new to aw24 is the shepherd tunic and shepherd dress, this style features a hand-smocked bodice, a large collar and roomy patch pockets. shepherd dresses and tunics are inspired by agricultural smocks — the idea was sparked after alison discovered a beautiful ancient shepherd smock shirt at a brighton car boot sale. it was so delicately intricate yet strong and enduring. we carefully made a pattern; it took many toiles and adjustments to turn the stiff, wonderful inspiration into something comfortable, wearable and beautiful.

we have two lengths — the shepherd dress and the shepherd tunic. the tunic falls just above the knee while the dress sits at the calf. we also have a variety of fabrics and colours, including silk cotton satin, striped cotton shirting and cotton poplin in black, white, navy, orange and grey.

hannah did many smocking tests on the various fabrics, wanting to create something that would produce an a-line gathered skirt. the car boot shepherd's smock which inspired us is made in an incredibly heavy linen, while we chose to work with an array of silk cotton satins, cotton poplins and cotton shirting — fabrics that behave very differently when smocked. hannah experimented with pairing different coloured embroidery threads with different fabrics: stucco brown silk cotton satin paired with lilac thread, elephant skin grey satin paired with brown, orange stripe with pale grey, and worn-out black cotton poplin with a navy thread.

there was a slight production issue with our black shepherd tunics, but we really love the way they turned out regardless.

this wonderful vintage-inspired dress has a very square pattern and is drawn into an a-line shape by the smocking. there are gathers at the sleeve cuffs, pearl button fastenings, and large welt pockets which are hugely practical.

both the shepherd dresses and tunics are really beautiful worn with trousers underneath, or with thick woolly tights to keep warm this winter. shop the shepherd collection or explore sula clothing.