Howe x Flax London

We've collaborated with bespoke furniture maker and antiques dealer, Christopher Howe, to create four totally unique Patchwork Railway Jackets, using a collection of 150+ year old dowry linens sourced from antique markets in France and Belgium.

These very special linens are all hand dyed by Howe at 36 Bourne Street – the textile and leather arm of the Howe furniture business - giving them a non-uniform, dappled colouring that really accentuates the unique texture of the antique, handwoven fabrics.

People often talk about the durability of linen, but we wanted to showcase it in a really tangible way. Something that shows the inherent value and beauty in the ageing process when the right materials and techniques are used to create a product.

This collaboration is an extension of a phenomenon we already see in our clothing. The lifespan of a Original Fibres piece as a bell curve, where items get better with wear rather than suffering a steady decline from their first day in use. Linen, and particularly the iterations of the fabric we use, blossom into their wear, softening in structure and taking on an amazing patina that reflects how they’ve been worn.

These totally bespoke jackets turned out even better than we'd hoped. Just one per size: S, M, L, and XL.