Gallery

Celebrating 30 years in textile design

Having reached the 30-year mark as a textile designer, I find myself reflective of the evolving landscape of the textile industry. Despite the absence of job opportunities for textile designers in New Zealand, I have successfully leveraged my skills as a printer and illustrator to secure bespoke print and design services for costume designers in film, TV, and theatre, as well as fashion designers, schools, and independent brands needing custom designs for print.

My collection of designs inspired by New Zealand flora and fauna are featured under my Patterns of New Zealand brand, whose products are sold in stores nationwide. My journey to ‘success’ (making a living) has been gradual, with acclaim attributed to a particular design that has stood the test of time.

I characterize my work as eclectic, conversational, and harmonious, and I eschew being confined to a singular artistic label. Instead, I continue to experiment while navigating market trends and infusing my designs with a sense of uniqueness and timelessness, striving to strike a delicate balance.

Expressing a sense of unfulfilled ambition, I acknowledge the vast repository of designs I have amassed over the years and remain optimistic, knowing that there is now more awareness of the need for sustainable textiles and a growing appreciation of New Zealand craft and design.

Early influences

I spent part of my childhood in England, followed by Hong Kong and later Brunei Darussalam. Browsing the markets and department stores, my love of textile design began through early exposure to traditional Chinese and Asian silks and international designers. In New Zealand in the 1980s and 1990s there was very little to choose from in textiles due to import tariffs at the time, so that’s why I began to make my own patterns and paint them on fabric. I was lucky enough to grow up in a time where artistic exploration was a big part of your education. I learnt to print, use clay, collage and many other things at school. When school finished, I had to teach myself the rest.

Layer printing

This is when the outline of an image is printed in a foundation colour, then the main colours are applied by hand painting, and then the outline is printed again over the top to define the edges and details.
Bedware

In 1994, as part of a one-year Certificate of Applied Design for Textile at AIT, I had to create a collage of a repeating print using found images. I went the extra mile and created it into a duvet cover—the application of the fabric is very important to me when designing a pattern.
Montrose Rose

Overprinting technique, as mentioned earlier in the first slide, 'Layer Printing'. This is an architectural floral motif. Using the same motif with different colour applications allowed me to experiment on how I can use colour to change a design.

Riverbank Kowhai

"A koroua from the Waikato once told me that in pre-colonial times, the banks of the Waikato River were framed by Kowhai trees. I imagined the reflection of the kowhai flowers on the river. It must have been beautiful." Ali Davies

Inspirational words from those that know...

"Creativity takes courage." - Henri Matisse

"Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing. Making your unknown known is the important thing." - Georgia O'Keeffe

"Have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it." - Salvador Dali

"It is not so much where my motivation comes from but rather how it manages to survive." - Louise Bourgeois

“You have to stand against the whole world although you may have to stand alone. You have to stare in the face the whole world although the world may look at you with bloodshot eyes. Do not fear. Trust the little voice residing within your heart.” - Mahatma Ghandi

"The connoisseur does not drink wine but tastes its secrets." - Salvador Dali