Celia Birtwell, formerly wife of 1960’s/70’s designer Ossie Clark told me about those artistic years. “When I came to London’s Portobello Road in the 60s, I discovered that the ‘youth generation’ was just beginning, and all sorts of like-minded people were thinking that a new wave of creativity was possible -they were very exciting times,’ Celia said, explaining her changing role as theatre designer and then a portfolio of her textile work. “I re-met Ossie whilst he was at the Royal College, and we discovered that with my fantasy-styled sketchbook drawings and his incredible technical drawings and pattern-cutting skills, we made a brilliant team,” says Celia. “It caught the zeitgeist amongst young people wanting to escape the strictures of the post- It caught the zeitgeist amongst young people wanting to escape the strictures of the post-war generation.” The work of Ossie Clark will be on display with that of Celia Birtwell in Italy this autumn in Prato Textile Museum and then in Milan with Fondazione Sozzani.