The Natural History Museum has announced an agreement with high street fashion brand Oasis, through which the partners have developed a unique new womenswear collection. This collaboration marks a major milestone for the Natural History Museum’s licensing campaign: it is the Museum’s first-ever licensed women’s fashion collection.

Called Wild and Wonderful, the Natural History Museum x Oasis collection is inspired by the work of some of history’s most celebrated naturalists. Adapting glorious illustrations from artists who made a significant contribution to our understanding of the natural world in a contemporary fashion collection, the range is an inspiring celebration of human accomplishments in natural history exploration. It is also astonishingly beautiful.

The graphics that have provided the designs have been inspired by a wide variety of illustrations, many of which are housed within the Museum’s rare books library. The Wild and Wonderful theme is brought to life through ingenious and striking use of centuries-old paintings and illustrations of plants, flowers and the insect world to produce unique, and uniquely attractive, designs.

The Natural History Museum x Oasis womenswear 34-piece collection features dresses, shorts, tops, skirts and accessories including bags and footwear. It was made available in-store and online from 20th May 2018. A small selection from the range will also be available at the Museum’s Cranbourne Boutique. The collection is accompanied by bespoke branded carrier bags and swing tags in-store featuring artwork from the collection. Each of Oasis’ stores (including concessions) will feature the collection, and 86 of the brand’s UK stand-alone stores will be showcasing the range in their windows.

To support this major event, Oasis held a PR launch within the Museum’s Images of Nature gallery in late April. At the event, Oasis hosted an exclusive invite-only private dinner in the gallery for fashion journalists, stylists and influencers, providing them with an exclusive preview of the new collection. The night, like the collection, was themed, consisted of floral-based cocktails, a floral-themed dinner and a flower-pressing workshop.

Leading high street fashion brand Oasis is renowned for spreading print, colour and happiness through unique design details, exclusive prints and boutique-like styles to customers worldwide.

Oasis Design Director Clive Reeve comments: “Collaborating with the Natural History Museum has been a fantastic opportunity. Our in-house design team were able to take inspiration from the vast archive and bring the wild floral landscapes, complete with bug and butterfly-filled prints, to life in this fabulous collection.”

Maxine Lister, Senior Licensing Manager, Natural History Museum, says: “The triumph of the thoughtful design direction that underpins this collection is to adapt many materials that date back centuries, and celebrate their timeless appeal within a contemporary context. The Wild and Wonderful collection is both an inspiring representation of so many of our greatest naturalists and a uniquely beautiful womenswear offering.”