When Historic Textiles Become Contemporary Icons

Throughout its history, Watts 1874 has cultivated a close relationship with the world of fashion, where exceptional craftsmanship, heritage and artistic vision naturally come together.

Created by visionary Victorian architects who believed that beauty should be seen in every aspect of life, the house has always understood that decorative textiles extend far beyond interiors. They are living expressions of culture, craftsmanship and creativity.

Today, the remarkable Watts 1874 living archive continues to inspire some of the world's most influential fashion designers, milliners and heritage brands. From bespoke tailoring to couture accessories and contemporary ready-to-wear, its historic designs demonstrate an extraordinary ability to transcend their original purpose while remaining unmistakably timeless.

Swaine: A Celebration of British Craftsmanship

One of the most emblematic expressions of this relationship between interiors and fashion is Watts 1874's collaboration with Swaine, uniting two of Britain's most distinguished heritage houses in a celebration of craftsmanship, creativity and timeless elegance.

Born from a chance encounter in the heart of London, the partnership brings together Watts 1874 and Swaine, the legendary house that has championed British craftsmanship in leather goods, umbrellas and hats for more than 275 years.

Handmade in Swaine's Mayfair workshop, the limited-edition collection of smoking hats reinterprets one of Britain's most elegant accessories through four richly decorative archival textiles selected from the Watts 1874 collection. Crafted using sumptuous Montepulciano and Constantinople velvets and lined with luxurious silk taffeta, each piece reflects the extraordinary decorative richness that defines both houses.

Balancing heritage with contemporary expression, the collection embodies a shared philosophy: preserving traditional craftsmanship while creating exceptional accessories for modern collectors. More than a collaboration, it represents the encounter of two living legacies, where architectural heritage, artisanal excellence and refined British style continue to inspire new generations.

Stephen Jones Millinery: Works of Art

Photo courtesy of Polly Holiday for World of Interiors 

The versatility of the Watts 1874 archive has also captivated legendary British milliner Stephen Jones, internationally celebrated for transforming the hat into a true work of art.

For an editorial commission by The World of Interiors, Stephen Jones selected Hampstead Verdure, one of Watts 1874's most atmospheric botanical designs, to create an exuberant couture hat that blurred the boundaries between fashion, decoration and sculpture. Rich with cascading foliage and inspired by seventeenth-century verdure tapestries, the textile became an expressive three-dimensional composition, demonstrating how historic furnishing fabrics can be reimagined as wearable works of art.

The collaboration perfectly illustrates the long lasting relevance of Watts 1874's living archive, where centuries-old decorative narratives continue to inspire the most inventive voices in contemporary fashion.

JW Anderson & Harry Styles: Bowood Damask Takes Centre Stage

©JW Anderson

Most recently, Watts 1874 reached an international audience when JW Anderson's team selected the house's celebrated Bowood Damask in Rose Madder for a bespoke floral jacket.

Styled by renowned creative director Harry Lambert and worn by Harry Styles during his Together, Together Tour at London's Wembley Stadium, the custom-made jacket transformed one of Watts 1874's most iconic nineteenth-century damasks into a bold contemporary silhouette.

Appearing before tens of thousands of spectators during one of the tour's headline performances, the look perfectly demonstrated how an archival decorative textile can be reinterpreted through modern tailoring while maintaining its historical character. The botanical elegance and richly layered ornament of Bowood Damask found a new expression on stage, illustrating the remarkable versatility of the Watts 1874 living archive.

The collaboration also reflects Jonathan Anderson's celebrated ability to reinterpret heritage and historic craftsmanship through an uncompromising contemporary lens, perfect for modern fashion.

Undercover: Historic Decoration Meets Avant-Garde Fashion

Another striking example of Watts 1874's influence on contemporary fashion is the adoption of Isla Lipstick Blue by the pioneering Japanese fashion house Undercover.

Renowned for blending craftsmanship with conceptual design, Jun Takahashi's label selected the historic textile for its richly decorative character and graphic sophistication, transforming a furnishing fabric into an expressive fashion statement.

Within Undercover's distinctive aesthetic, the intricate pattern acquired an entirely new dimension, proving that historical ornament possesses a certain relevance that transcends both time and discipline.

The collaboration demonstrates the remarkable adaptability of the Watts 1874 archive, where designs originally conceived for interiors become powerful materials for contemporary fashion on the catwalk without losing their decorative integrity.

New & Lingwood: Dressing the Modern Gentleman

Photo courtesy of New & Lingwood

The relationship between Watts 1874 and fashion also extends into the world of classic British menswear.

For New & Lingwood, the historic Jermyn Street outfitter renowned for dressing generations of discerning gentlemen, Watts 1874 developed an elegant dressing gown celebrating the richness of British decorative tradition. The piece gained international attention when it was worn by acclaimed American ballet dancer James Whiteside during the 2024 Met Gala in New York.

Combining impeccable tailoring with one of Watts 1874's richly patterned archival textiles, the dressing gown offered a sophisticated interpretation of evening elegance, demonstrating that decorative fabrics traditionally associated with interiors possess an equally compelling presence within luxury menswear.

Its appearance on one of fashion's most closely watched red carpets further confirmed the growing influence of Watts 1874 beyond the world of interior decoration, bringing the house's historic craftsmanship to an entirely new global audience.

A Living Archive with a Sense of Style

Whether interpreted by JW Anderson, Stephen Jones, Undercover, Swaine or New & Lingwood, Watts 1874's archive continues to prove that exceptional design has endless creative reinterpretation.

Created over more than 150 years and highly involved in architecture, the decorative arts and artisanal craftsmanship, these historic textiles possess a timeless quality that allows them to move effortlessly between interiors and fashion. Each collaboration reveals a new interpretation while remaining faithful to the spirit of the original designs and to the values of the founders.

Far from belonging solely to history, the Watts 1874 archive continues to evolve through the creativity of today's most influential designers, confirming its place beyond the world of decoration and as a source of inspiration for fashion.

Written by Laure de Dampierre, edited by Louisa Wates.