I was very honoured this month to be selected by House & Garden as one of their Women Of Influence in this issue on women in design.  It was such a pleasure to be featured alongside such inspirational designers, makers and entrepreneurs.

 

So by way of thanks, here are a few of my own personal influences who share the XX…

 

 

Lidewij Edelkoort

Arguably the world’s most renowned forecaster, Li Edelkoort’s influence extends well beyond product or brand development.  Edelkoort’s concepts, curatorial style, approach to both print and online publishing and ability to translate societal shifts into everything from colour trends to the re-imagining of an entire city makes her a powerhouse of inspiration for anyone aspiring to a career in forecasting.

 

 

Anna Murray & Grace Winteringham of PATTERNITY

These ladies have wowed me at every turn since I first came across their work, partly through their designs but primarily through their refreshingly unique approach to a multidisciplinary practice.  Self described as the global authority on pattern, their work reaches into all sorts of areas and applications.  Go and browse their website for a design hit.

 

 

Anne  Marie Commandeur – Styjlinstituut

As well as being founder of the Stijlinsituut Amsterdam, Anne Marie Commandeur is a leading member of the Heimtextil trendtable and renowned for expressing forecasts through their concept-based exhibitions.  Her ability to distil and translate a concept to make it widely accessible without losing the nuances of what makes it interesting made a striking impression when I began my forecasting career in Europe.

 

 

Mary Tonkin

I was fortunate enough to have Mary Tonkin as my drawing teacher through my BFA.  As well as being an outstanding artist, she had a really disciplined approach to teaching and while a lot of professionals in that field try to teach students how to draw, she had a way of teaching her students how to see.   Which is considerably more abstract and difficult to articulate but has been fundamental in the way that I have approached all of my work since.   Thanks for being a hard taskmaster, Mary.

 

 

And finally – my mum, Barbara.  By far the most insightful and generous creative mind I’m ever likely to come across.  Courageous, articulate and always a step ahead.