A Victorian Kew

Rachel is a surface pattern designer, and owner of Textiles by Rachel, a paper products and freelance design brand. Rachel is passionate about pattern, print, colour, and florals and loves anything handcrafted. She created the brand Textiles by Rachel, selling thoughtfully handmade paper products, to brighten customers homes and share her love of supporting small businesses.

A Victorian Kew is the title of Rachel’s Final Major Project, inspired by Kew Gardens in London along with the handmade aesthetic of the 19th century Arts and Crafts movement. Designed for the high-street stationery and gifting market, the collection is highly trend-led and commercial whilst providing an original feel through its hand-crafted nature. The prints feature on a range of exciting, innovative products from unique desk accessories to thoughtful greetings cards and decoratively embellished cushions.

Florals, foliage, fruits, and nature provide the main inspiration for the collection, along with Victorian ceramic ornaments and the Kew Palace building. The Victorian Palm House structure at Kew features heavily in the print designs, combining beautiful delicate florals with thoughtful, contemporary geometrics in a series of cohesive and coordinating designs.

All of the prints, patterns and illustrations began as hand-painted gouache designs, reflecting the handmade, thoughtful, and unique nature of the collection. Artisanal, traditional, and specialised, Rachel’s painting process is creative and considered, from colour mixing to individual brush strokes. This traditional skill forms the unique selling point of her brand Textiles by Rachel, by offering a distinctive and eye-catching style that spreads joy and happiness.