THE CHARLESTON FARMHOUSE
The amazing work of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant

Charleston is a truly magical place, full of art, absolutely interesting, and sometimes peculiar, tales. For his Spring-Summer 2023 collection, Kim Jones, creative director of French fashion house Dior, allowed himself to be carried away by the creativity of the Bloomsbury group to create a truly unique collection full of artistic content.

The visit to Charleston was surprising. This farmhouse, nestled in the Sussex countryside in England, is an unusual museum for artistic content. Virginia Woolf’s sister Vanessa Bell and her partner Duncan Grant lived there for several years during the First and Second World War, making it their permanent residence. They used to invite groups of writers, painters and artists of the time, making the Charleston Farmhouse a meeting point for the Bloomsbury group. Vanessa and Grant would spend their days painting every single free surface they could find – the kitchen tables, the walls, the doors, right down to the bathtub. Transforming Charleston into a proper museum and unique creative project. Entering every single room, one breathes freedom, creativity and the desire to fully express one’s uniqueness. Being non-conformists like Vanessa and Grant couldn’t have been easy, but they managed – through their creativity – to live to the fullest in a world opposed to war. Kim Jones has masterfully captured and reinterpreted the essence of the Bloomsbury group, bringing some of Grant’s paintings into the collection on jumpers. If you want to breathe in an air of freedom of expression and creativity, a visit to the Charleston Farmhouse in Sussex is a must on your trip to England.

Charleston is a truly magical place, full of art, absolutely interesting, and sometimes peculiar, tales. For his Spring-Summer 2023 collection, Kim Jones, creative director of French fashion house Dior, allowed himself to be carried away by the creativity of the Bloomsbury group to create a truly unique collection full of artistic content.