Meet Mary Yonge, the Inspiration Behind Our Puzzle Weave Print
What if clothing could carry a story, not just of growth, but of creativity across centuries?
Patterns in Play is Petit Pli’s latest limited-edition collaboration with the V&A, celebrating the power of creativity, design, and culture. Each expandable garment in the collection features a print adapted from the museum’s archives, reimagined for LittleHumans to wear, play in, and grow with.
Among the three remarkable artists whose work inspired this collection, today we shine a light on our inspiration Mary Yonge (1908-2010) a textile designer whose bold mid‑century patterns brim with playful geometry and timeless charm.
Shot by Ana Margarita Flores
About Mary Yonge
Mary Yonge (1908–2010) worked for many years as a textile designer at Courtaulds, before becoming Head of Studio. Alongside her professional practice, she taught at the Central School of Arts and Design (later becoming Central Saint Martins), where she had once been a student herself. In the 1960s, Yonge began working freelance, selling her designs to leading companies such as Liberty & Co. and Edinburgh Weavers.
Known for her bold, playful patterns, she created textiles that invited a second look as shapes and colours that seemed to dance across the fabric.
Our Puzzle Weave print is inspired by this spirit: a pattern full of hidden details, designed to spark curiosity in little eyes and inspire discovery with every fold.
Hidden Print Amongst the Pleats
Look closely and you’ll find more than just patterns. Hidden within each fold is a playful spot-the-detail game that invites LittleHumans to look closer, discover more and see design as something alive and interactive. They can spot shapes, count patterns and call out the colours they see, turning the simple act of getting dressed into a moment of fun and quiet focus.
By bringing works from its archives into the folds of Petit Pli’s Clothes That Grow, we hope to spark moments of curiosity that ripple beyond the museum walls into homes, classrooms, and outdoor adventures.
Growing Into Design History
For Petit Pli, this collaboration is about more than prints on fabric. It’s about guiding families through design history in a way that feels tangible, joyful, and accessible.
The V&A celebrates design and creativity in all its forms. It was founded in London in 1852 to advance cultural knowledge, and inspire makers, creators and innovators everywhere through a diverse collection of objects from around the world.
Shot by Visit London - Official Visitors Guide
Petit Pli has always been about rethinking how design can serve people and planet. With Patterns in Play, we’re proud to collaborate with the V&A in celebrating creativity as a force that grows with us, shapes us, and connects generations.
Explore the Patterns in Play collection with your LittleHumans today in-store and online.
