Women in Design
In honour of International Women’s Day 2023, we thought we’d share the spotlight on a number of women in design that we admire, from those we’ve interviewed or worked with, to those we’re inspired by from afar.
So settle in and find out more about the 8 incredible women that we’ve chosen to highlight…
Sarah Griggs
We recently had the pleasure of working with Sarah and she is an incredible talent; definitely one for our IWD round up. Sarah is an Art Director, Photographer and Stylist with 20 years experience working with fashion, lifestyle and interiors brands. Her portfolio is truly enviable. Her list of previous collaborators includes some of the biggest names in fashion and lifestyle such as Tom Ford, Alexander McQueen, Ferragamo, Net-A-Porter, M&S and Jo Malone.
We are in awe of her incredible knack for visual storytelling; capturing the magic of perfectly curated interior spaces and breathing life into static set ups.
Enass Mahmoud
Enass is an interior designer we’re hoping to catch up with and interview this year; her blend of elegance and sophistication with bold colour and pattern is utterly captivating. Her design studio, Studio Enass, is based in London and specialises in both residential and commercial spaces. Enass and her team love transformation projects where they can add their signature bold and contemporary style whilst creating immaculate interior design for each client’s needs and personalities.
Enass believes that when it comes to design, ‘it’s the small, fine details that make the bigger picture’ and we couldn’t agree more.
Anne Sewell
Rewind to March last year when we introduced you to the design marvel, Anne Sewell. You will probably know that Hudson Home is somewhat of a family business already and Anne is indeed part of the family as well as being an incredible furniture designer! Anne is a furniture designer with over 25 years of commercial experience and specialising in designing products for the middle sector of the UK market for high street and online retailers.
Anne believes that good, well considered design can greatly enhance a product's success and its impact in your home. She is very much aligned to our ethos, that high end brands, with the price tags to match, are no longer the only way to own timeless design. She designs with an acute attention to detail, manufacturing savvy and a finger on the aspirational pulse and we love the design prowess and creative flair that she brings to the team.
Read more here | Find Anne here
Claire Totman
Our most recent interviewee and first to be highlighted here for IWD 2023 is Claire Totman, the creative marvel behind the eponymous Claire Totman Designs, a Surrey based architecture, interior design and project management studio. The transformations that Claire and her team create for clients are astounding and stunning in equal measure. As Claire herself says, “I will never tire of breathing new life into a property and seeing my designs come to life. There is something so magical about taking a client on the journey from beginning to end. From the initial concept and gaining planning permission, to designing the interior fit out and project managing the build.”
Read more here | Find Claire here | Instagram
Dame Zaha Hadid
Now to introduce you to a woman in design that we’ve long admired from afar, the late, great Dame Zaha Hadid. Zaha Hadid was an absolute powerhouse of design and a beacon for women in the industry. She was defined by The Guardian as the "Queen of the curve", who "liberated architectural geometry, giving it a whole new expressive identity". Her pioneering vision redefined architecture in the 21st Century and she constantly defied the norm and expectations in her own inimitable style. She had an unwavering optimism for the future and an unyielding belief in the transformative power of design and invention.
Her back catalogue of global architectural design is quite astounding and is sure to continue to inspire generations of women in design.
Learn more about Zaha Hadid here
Claire Garner
Claire Garner is a spellbindingly brilliant designer based in Aldbury, Hertfordshire. She is passionate about creating beautiful homes that reflect the personality and lifestyle of her clients; creating homes for her clients that are a joy to live in.
Approachable and warm, Claire offers a personal and professional approach, ensuring that every project is seamlessly designed and managed from concept to completion. No detail is left unconsidered, no space is too large, as Claire and her team work from their Design Studio on projects including both residential and commercial properties across the Home Counties, London and further afield.
We’ve long admired Claire’s beautiful work and see a great deal of synergy between her design and the Hudson Home aesthetic, so it’s been a pleasure to get to know her and her work further over the last few years.
Read more here | find Claire here | Instagram
Eileen Gray
The incredible Eileen Gray, a true renaissance woman, a multi-hyphenate before the phrase was coined, an absolute inspiration to women in design. Eileen Gray, born in Ireland in 1878 and then living in London, seamlessly wound her way through the worlds of art and design as she explored disciplines like painting through to an apprenticeship in a London lacquer workshop. She then made her way to Paris, becoming one of the leading designers of lacquered screens and decorative panels before opening her own gallery and becoming one of the leading exponents of new theories of design and construction in the 1930s. Between interiors styling and design, furniture design and production, it was perhaps only natural that she would turn her hand to architecture. A true visionary and example for women in design to admire.
Learn more about Eileen Gray here:
Donnie Wales
Next on our list of women in design that we want to shine a light on this IWD is Donnie Wales. Donnie is an exquisite interior designer that we have had, and continue to have, the pleasure of working with on a number of projects.
Donnie’s style is so aligned with our classic, uncomplicated and timeless design so it’s always exciting to see what we’re able to create together.
Read more here | Find Donnie here | Instagram
Lauren Caisley
We sat down with Lauren Caisley last summer to talk about her style which British Vogue calls, ‘English traditionalism mixed with a modern sense of style’ and we absolutely had to share her work again on this run down.
She is an exquisite designer working to create timeless, layered and considered interiors; working on large scale interior architecture and designing residential renovations across the UK and abroad.
In her own words, she seeks to ensure that ‘elegance meets practicality’ in each of her projects; for the houses she works on to truly be homes that people can live happily and healthily in.
Having found a niche in the modern traditional luxury market, Lauren Caisley’s design sensibilities speak to us here at Hudson Home on many levels. We are big fans of her work and style, so of course she is in our run down of women in design for 2023.
Read more here
Who would you add to the list of inspirational women in design? There are so many more that inspire us and we’d love to hear yours too.
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