Reader Peter O. dropped a line with some remarkable back story to one of our Winter 2014 pocket squares. The square was illustrated by an artist and musician named Edwyn Collins. Collins (who was a member of the influential post-punk group Orange Juice, known for their hit Rip It Up) had a stroke in 2005, leaving his motor skills severely compromised.
When his doctor learned Collins was an illustrator and artist, he recommend an unusual therapy: that each day he sketch a bird. The fabric is the result of this process, with the earliest illustrations being rough-hewn, and the more recent ones growing finer and finer as Collins’ health improved.
An impressive story.
Honestly, I picked it because it was so beautiful.