Fashion is taking its cue from autumn colours as our fashion shoot with York boutique Maude & Tommy proves

Pictures: Mike Nowill

AUTUMN brings with it some of the loveliest colours of the year. From vivid oranges and deep reds to tarnished greens, deep plums and brilliant golds, Mother Nature works its magic without fail.

How lovely it is to see these colours on the catwalk – and shop floor too.

Autumn fashion is full of earthy, yet vivid and saturated colours. And the new collections at York independent boutique Maude & Tommy are a prime example.

We've teamed up with the Grape Lane shop and local photographer Mike Nowill to share with you some of the stand-out pieces for the new season.

Owner Anne McCrickard has chosen a mixture of statement print items supported by mix and match basics.

She said: “We always aim to give York shoppers something stylishly different.

“Our brands have ethical roots but what really brings people back again and again is clever cutting, gorgeous textiles – and an ability to build your collection over the years, knowing you can throw these items together in creative ways.

"Plus they’re no flash in the pan; we don’t buy anything gimmicky that’s going to date easily.

“Having said that, we were interested to see tweed as a major trend for this coming winter, which means a wider return to the kinds of traditional, high quality fabrics we always stock.

“Colour is always important at Maude & Tommy. One of our biggest stories of the season is an autumnal palette, with rich golds, deep reds and mossy dark greens leading the way.”

Maude & Tommy is all about putting the ethics back into fashion, but not at the expense of style or sheer gorgeousness.

Here Anne gives a low-down on some of her favourite brands stocked by Maude & Tommy for autumn/winter:

Eribé:

Established in 1986, Eribé is a knitwear design house and manufacturer based in the Scottish borders. Described as a 'cottage industry gone global', Eribé has an avid fan-base around the world.

Design-led knitwear that puts a contemporary twist on traditional Scottish knitwear, their knitwear designers are specialists in their field and especially in the heritage knitting technique Fairisle.

The sustainable products are crafted from quality natural yarns, mixing patterns, colours and yarns together in an innovative way to create unique knitwear.

Bianco Levrin:

Inspirational designers Riccardo & My An – creators of Italian label Bianco Levrin – love to travel and explore different cultures, collecting and sourcing patterns, colours, textures and design along their way.

Their collections of clothing and accessories are popular for their distinctive range of dresses and separates, plus hand-crafted detail.

Nila Rubia:

Nila Rubia is a family-run business actively involved in supporting small cottage industries in Rajasthan India. The garments are lovingly created and often involve vegetable dyeing, hand blocking and kantha embroidery, keeping traditional arts and crafts alive.