Instead of the typical scavenger hunt or usual pub quiz, our Design team had a different idea for a team-building day. In a west London studio, surrounded by tables of wild flowers and thistly twigs, they tried cyanotype for the first time. Which then unexpectedly inspired a whole new collection. We sat down with the team to chat about when work away days turn into creative hot beds.

“We were at this lovely studio and we were just trying cyanotype as an experiment,” Jo, Senior Designer, describes. “We didn’t plan for it to inspire our new collection. It happened really organically.”

Cyanotype is one of the earliest photographic techniques. “You paint a piece of paper with a white-y, yellow solution and then place foliage and flowers on top, and you sandwich that in between a glass sheet,” Liv, Print Assistant Designer, explains.

“You then put it under UV light then dip it in a solution that turns it blue. Everything that was exposed to the light is blue, and anything hidden by the foliage stays white.” The result? A striking picture in Prussian blue and white, with a level of detail that’s like a photograph. But with an ethereal, otherworldly, painterly feel.

The team were inspired by other things at the time that visually looked similar to cyanotype. “There were a few Japanese exhibitions on,” Lizzie, Assistant Designer, says, “that were really inspiring us. Japanese paintings, watercolours. Blue tones with highlights of lime. And on the catwalk, we were seeing an almost cyanotype print.”

“We had been wanting to take florals in a new direction,” Liv adds. And that’s what they did. The team scanned the cyanotype artworks into the computer and tweaked the colours, layering the patterns, trialling big placements and little leaves and thistles crawling up from hems and shoulders.

“We found that laser printing looked amazing on denim,” Liv says. “Something we’d never done before.” Instead of printing on top of the denim, lasering involves removing the dye, like bleaching it, which worked very well for etching on the cyanotype prints with the different blue tones. “When we saw the sample, we just approved it straight away,” Francine, Junior Designer, recalls with a smile.

“When we were researching, wide leg trousers were absolutely everywhere,” Francine says. “Denim can be quite rigid so I love how we made these trousers really soft and drapey. We added pleats and a lovely little double, kind of floating belt detail.”

The team have a bible of all the trims and details they add to the products to make them feel more unique, more White Stuff. “I’ve never worked anywhere where it’s so detailed,” Francine explains. “Like in the back waist of trousers, we'll do a little triple pop collar stitching and every thread is a different colour. It really elevates it.”

“When designing a jumper, we start by thinking about how it’s going to be worn,” Jo says, pulling a jumper in zesty lime, pinks and purples off the rail. “We wanted to try a multi-coloured knit, so experimented with the yarns. And added a bit of femininity with the puff sleeve. And it’s a set-in sleeve to give it a more tailored fit, so that it can sit neatly under a jacket.”

“It’s the joy of using colour that makes me love designing for White Stuff,” Jo says, as she twizzles a dress.

“And I love that everything White Stuff does is bespoke by the print team,” Liv adds. “We don’t buy our prints, we design them in-house.” Like this collection. Something that started as team-building exercise that then became a rail full of new denim, plush knits and floaty dresses.

“I don't think you ever get bored of seeing someone in the street wearing something that you've helped design,” Jo says.

“I agree.” Liv smiles. “I was at Chelsea Flower Show and I kept pointing out to my family all the White Stuff dresses. We’ve poured our heart into designing something. So it's a lovely feeling when you see someone wearing it.”

Shop everything Jo, Liv, Lizzie and Francine have designed below. And head to Instagram to see more from our wonderful team.