This year’s International Women’s Day theme is "Give to Gain," which encourages a mindset of generosity to accelerate gender equality. Giving time, resources and knowledge creates opportunities for women to thrive, ultimately benefiting everyone. In support of this mission, our designer Maggie, has created an exclusive print for our Limited-Edition scarf with 100% of the retail price donated to The Herd Theatre, a children’s charity bringing theatre and arts opportunities to children and families who need it most.
CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is "Give to Gain," which encourages a mindset of generosity to accelerate gender equality. Giving time, resources and knowledge creates opportunities for women to thrive, ultimately benefiting everyone. In support of this mission, our designer Maggie, has created an exclusive print for our Limited-Edition scarf with 100% of the retail price donated to The Herd Theatre, a children’s charity bringing theatre and arts opportunities to children and families who need it most.
We spoke to Maggie to hear more about her influences, where she gets her inspiration and how she manages her creative process.
Inside the POETRY Print Studio with Maggie
Around this time of year, the seasons tend to overlap, so I’m often juggling a few things at once. Recently, we’ve been reviewing our Midwinter 2026 collection, which means going back into prints that already work and fine-tuning them - tweaking colours, adjusting layouts, and making those small changes that really elevate the final result. At the same time, I’m already starting research for Spring Summer 27, so I’m switching into summer mode and soaking up inspiration wherever I can. A trip to the London Art Fair with the design team is the perfect way to do that.
Most of my print inspiration comes from art and artists. Every season at POETRY tells a story, often inspired by a particular city and a specific artist or group of artists. While each story is unique, they all connect and sit naturally within the POETRY world. I also spend time looking back through our archive - sometimes ideas that didn’t quite make it into a collection before can be reworked into something new and exciting.
The design process
Although there’s no such thing as a “typical” day at POETRY and no two days are the same, the seasonal development always follows a similar rhythm. When we’re at the early stages of a collection, I spend a lot of time researching and experimenting. Once the print direction is set, I play with colour and layout, creating as many variations as possible - mostly in Photoshop - recolouring prints, blending layers, and pushing ideas as far as I can. I really value having time to experiment before editing and refining the final designs. I’m also constantly thinking about how a print will work: whether it’s better as a repeat or a placement, which fabric will suit it best, and how the colours and shapes will sit on the body.
The process from inspiration to finished print is quite layered. Each season starts with story boards and artist research, alongside exhibition visits and trade shows. We often buy artworks from design studios and adapt them - recolouring, reworking repeats, and adjusting layouts - so they fully fit the story and the POETRY aesthetic. I also revisit previous developments and archive pieces, as there are often beautiful ideas that just needed the right moment or a bit more refinement.
The finished print
Once the prints are finalised, I share them with the wider team, select a few key colourways, and assign each print to specific garments and fabrics. From there, things get more technical: preparing artworks for production, making sure everything is scaled correctly, and that the print works perfectly on the body. Then come samples and strike-offs, fine-tuning colours until they match the original standards exactly.
I find inspiration everywhere but particularly love exhibitions - not just the art itself, but the people too. I love noticing colour combinations, shapes, and techniques in art, and people-watching is just as inspiring, especially seeing how women style their outfits. And it’s always a joy to spot someone wearing POETRY while we’re out and about!
Around this time of year, the seasons tend to overlap, so I’m often juggling a few things at once. Recently, we’ve been reviewing our Midwinter 2026 collection, which means going back into prints that already work and fine-tuning them - tweaking colours, adjusting layouts, and making those small changes that really elevate the final result. At the same time, I’m already starting research for Spring Summer 27, so I’m switching into summer mode and soaking up inspiration wherever I can. A trip to the London Art Fair with the design team is the perfect way to do that.
Most of my print inspiration comes from art and artists. Every season at POETRY tells a story, often inspired by a particular city and a specific artist or group of artists. While each story is unique, they all connect and sit naturally within the POETRY world. I also spend time looking back through our archive - sometimes ideas that didn’t quite make it into a collection before can be reworked into something new and exciting.
The design process
Although there’s no such thing as a “typical” day at POETRY and no two days are the same, the seasonal development always follows a similar rhythm. When we’re at the early stages of a collection, I spend a lot of time researching and experimenting. Once the print direction is set, I play with colour and layout, creating as many variations as possible - mostly in Photoshop - recolouring prints, blending layers, and pushing ideas as far as I can. I really value having time to experiment before editing and refining the final designs. I’m also constantly thinking about how a print will work: whether it’s better as a repeat or a placement, which fabric will suit it best, and how the colours and shapes will sit on the body.
The process from inspiration to finished print is quite layered. Each season starts with story boards and artist research, alongside exhibition visits and trade shows. We often buy artworks from design studios and adapt them - recolouring, reworking repeats, and adjusting layouts - so they fully fit the story and the POETRY aesthetic. I also revisit previous developments and archive pieces, as there are often beautiful ideas that just needed the right moment or a bit more refinement.
The finished print
Once the prints are finalised, I share them with the wider team, select a few key colourways, and assign each print to specific garments and fabrics. From there, things get more technical: preparing artworks for production, making sure everything is scaled correctly, and that the print works perfectly on the body. Then come samples and strike-offs, fine-tuning colours until they match the original standards exactly.
I find inspiration everywhere but particularly love exhibitions - not just the art itself, but the people too. I love noticing colour combinations, shapes, and techniques in art, and people-watching is just as inspiring, especially seeing how women style their outfits. And it’s always a joy to spot someone wearing POETRY while we’re out and about!
We are delighted to work with historical silk printers Adamley Textiles once again, creating this special silk scarf in support of The Herd Theatre. Launching on International Women’s Day, it features a unique painterly abstract print created by Maggie, our print and textile designer. All proceeds from the sale of this scarf will go to The Herd Theatre, a children's charity bringing opportunities for joy, connection, and imagination to families who need it most. SHOP THE SILK SCARF
