The designer behind most of our prints in the FW 2020 collection is an oil painter turned fabrics designer and mother of 2 Megan Martin. She runs a design studio called At The Cottage Studio, where after 15 years of oil painting, Megan began designing children’s fabrics in 2017. It all started when she couldn’t find any sweet & gentle prints to use in her son’s nursery and decided to take matters into her own hands (quite literally). A few short years later, here we are…

We’re always excited to work with independent artists, to support mothers and their unique creative spirits and this is a very special collection indeed!

“I draw most days while my children play. The sketches that come to permanently live in my mind are the ones that develop further as I rock my sleepless babies in the middle of the night. I solve a lot of design problems while I’m half asleep in the rocking chair with a baby snuggled on my chest.”

Meganʼs creations are designed with a calm mood in mind, but to also engage childrenʼs imaginations in a magical way.
“I consider my sons in all of my designs, for example, The Whimsical Whales design is one that I created especially for them. I wanted the illustration of the whales to have a sense of adventure and at the same time serenity.”

As a former art therapist, Megan’s practice of self-discovery and expression through the creation of art is intertwined with her design process as an artist.
“When I'm really nervous to share a new design, I know that I’ve left a part of myself in it! At times when I really dig deep into self-discovery through the creation of illustrations and prints, it can feel a bit revealing to share finished products at first.”

The Flower Child prints were inspired by Megan’s childhood, by her life in Northern Michigan and the many long summer days she spent running through fields and star gazing at night.
“The watercolor flowers are roses I grew in my own garden. For me, planting seeds and watching them bloom into flowers is such a magical process. I wanted to capture that sense of wonder from my childhood and nature in this illustration.”

When designing this collection, we knew there was a good reason we were instinctively drawn to her work!

“I have been on a journey to simplify lately. I’m trying to practice not overdoing everything and letting life have space to breathe. It’s good to let go of a little control sometimes so that the kids have time to wonder and dream.”

We do hope every time you pick up a carrier and rock your baby to sleep in it, you take that chance, the time and space to wonder and dream!