Bonnie Ashley from Bonnie and Neil
Melbourne-based duo Bonnie and Neil’s new summer vibes collection, ‘Goldie’, is just in time for picnics in the park. Bonnie Ashley tells all about their processes and inspirations.
Words: Emma-Kate Wilson | Photography: Stephanie Rooney and Christopher Miles
Napkins and serveware from the ‘Goldie’ collection by Bonnie and Neil. Photo: Stephanie Rooney. Styling: Karina van de Pol
Cushions and throws from the ‘Goldie’ collection by Bonnie and Neil. Photo: Christopher Miles. Styling: Jessica Hanson
H&F: We love the new designs—perfect for a summer of picnics! How did the 'Goldie' collection come together? What were your inspirations?
Bonnie: Nostalgia has really inspired us this season through patterns reminiscent of classic beach house styling. Goldie centres around vintage-inspired designs, including petite meadow florals, abundant fruit prints, hand-drawn patterns, and classic beach stripes, all evocative of summers gone by. The past 18 months have been a challenging time for everyone, so we really wanted to tap into that carefree summer feeling when designing, producing, and styling the collection.
Our new season colour palette celebrates the long days and warm nights of summer by introducing sage green, golden yellow, petal pink and chocolate brown complemented by sunset hues and earthy tones.
Can you talk us through some of the themes and objects you've designed and made for the collection?
Layering linen, placemats and cutlery in contrasting patterns and materials is one of our favourite trends, so we wanted to extend our tabletop offering beyond linens and allow customers to complete the dining experience through the introduction of hand-woven cotton and abaca placemats, ornate serveware and delicate handmade glassware.
What are some of your favourite pieces in the collection, and why?
The new quilted throw featuring our Dandelion pattern in sage and our new side table in khaki are stand out pieces for me. I have always loved vintage quilts, so our new throw design is an interpretation of that concept, and I try to use green in our own home as it is such a calming, tranquil colour, especially if – and we do – you have a lot of pattern and colour as well!
Tableware from the ‘Goldie’ collection by Bonnie and Neil. Photo: Stephanie Rooney. Styling: Karina van de Pol
“When designing our tableware range, we were thinking of the ‘golden hour’ just before sunset, when it’s the perfect time to pour a tasty cocktail, fire up the barbecue, and set the table for a delicious feast. ”
Cushions from the ‘Goldie’ collection by Bonnie and Neil. Photo: Christopher Miles. Styling: Jessica Hanson
Cushions and quilted throws from the ‘Goldie’ collection by Bonnie and Neil. Photo: Christopher Miles. Styling: Jessica Hanson
“I’m constantly collecting inspiration; whether it’s from botanical gardens we’ve visited, magazines I have read or beautiful fabric on a vintage dress I’ve found. ”
Tableware from the ‘Goldie’ collection by Bonnie and Neil. Photo: Stephanie Rooney. Styling: Karina van de Pol
Can you tell us about your process, from initial ideas to final products?
The process for each new collection is very organic and starts long before the collection itself is realised. I’m constantly collecting inspiration; whether it's from botanical gardens we’ve visited, magazines I have read or beautiful fabric on a vintage dress I’ve found. Fashion, architecture, and nature are regular sources of inspiration for me. Historically our designs were created using a combination of photography and artwork collages, but these days most of our designs are my own original paintings and hand drawings that have been repurposed for screen printing.
When reproducing these artworks, we use an intuitive approach that involves a combination of traditional screen-printing methods paired with unique applications that we have developed over the years. We create each colour for each collection from scratch, hand mixing the inks ourselves.
What does a typical day look like for you?
No two days are the same, but my day always begins with a coffee and taking our dogs for a walk. I am an early bird, so I like to arrive at the studio early to cover emails and administrative tasks, like reviewing our production schedule, before the team arrives.
We are a small team, and so much can change in our business daily, which means it is important that everyone is across the pressure points and wins. I like to check in with the team throughout the week to ensure we are all working towards the same goals.
When I am designing a new collection, I take time away from the studio so I can focus on it; however, there is always a creative aspect to my daily work – whether its creating or refining new samples, working on pieces for collaborative projects or thinking about brand elements like packaging design.
We’ve recently started working with international artisans on new and different products for our customers, so I spend time working on specifications for suppliers for designing new products as well as testing and trialling samples and the logistical side of these imported items.
Do you have any advice for emerging designers?
To trust your instinct! As a business owner (and a creative person) starting out, it can be tempting to second guess your approach, but you must have the confidence to believe in your own ability.
What is something surprising that your audience might not know about you?
When I was 13, I landed an after-school job at a local florist in New Zealand, which was around the same time I discovered I had a love and talent for art. I ended up being employed as a part-time florist when I was both a student and throughout my working career. This industry experience gave me a greater appreciation for flowers and foliage. I learned skills that I still use today for floral composition when painting and creating displays within our own photoshoots and events.
How important is it to you that your products are 'Australian-made'?
While we continue to hand-make many of our linen products at our Melbourne studio, our business has been continually growing, so we have had to think differently about our manufacturing processes.
Over the past 18 months, we’ve been sourcing and working with specialist artisans overseas who can bring some of our new ideas to life, like our hand-woven placemats and napkins, which are created using a traditional weaving technique from the Ilocos region in the Philippines, and unique sculptural terracotta ceramics that are wood fired.
We’ve been screen printing and making products in Australia since 2010 – it is still the heart and soul of what we do – so we are very passionate about it!
Tableware from the ‘Goldie’ collection by Bonnie and Neil. Photo: Stephanie Rooney. Styling: Karina van de Pol
Tableware from the ‘Goldie’ collection by Bonnie and Neil. Photo: Stephanie Rooney. Styling: Karina van de Pol