A west Dorset fashion label has proved its tailor-made for success at a prestigious industry award ceremony.
From My Mother’s Garden won British Brand of the Year at the Boutique Magazine Star Awards held at the glitzy Mayfair Hotel in London.
The business, set up by Penny Callaghan at the beginning of the pandemic, specialises in ‘wearable art’ with colourful designs and environmentally responsible fabrics.
The Boutique Magazine Star Awards celebrate boutique fashion and the many small businesses involved in both manufacturing and retailing.
The award was open to all UK-based fashion and accessory brands flying the flag for British design.
A panel of industry experts compiled a short-list for the hotly contested category before assessing the finalists and announcing the winner.
Penny said: “I couldn’t be more delighted as there were some other very worthy and well-established fashion brands in the category.
“For such a young label to win this, was quite honestly very unexpected. A lot of my customers have loved the range because it has struck a chord with them and they enjoy the joy of the range.”
Boutique Magazine’s editor, Gemma Ward, said: “The winning brand really stood out because the concept of its product range is both strong and unique. We felt the brand’s entry demonstrated impressive growth since its launch and that there was a lot of scope for expansion, both within the product range and overall business itself.”
From My Mother’s Garden is inspired by Penny’s Mother’s garden in Uplyme, near Lyme Regis, and a strong mother-daughter relationship.
The name stems from when Penny’s mum, Mary, asked her to take photos of her ‘small but very beautiful’ garden.
Penny said she ‘immediately’ thought the imagery would ‘look stunning on fabric’ and so the project was born.
Many of the prints are based on the garden and then digitally printed onto different fabrics using sustainable techniques.
The other nominees in the category included Pomodoro, Chalk UK, Luella, Miss Milly and The Bamboo Wardrobe.
From My Mother’s Garden can be purchased at selected boutiques and gifts shops or is available at Penny Callaghan’s own shop Colmers Hill Fashion near the Symondsbury Estate.
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