About Rory

 

Rory Hutton


ABOUT RORY HUTTON

Rory Hutton is an award-winning accessory designer, printmaker, and historian based in Cambridge. Drawing inspiration from diverse fields such as architecture, theatre, opera, and dance, Rory creates collections of luxury silk scarves that feature vibrant lino cuts and bold block designs. These pieces reflect his passion for beauty and creative flair.

Since 2018, Rory has designed over 100 silk scarves for some of the UK’s most prestigious arts and heritage institutions, including the Royal Opera House, The Royal Collection, the British Museum, Westminster Abbey, and the Victoria & Albert Museum. Each design responds to their collections, performances, and exhibitions.

Rory enjoys reinterpreting historical themes with a contemporary twist. Many of his favourite historical and literary figures—such as Louis XIV, Madame de Pompadour, Marie Antoinette, Queen Elizabeth I, Vita Sackville-West, William Shakespeare and Noël Coward—have inspired his scarves.

His collections include scarves, shawls, ties, pocket squares, and bow ties. Rory’s prints have been licensed by museums and galleries for ranges of complementary products, including tote bags, ceramics, stationery, greetings cards, and soap.

Rory's work has been featured in prominent publications such as Tatler, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, House & Garden, Country Life, Homes & Antiques, The Irish Times, Men’s Health, Savile Row Style Magazine, Attitude, and Time Out (London).

AWARDS

In the January 2023 issue of The English Home, Rory Hutton was recognized with a New Year Honour in the category of 'Rising Stars.' He is also a Scottish Edge winner, an Ion Magazine Breakthrough Awards winner, a runner-up in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, and has been nominated for the ACE (Association of Cultural Enterprises) Awards.

CHARITY WORK

Rory has collaborated with several charities, including the Art Fund, for which he designed rewards for the crowdfunding campaign ‘Conserve Canaletto,’ and the Hands Up Foundation for Syria. Currently, he is embarking on a fundraising campaign in partnership with Pushkin House to support humanitarian work and creatives in Ukraine.

MAJOR COMMISSIONS AND PROJECTS

2024

  • British Museum: Scarf for the exhibition Legion: Life in the Roman Army.
  • Highgrove: Collection of silk scarves inspired by their wildflower meadow for the Chelsea Flower Show.
  • Royal Opera House: Scarf inspired by Puccini’s Tosca.
  • William Morris Gallery: Collection of silk accessories and stationery for the exhibition William Morris & Art from the Islamic World.

2023

  • First solo show titled Gardening in Linocut at Shapero Modern.
  • Royal Opera House: Scarf to mark Maria Callas’s centenary.
  • Highgrove, The National Portrait Gallery, and Westminster Abbey: Silk scarves to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III.
  • Collaboration with Nara Cambridge to design a table linen collection.

2022

  • 1623 First Folio Collection stocked by the National Theatre, Royal Opera House, Westminster Abbey, and British Museum.
  • The Prince’s Foundation: Christmas cards for Highgrove House and Dumfries House.
  • Westminster Abbey: Queen Elizabeth II commemorative scarf.
  • Kew Gardens: Scarf inspired by the Victorian Lily House.
  • Kettle’s Yard: Series of prints inspired by brown furniture for use on scarves, wrapping paper, and stationery.
  • British Museum: Scarf for the exhibition Feminine Power: The Divine to the Demonic.
  • Pushkin House: Notebooks and greetings cards to raise funds for Ukrainian cultural workers and their families.
  • The Burrell Collection: Range of scarves, bow ties, ties, tote bags, and stationery inspired by the museum’s collection of Iznik ceramics.
  • British Museum: Silk scarf for the exhibition The World of Stonehenge.
  • Westminster Abbey: Platinum Jubilee-themed scarf.
  • The Royal Collection: Range inspired by Japanese decorative arts for Arts for Japan: Courts and Culture at The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace.
  • Guildhall Art Gallery: Products for the Inspired! exhibition, including stationery and tote bags.
  • Nominated for ACE Awards, Best Supplier Initiative.

2021

  • The Royal Collection: Series of prints inspired by royal animals for dog beds and pet accessories, in collaboration with Buckingham Palace.
  • Victoria & Albert Museum: Scarf inspired by the exhibition Fabergé in London: Romance to Revolution.
  • Compton Verney: Range of prints inspired by Capability Brown landscapes, used for various products including scarves and homeware.
  • The French Porcelain Society: Scarf to mark the 300th anniversary of Madame de Pompadour's birth.
  • Designed Christmas cards for The Royal Opera House, The Whitworth Art Gallery, and the Hands Up Foundation.

2020

  • Limited edition art print for Charleston to raise funds for the house during the pandemic.
  • The Royal Opera House: Collection of scarves for the production of Madama Butterfly.
  • Appointed ambassador of The Hands Up Foundation and designed a charity Christmas card to raise funds for medical centers and schools in Syria and Lebanon.
  • The Noel Coward Foundation: Designed merchandise for the Noel Coward Art & Style exhibition at Guildhall Art Gallery.

2019

  • The British Museum: Scarves inspired by the exhibition I am Ashurbanipal, I am King of the World.
  • The Royal Ballet: Collection of six scarves to commemorate Dame Margot Fonteyn’s centenary.
  • Westminster Abbey: Range of scarves inspired by the Abbey’s architecture and the tomb of Queen Elizabeth I.
  • The Wallace Collection: Marie Antoinette scarf.
  • The British Museum: Scarves inspired by the exhibition Troy; Myth and Reality.
  • The Royal Collection: Scottish-themed scarves stocked at The Palace of Holyrood House.

2018

  • The British Museum: Range of silk scarves inspired by the Rodin and the Art of Ancient Greece exhibition.
  • The Royal Opera House: Ranges of fashion accessories and stationery inspired by Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and Wagner’s Ring Cycle.
  • The Art Fund: Designed rewards for the ‘Conserve Canaletto’ crowdfunding campaign.
  • The Wallace Collection: Range of scarves and ties inspired by Louis XIV and the museum's gold box collection.

2017

  • Presented an accessories collection at London Fashion Week’s Official Showroom.
  • Awarded Designer of the Year at the Ion Magazine Breakthrough Awards.
  • Creative Entrepreneur of the Year Runner-Up, Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

2016

  • Registered Rory Hutton Ltd.
  • Designed a collection of bow ties and pocket squares for Brown Thomas in Dublin.
  • Scottish Edge winner, Young Category (under 30), awarded a £10,000 business grant.

2013

  • Designed a collection of Irish linen bow ties stocked at Fortnum & Mason in London and Brown Thomas in Dublin.

Education

First Class Honours Degree in Fashion Design
Limerick School of Art and Design, Limerick, Ireland
2005 – 2009

MA in Design History and Material Culture
The National College of Art and Design, Dublin, Ireland
2014 – 2015