Building on her 2023 dahlia collaboration with Kim Murray, the online retailer and expert gardener Sarah Raven launches, The Collective, which brings together trendsetters recognised for pushing boundaries in their respective fields.
The Collective features hand-selected products from five influential UK figures in fashion, floristry, and design, each also passionate about gardening. Working closely with Raven, Cath Kidston MBE, Shane Connolly, Savannah Miller, Milli Proust and Willow Crossley, combined their distinctive style and favourite flowers to create their respective collections. The Collective features a broad spectrum of styles. From Savannah Miller’s elegant wedding-inspired blooms to Cath Kidston MBE’s bold, nostalgic patterns and Willow Crossley’s seasonal, wild arrangements.
“The Collective has been a really fun and exciting project over the last year. I thoroughly enjoyed working with friends old and new to select dahlia collections that reflect each person’s way of gathering beautiful things together. Nature and the garden are the great inspirers, and as big-time dahlia fans, these five impressive people have all brought their own take to what a dahlia collection can do,” explained Sarah Raven.
Cath Kidston
Milli Proust, florist and flower grower has focused her collection on a soft, romantic-coloured palette drawing inspiration from her work in wedding floristry. Proust commented: “I wanted to build a collection that would work well on its own and pair equally well with late summer annuals. Smoky watermelon, peach, and raspberry tones have been the colours I’ve been drawn to, they bring a playful yet romantic quality to the garden and vase.”
Shane Connolly, sustainable floral designer and florist to the King said: “I am passionate about single dahlias. To me they look interesting and ‘historical’ as they’re more like the original dahlias discovered by Anders Dahl in the 18th Century. I also like that bees and insects find them more accommodating than the deeply petalled hybrids we’re accustomed to nowadays. Single dahlias look so much more garden-like than cultivated and speak of a different, simpler time, somehow managing to be both subtle and impactful at once. This is especially the case for the mouth-watering jewel-box colours I’ve chosen for this collection.”
The Collective will be available exclusively from Sarah Raven from today, the 6th January 2025.