About

TOAST collaborates with one of the UK’s last remaining rush weavers, Felicity Irons of Rush Matters. The Bedfordshire-based artisan has created a large installation, reminiscent of a woodland den, in the TOAST London, Notting Hill shop.

Felicity’s structure displays the intricacies of her craft, with techniques that can be traced back to Anglo-Saxon England. She has created a structure made from hazel featuring rush cordage plaited with herbs and flowers. Inside the installation, the floor is strewn with pieces of rush, meadow grasses and herbs as well as dried orange peel, a technique traditionally to create floor coverings in the Middle Ages.

For 30 years, Felicity has woven freshwater rush for her independent business, Rush Matters, providing flooring for several National Trust locations and props for TV shows. She harvests the crop from a punt on the River Ouse before transforming it into unique baskets, tableware and furniture at her workshop, a converted cart hovel in rural Bedfordshire. Throughout the process, Felicity demonstrates a deep respect for the material and its rich history, leaving it undyed to highlight its natural imperfections and textures rather than conceal them. The rush is initially a soft green shade, but over time it mellows into a warm honey tone.

Expressing themes explored in the TOAST Spring/Summer collection, Outdoor Pursuits, the installation captures the nostalgia of long, lazy summers spent braiding grass and communally connecting to nature.