Question: What began in 1970 and now operates worldwide? It’s Designers Guild Head Office. Tricia Guild founded Designers Guild. She started it while seeking textiles for decorating.
Designers Guild designs and sells many items. These include furnishing fabrics and wall coverings. They also offer upholstery, bed, and bath collections. Designers Guild operates worldwide. It has showrooms in London, Paris, Munich and New York. You can find Designers Guild in over 60 showrooms. These are in Europe, New York City, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Sydney. Designers Guild also has an online shop.
Tricia Guild still owns Designers Guild. Her brother, Simon Jeffreys, is the Chief Executive. The company’s philosophy is to combine creativity with quality. This applies to design, product, service and staff.
Turnover grew significantly in 20 years. It went from less than 3 million to over 50 million. Designers Guild sells to interior designers, stores, retailers and hotels. The UK is its largest market. Overseas sales happen through Designers Guild showrooms and centers.
Designers Guild collections offer luxury fabrics and wall coverings. They have Designers Guild Kids and “Essentials”. “Essentials” is a plain fabrics library. It serves both home and business sectors. Besides fabrics and wall coverings, Designers Guild sells furniture. They also sell bed and bath items, home fragrance and accessories.
Designers Guild designs and makes William Yeoward Fabrics and Paper under license. They distribute Ralph Lauren Fabric and Wallpaper in Europe and the Middle East. In 2011, they launched Christian Lacroix under license.
In 2008, Designers Guild launched Royal Collection Fabrics and Wallpapers. This was under license from the Royal Collection. The collection drew inspiration from royal residences. These included Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. It also used the Royal Collection’s art archive.
Designers Guild received the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement in 1996. In 2008, they won a Microsoft award. It was for Best Use of Technology. Elle Decoration UK awarded them Best British Brand in 2010.
Creativity drives Designers Guild. Tricia Guild often starts designs with a painting or sketch. Her inspirations come from diverse sources. These include Eastern art and Italian architecture. Also flowers and classical documents inspire her. The design process can take up to two years. Guild guides the artwork into marketable styles. Then, she works with developers. They translate designs into products.
Designers Guild employs various printing techniques. These range from rotary to digital printing. Digital printing allows for greater design freedom. This method has become a company trademark.
The Designers Guild range includes nearly 9000 fabrics. There are also 2000 wallpapers. These include floral prints and geometric designs. They also offer plains and stripes. Jacquards, tapestries, silks and velvets are available too.
In 2008, Designers Guild launched The Royal Collection. It featured fabrics and wall coverings inspired by royal residences. In 2011, they launched Christian Lacroix Maison. It included fabrics, wallpapers and accessories.
In 2018, they announced a collaboration with John Derian. It resulted in fabrics, wallpapers, throws and accessories. In 2022, Designers Guild launched English Heritage. This included fabrics and wallpapers inspired by historical designs. Designers Guild distributes Ralph Lauren Fabrics and Wallcoverings in Europe.
Designers Guild’s furniture combines style with comfort. They offer sofas, chairs and modular units. These are made in the UK and Italy. Their collections also include rugs, cushions and home fragrance. The Bed and Bath range features cotton bedlinen and towels.
Designers Guild employs over 280 people in the UK. They have offices in New York, Paris and Stockholm. The company operates from a Head Office in West London. They also have a flagship store on King’s Road. Designers Guild focuses on communication and information management. They value staff commitment and loyalty. The company strives for high quality and service. Sales networks are supported by a customer service facility. It handles orders and provides technical information.
So when you think of trendsetting style and enduring quality remember Designers Guild Head Office. It is right here in London.