Why We're Launching a New Collection of Artist-Designed Muslins
By Emily Orlik, Founder of NINA
Since becoming parents to Finn in the summer of 2024, we've discovered that muslins seem to migrate into every room of the house.
There's one in the changing bag, one draped over the buggy, one tucked beside the cot, and somehow another permanently living on the sofa. They quickly become one of the most-used items in family life.
As we found ourselves reaching for muslins countless times a day, it reinforced something we'd always believed at NINA: practical baby essentials can also be beautiful. Parents don't suddenly stop appreciating good design when they have children. If anything, the products that become part of daily life deserve even more thought and care.
That's the idea behind our newest collection of artist-designed muslins.
The humble muslin deserves a little more imagination
If you've spent any time around babies, you'll know that muslins quickly become one of the hardest-working items in the house.
They're there for feeding, winding, mopping up spills, shielding little ones from the sun, providing comfort on difficult days (Finn in particular loves the silky feel of the labels - anyone else's child?!), and somehow ending up in every bag, buggy and nursery drawer.
Parents use them for almost everything because they're soft, breathable and endlessly practical.
But we've always thought something was missing.
Most muslins are designed to disappear into the background. They're functional, but rarely beautiful. They do the job, but they're not something you'd proudly leave draped over a chair or over the banister.
At NINA, we wanted to create muslins that were every bit as practical as traditional muslins while bringing a little more creativity into everyday family life.
Inspired by colour, creativity and everyday family life
When we started developing this collection, we weren't interested in creating designs that felt traditionally "babyish".
The baby market is flooded with predictable motifs, throwaway trends and products that seem designed to be outgrown almost as quickly as babies themselves.
We wanted to create something different.
Before becoming parents, many of us spend years developing some kind of sense of style. We fill our homes with things we love, follow artists whose work inspires us, and surround ourselves with colour, creativity and objects that feel meaningful. Becoming a parent doesn't suddenly make those things irrelevant.
We believe baby products can be practical without being generic.
This collection brings together artists whose work celebrates colour, nature, pattern and imagination. The result is a series of muslins that feel equally at home in a nursery, draped over a sofa, packed into a changing bag for everyday adventures, as they do when you're out and about with friends or at a fancy event.
Every design begins as a piece of artwork before becoming part of family life.
Meet the new collection
Our latest collection features a mix of contemporary artist collaborations alongside designs licensed from the V&A archives.
New artist-designed muslins include:
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Sea Creatures by Maude Made
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Geraniums by Sophie Harpley
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Bauhaus Play by Imo Sinclair
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Emerald Leaves by Kirsty Fenton
We're also delighted to introduce two new designs licensed from the V&A archives:
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Alice in Wonderland by C.F.A. Voysey
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Apothecary's Garden by C.F.A. Voysey
Each design brings its own story and personality, while sharing the same goal: to transform an everyday parenting essential into something distinctive, thoughtful and beautiful.
We like to think of them as works of art in muslin form.
Made for real life
Of course, beauty means very little if a muslin doesn't stand up to daily life with a baby.
That's why our muslins are generously sized at 110cm x 110cm, making them incredibly versatile.
They can be used for:
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Swaddling newborns
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Catching spills during feeding
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Burping and winding
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Breastfeeding cover-ups
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Providing shade on the buggy
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A lightweight layer on warmer days
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Comforting tired little ones
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Creating a clean surface wherever you happen to be
The reality of parenthood is that the most useful products are the ones that can do several jobs at once. A good muslin quickly becomes indispensable.
Organic cotton, designed to get softer with every wash
Babies spend so much time in contact with muslins that the fabric quality matters.
Our muslins are made from 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton, using OEKO-TEX-certified dyes that are tested to be safe and free from harmful chemicals. They are soft from the very first use and become even softer over time.
We care about the materials we use. When we first launched NINA, there was growing discussion about the environmental impact of fast fashion and the quality compromises that often come with it. Around the same time, a chance encounter with cotton farmers during a trip to Peru gave us an unexpected education into the world of cotton production.
We learned about the difference between long-fibre and short-fibre cotton, the pressures facing growers producing higher-quality cotton, and why the materials we choose matter. That experience continues to shape the decisions we make today.
The designs often become part of the family
One of my favourite things about seeing customer photos is spotting where the muslins end up.
We designed them for babies, but they often become part of family life long after the newborn stage — used for picnics in the park, packed for holidays, or kept as comfort blankets.
It's a reminder that the best baby products aren't simply useful. They become woven into family memories.
A gift parents actually remember
One of the things we hear most often from customers is that our muslins make wonderful gifts.
Partly that's because every new parent needs muslins.
But it's also because they're a little different.
They're practical enough to be used every day, yet distinctive enough to feel special. They stand out among piles of newborn essentials because they're thoughtful, useful and genuinely beautiful.
If you're looking for a baby shower gift, a newborn present or simply something memorable for a growing family, a muslin that combines art and practicality is hard to beat.
The new collection
Our latest collection continues everything we love about NINA muslins: artist collaborations, organic materials, thoughtful design and everyday usefulness.
Each print has been chosen because it brings a little joy, creativity and personality into the early days of family life.
Because babies deserve beautiful things.
And so do their parents.
Explore the new collection
Our newest artist-designed muslins are launching soon. Join our mailing list or follow us on Instagram to be among the first to see the full collection when it arrives.
About the Author
Emily Orlik is the founder of NINA, a British baby brand creating artist-designed muslins and organic baby essentials for modern families. She believes that becoming a parent shouldn't mean abandoning your sense of style, and started NINA to bring more creativity and thoughtful design into the baby space.