Absence of Roses is a print synonymous with the Vivienne Westwood house, first seen as an illustrative rose motif in the Spring-Summer 1994 Gold Label Café Society collection. The Roses print was originally inspired by painter and botanist to Marie Antoinette, Pierre-Joseph Redouté and later seen as a silhouette print in the Absence of Roses iteration.

For the Cole & Son x Vivienne Westwood collection, the Absence of Roses print features the classic Cole & Son Moiré as its ground, giving the wallpaper a depth, movement and rich heritage associated with that of a Westwood gown. Moiré, a design still within the Cole & Son portfolio today, was created by the design house’s founder to fill the need for wallpaper that replicated the appearance of silk wallcoverings. With this he was at the forefront of innovation developing the design using crushed pearl pigments, known as mica, to simulate the lustre of silk. The resulting combination of the two prints is a romantic wallpaper that envelops whatever room it adorns in a silk jacquard-like effect.

Colourings of Pewter and Brass reference the moodier sensibilities of the Vivienne Westwood house, as well as the pure Silk White of the bridal couture they have come to be synonymous with.