London Bridge, Silk Scarf Blouse, powder/frost
This scarf blouse is designed, printed and made in England. It is made of four silk scarf panels, carefully constructed to display Sabina's creations. It has simple cuffs and a simple collar band with concealed mother-of-pearl buttons. It has a loose and airy fit with pin-hem and French seams throughout . 100% silk. Ours is a size small, which will accommodate a wide variety of sizes. Dry clean only.
London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down,
London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady.
Build it up with iron bars, iron bars, iron bars,
Build it up with iron bars, my fair lady.
London Bridge is falling down: this sweet, familiar song makes light of dark rumors of its shaky foundation. In this design, Sabina calls upon the ancient tradition (still in existence) of the Freemen driving their sheep across the bridge. Gentle lambs with their soft, curly coat and long eyelashes are depicted on a crumbling plinth, looking like it will collapse at any moment. In the background London Bridge is actually falling down while freshly hatched ducklings take their changes by jumping into the river below. Despite the impending disaster the lambs’ big blue eyes and the bucolic beauty that distracts from the disaster surrounding them.
Every Sabina Savage design is hand illustrated, telling the story of the collection through the composition and details. The scarves are drawn in full, and the four corners of each scarf hold individual elements, ensuring the wearer will display a different feature however the scarf is folded. Each illustration takes around six weeks to complete.
Rhymes of London
Each verse paints a picture, soft and serene, but if you look closely there’s more to be seen.
Sabina Savage’s uses Mother Goose rhymes as the backdrop for her Spring 2025 collection. Developed for children, these rhymes gained mass popularity in the 19th century with their appeal blossoming into the Victorian era and beyond. Having said that, nursery rhymes are often based around historical events and there are often hidden meanings within their words, some with dark connotations.
In her research, Sabina was struct by the parallel between nursery rhymes and the visual representation of animals during this time - the innocent, docile imagery masked or smothered the true nature of animals. At the same time, domestic pets and women served similar functions in Victorian culture and iconography, being symbols of servitude, compliance and mildness. During this time both oppressed groups broke chains thanks to advances in natural science and women’s rights. Darwins scientific breakthroughs were challenging prior notions of the animal kingdom, while the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies was founded in 1897.
Sabina’s designs reflect Victorian England’s habit of putting tame animals on a pedestal, often infantilized or anthropomorphized. She literally puts them on a pedestal, seemingly serene and idealized. Look closer and you’ll see these plinths crumbling beneath them - they are unable to support the weight of these romantic expectations. Meanwhile, the melodic tones of nursery rhymes are a perfect analogy for Sabina’s designs: something beautiful and charming thinly veils a deep and serious message.
