When Two Designers Collaborate

Collaboration isn't always easy. Especially when it comes to design. There are instincts, ownership - and the very real discomfort of drawing on someone else’s work. But when it is graceful, when there’s trust, it becomes something rare: creative freedom, shared.

This recent project - a ballerina-inspired collection for the waitstaff of a Michelin-starred restaurant - was just that.

Collaboration process

The concept? Think airy silhouettes, layered sheers, a quiet elegant kind of drama.

Claire Tilroe led the garment research and translated ideas into line drawings with fabric suggestions. A clean, smart foundation. Then, with her full consent and open mind, I stepped in - adding a layer of colour, rhythm, and shape emphasis.

Collaboration process

Was it strange to sketch over someone else’s work? Yes. At first.

But it didn’t feel like an intrusion. Because we had built the project side-by-side from the start. And when Claire told me I had brought her drawings to life - I knew we had done something wonderful. Real collaboration. No tiptoeing. No competition. Just one idea, sharpened by two hands.

- Veronika