Justifiably one of the most popular designers of recent years, Mary Gregory launched her diffusion range at the start of 1997; it carries all the hallmarks of her style but at a more affordable price than the main line. For the season ahead, Gregory has taken her inspiration from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Hand-painted details here include designs of ivy leaves and eucalyptus applied to fabrics such as chiffon and velvet, combined with a cupro/rayon and lace. White has always been one of Gregory's favourite colours and it plays a strong part in the spring/summer range, as does foliage green and hydrangea blue. Some pieces have been made using fabric dyed using natural plant extracts. V-neck and sloping neckline details are found on easy, fluid shapes with the overall silhouette based on the theme of stone statuary in Shakespeare's verse. But there is a contemporary quality to the designer's bias-cut dresses combined with unstructured overgarments.