We’re collaborating with the Natural History Museum once again on a brand-new collection of vintage-inspired designs that feature prints inspired by their incredible collections!

To celebrate the launch of our second NHM X Joanie collection, we’re going behind the scenes with our Freelance Designer, Jess, to explore the Museum’s archives and see first-hand some of the treasures that inspired the new prints.

Barbara Bird Print Button-Through Dress, Sharon Bird Print Oversized Shirt

Designed in collaboration with the team at the Natural History Museum, the new range takes inspiration from their extraordinary archival material. Jess designed many of the prints that feature in the new collection, and she was granted exclusive behind the scenes access to some of the treasures her prints are based on.

“The Joanie team and I had the amazing opportunity to spend some time behind the scenes with the archivists within the Museum’s incredible collections. We swooned over the original illustrations as the team talked to us about Margaret Bushby Lascelles Cockburn's work and her life.” 

Margaret Bushby Lascelles Cockburn was a keen naturalist and amateur ornithologist who lived in Kotagari, India, where she made paintings of the local birds and their eggs, flowers, and fruits of the surrounding area. 

Three bound volumes of her watercolours are preserved in the Natural History Museum’s collections, and Jess was able to look at one of the volumes that inspired our exotic bird print in person.

“Working with such beautiful archival illustrations was incredible. The NHM team photographed and digitalised the original plates - every minute detail is captured! I then selected my favourite birds and worked in Photoshop to create an all-over pattern. We worked really hard to capture all the detail and the vibrancy of colour in Margaret Bushby Lascelles Cockburn's work. It was really important to us that the colours and detail stayed true to the original illustrations.”

Being able to see the illustrations in person made Jess feel like the project had come full circle. Margaret Bushby Lascelles Cockburn’s volumes of watercolours were produced over 100 years ago, and while Jess had been working with digitised copies of the artwork, having access to the originals proved absolutely invaluable.

Natural History Museum X Joanie - Barbara Bird Print Button-Through Dress

“The illustrations date from the nineteenth century and have been so carefully and lovingly preserved by the Museum. To see the original plates after spending such a long time working with the digital versions was incredible. It's interesting to think what Margaret Bushby Lascelles Cockburn would think about her work appearing on clothing so many years later!”

Shop the Natural History X Joanie collection online now!