Step back in time to this hidden gem in the backstreets of Newtown. Morrison Polkinghorne weaves his magic on his 18th century french looms. His designs can be as simple as jute tassles or as fanciful as elaborate braids. When I visited him he was working on the restoration of the passementeries for a vintage Rolls Royce, but don’t be shy to make an appointment and go and visit for any of your fringing needs. His workshop is a dream, as is he.

By appointment only.

When I travel, I come home with a colour palette and scent for each place I visit – not just a bundle of souvenirs! I have memories of sitting cross-legged on tatami mats in Kurokawa, eating fiddlehead ferns and listening to the river, fresh from the hot springs surrounded by a mix of rice flower, rain and fire scents. Through my books I translate colour palettes and styling arrangements from my travel inspirations, but have never been able to communicate one of the most important senses, one that transports you back to your globetrotting experiences or makes you dream of future holidays: smell. With these soaps you can close your eyes and think of being surrounded by a new place, new people and things to do, in any part of the world.

I spent a day with my soap maker Rebekah at Wagner’s Free Institute of Science in Philadelphia. We smelt and compared fragrances in the upstairs museum, for the most part we were the only guests and left to our own devices. The room was large, full of glass topped scientific counters and large cabinets displaying Wagner’s wanderkummer, a very appropriate place for researching & perfecting a new creation.

Let the scents carry to you to adventures across the globe: listening to desert sounds smelling basmati rice, jasmine and coriander through the sandy lanes of Jodhpur; a blend of coffee & spice fragrances, cardamom and damask rose wafting from the souks in Damascus; roadtripping along the windy Amalfi Coast with a breeze of ocean and beach, dead sea salts and lemon; bike riding past Mexico City brightly coloured street vendors smelling tomato leaf, geranium, lime and spearmint on a sunny, summer day; and of course, Kurokawa.

All soaps are naturally coloured and pressed, cut into the shape of hearty shields and come inside a linen bag with their place of origin attached. Pick a place that brings you good memories, or the next one to explore!

I’m in the States launching Bowerbird, my new book. Can’t wait to see you there!!