City Scenesters

Luella Bartley has long been obsessed with the idea of equestrianism, hunting and sloanes getting squiffy: not for no reason was her first collection of pussy-cat bow blouses and puffed-sleeve boy-cut shirts titled “Daddy, I Want a Pony”. Her designs, described by Bartley as “pony-club punk”, bring these themes into the realm of the modern city dweller. Putting a rock edge on the country classics, Bartley’s signature is combining these senses of British tradition with the 'wrong' reference, from customized graffiti-adorned riding boots to twisted Liberty-print tea frocks, fluoro cashmere cardigans to boxy bags adorned with all the trappings of the tack-box.

Bartley’s designs are part of a trend towards the introduction of the Country look to a cooler audience, with designers re-imagining and re-interpreting traditionally class-ridden garments for a wider public.