Vintage British homeware firm Cath Kidston blooms

LONDON (AFP) ― The world of Cath Kidston is instantly identifiable, full of bright colors, cheerful prints and nostalgia for an imagined English way of life ― and has made the homeware company one of Britain‘s global success stories.

A cult following for the vintage-themed bags, clothes and kitchenware, particularly in Asia, helped the company break through the 100 million pound ($155 million) sales barrier this year for the first time.

It is a milestone for the brand as it celebrates 20 years since Kidston, an interior designer with connections to the English aristocracy, opened a “glorified junk shop” in west London.

There are now 118 Cath Kidston stores, more than half of them outside Britain. It’s a particular hit in Japan where there are more than 30 stores, while there are a dozen in South Korea and the company has plans to boost its presence in China and expand into Singapore and Indonesia.

“They love the Britishness of the brand ― the quirky, quintessential British nature of us. They love the practical nature of our product,” chief executive Kenny Wilson told AFP.

“And like customers around the world, they just love the distinctiveness of our print design.”

Kidston was a pioneer of vintage style, and stocked her first shop with second-hand items that she transformed using updated English heritage designs.

Her first creation was an ironing board cover in what became a signature rose print, and the 1,000-strong product line now includes everything from tea cups to towels.

They are decorated with hand-drawn designs of flowers, spots and strawberries, as well as cowboys, jolly seascapes, London buses and Buckingham Palace guards.

“Our signature look is colorful, cheerful, witty, but never too fussy, too pretty or too twee,” she has wrote in a book marking the 20th anniversary.

The image Cath Kidston projects of England, of country house kitchens and rose-filled gardens, bears no resemblance to most Britons‘ lives ― but that is part of the appeal.

The company was one of the first to cash in on the desire for “glamping,” or glamorous camping, offering floral print tents, gumboots, umbrellas for style-conscious festival-goers.