into the mix.

I have always loved the shapes and patterns of  the1940′s and 50′s and wanted to create clothes that were a modern love letter to that era. First inspired by a Cecil Beaton illustration, The Lost Weekend began as a colour palette, with tones that were soft and washed out, like a blowsy English garden after the rain.  I created a mood board with swatches and photographs; Emily Lloyd, cheeky on a bicycle in “Wish You Were Here”, Marilyn Monroe laughing and windswept in a chunky oversized cardigan on a California beach, Brigitte Bardot, fresh out of the sea, in the ultimate shirt dress from And God Created Woman.

There was Jean Seberg; elfin and smiling over The New York times, Corinne Day pictures of a teenage Kate Moss with feathers in her hair, and Tim Walker‘s iconic shoot of a summer festival. All contributed to the mood I wanted to capture; something  sweet and nostalgic, effortless and easy to wear, and above all, celebrating summer.

Founder and creative director at Brora since 1993, Victoria Stapleton is the original cashmere queen. Through an immense love of scenic country colours, and a passion for rich Scottish textiles, Victoria created a luxury British brand dedicated to U.K manufacturing, unrivaled quality cashmere and classic clothing for the entire family.

I didn’t realise I would feel quite so emotional about our 20th anniversary; even now, as four weeks have passed, I’m truly moved by all that the business has accomplished. Looking back to that Friday 1st March, as I arrived at the Symons street flagship store to be welcomed by lovely 20th birthday windows, balloons, flowers, prosecco and delightful party cakes; it felt like the day we first opened again!

There were lots of lovely customers flicking through the rails of our bright new collection, chatting, happy, all ages. Mothers with toddlers, husbands with wives, customers with tales of their first ever Brora purchase, old and young eager to find a gem to buy with the contribution of their £20 for 20 years vouchers. I met a customer from Melbourne, a lady from Brussels and another from Argentina!

I’d like to say a very special thank you to all of the birthday bloggers who took part in celebrating this momentous occasion. The time they’ve put in, as well as the wonderful thought behind each and every post is amazing, and the relationships made are truly valued!

It has been such a great 20 years and I in turn would like to further thank all our wonderful suppliers and my brilliant Brora gang who make it all happen! I’ve received emails and calls from work colleagues congratulating me on this moment, from manufacturers I’ve worked with for as many years and other people in similar businesses, all wishing Brora well. And most importantly, thank you to you the customers! I appreciate you joining us in celebrating twenty wonderful years of Brora…here’s to another twenty!

- Victoria