1970

Robin and Tricia Guild acquire David Bishop, the London interior company specialising in imported Indian block-printed cottons, with an investment of £42,000

The design of the Village collection begins and hand screen printing is arranged with Hull Traders, a Lancashire-based specialist in short-run production

1971

The Designers Guild (DG) store at 277 King’s Road opens in November. The Village collection is showcased within fully furnished settings

1973

DG products feature on the front of the Design Council magazine, Design (vol. 300)

1974

DG features in the June issue of Design

1976

First Kaffe Fassett collection

Hand screen printing is briefly carried out on Platt’s Eyot, an island in the River Thames, while rotary printing takes place at Standfast in Lancaster, England

DG participates at the Biennale des Editeurs de la Décoration in Paris, and continues to do so until about 1990

1977

The more costly galvano printing screens begin to be used

First Lillian Delevoryas collection

Second Kaffe Fassett collection

1978

A network of distributors and agents across Europe develops; the first of these is Belgium, closely followed by France

1979

Second Lillian Delevoryas collection

1980

Ceramics by Carol McNicoll and Janice Tchalenko are on sale at DG

Tricia Guild’s first book is published: Soft Furnishings

DG now has stockists in Australia, Bermuda, Canada, the Channel Islands, Eire, Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States and South Africa

1984

The Bill Jacklin Anemone collection is launched

George Davies, who opened Next fashion shops in 1982 and was appointed by Sir Terence Conran as chairman of Hepworth’s, approaches Tricia to extend his total-concept look into interiors with her coordinated textiles, wallpapers and furnishings

An in-house design studio is established at DG

1985-88

Next Interiors launches a nationwide chain of 35 shops, with all the products developed by Tricia Guild and associates, including ceramics by Janice Tchalenko; Tricia soon replaces Laura Ashley as the high priestess of style and taste for the 1980s

1986

Tricia Guild’s brother Simon Jeffreys, from the corporate finance division of international accountants Coopers and Lybrand (later PwC), joins DG in partnership with Tricia as Chief Executive

Three Howard Hodgkin designs are released as costly limited-edition productions by Heberlein, the Swiss printer known for its high quality

Tricia Guild’s second book is published: Designing with Flowers

The Janice Tchalenko Waterleaf collection is released

1987

Tricia Guild joins the selection committee for the Crafts Council’s Craft Fair

1988

Tricia Guild’s third book is published: Design and Detail

1989

The first of DG’s own overseas offices opens in Munich, where the sales team covers Austria and Switzerland as well as Germany. The first Designers Guild Kid’s collectionis launched

Tricia Guild is awarded the Textile Institute Gold Medal for her outstanding contribution to international textiles

Tricia Guild’s fourth book is published: Design a Garden

1990

Tricia Guild’s fifth book is published: Tricia Guild’s New Soft Furnishings

1991

DG is awarded The Queen’s Award for Export Achievement

DG’s first trimmings collection is launched

1992

DG receives The Export Award for Smaller Businesses

DG’s first upholstery collection is launched

Tricia Guild’s sixth book is published: Tricia Guild on Colour

The Michael Heindorff Still Life collection is launched

DG begins showing at the interiors trade show, Maison & Objet, in Paris

1993

Tricia Guild receives an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal College of Art, London, as well as an Honorary Master of Arts Degree from Winchester School of Art, UK

A new Head Office in Olaf Street, London, and an office and showroom in Paris are opened

1994

DG wins The European Community Design prize

Tricia Guild’s seventh book is published: Tricia Guild’s Painted Country in 11 languages

1995

The Designers Guild Bed & Bath Division is launched and awarded ‘Excellence de la Maison’ for bed linen by Marie Claire Maison magazine, France

1996

DG is awarded The Queen’s Award for Export Achievement

The Centre for DG Distribution (responsible for importing, and run for a time by Tricia’s daughter, Lisa) opens in west London; the King’s Road showroom expands; the licensing division grows and includes paints as well as existing designs such as those by Isabelle de Borchgrave of 1989–93

Tricia Guild’s eighth book is published: Tricia Guild in Town in 11 languages

1997

DG is awarded The Home Tex Design Award, USA

DG’s Milan office opens; the table linen collection is launched; turnover is now nearing £30 million

1998

Tricia Guild’s ninth book is published: Cut Flowers in 9 languages

The William Yeoward brand is added to DG’s portfolio

1999

Tricia Guild is awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Technology from Loughborough University, UK

Tricia Guild’s tenth book is published: White Hot in 9 languages

Designers Guild becomes the exclusive licensee for Ralph Lauren Fabric and Wallpaper throughout Europe and the Middle East

2000

DG is ranked as one of the top three most recognised brands across Europe

2002

Tricia Guild’s eleventh book is published: Think Pink in 8 languages

DG receives the Elle Decoration International Design Award for Best Fabric, Italy

2003

DG is awarded Elle Decoration (USA) Best Wallpaper

DG moves to brand-new purpose-built headquarters in London, W10

2004

Tricia Guild’s twelfth book is published: Private View in 8 languages

The DG Rug collection and Fragrant Home (scents) collection are launched

2006

The Designers Guild Essentials Division is created

Tricia Guild’s thirteenth book is published: Pattern in 8 languages

2007

Tricia Guild receives the Homes & Gardens Classic Design Award – Lifetime Achievement Award

A Royal Collection license is granted for the production and distribution worldwide on behalf of the British Royal Household. The Paris showroom expands. A new collection of DG Furniture is launched

2008

The Royal Collection of fabrics and wallcoverings is launched; collaboration on macaron box designs with Ladurée Paris; the DG online shop is launched

Tricia Guild is awarded an OBE from the Queen for ‘Services to Interior Design’

DG is awarded 22nd place among Britain’s fastest-growing privately owned firms in the Sunday Times PricewaterhouseCoopers Profit Track 100, and the Microsoft prize for best use of technology

The new DG Munich showroom opens; a new UK website and online bed and bath shop are launched

Tricia Guild’s fourteenth book is published: Flowers in 6 languages

2009

DG is placed for the second year running in the PricewaterhouseCoopers Profit Track 100

Designers Guild Inc. is launched to handle the bed, bath and accessory division in the USA, with a new US online store

DG’s ‘Portier’ wallpaper is awarded ‘Best Wallpaper’ by the Homes & Gardens Fabric Awards, UK

2010

DG is named ‘Best British Brand’ by Elle Decoration, UK

Tricia Guild’s fifteenth book is published: A Certain Style in 7 languages

In April the first DG Homestore outside of the King’s Road opens on Marylebone High Street, London

DG begins designing for digital printing

2011

DG is voted ‘Best British Brand’ for the second consecutive year by readers of Elle Decoration, UK

Christian Lacroix Maison under license to DG is launched; four designs three re-releases from 1986) plus accessories by Howard Hodgkin are launched

2012

The Christian Lacroix ‘Vuelta’ design from the Arles collection is awarded ‘Best Fabric’ at the Elle Decoration International Design Awards

Designers Guild for the Table is launched

2013

DG’s ‘Savine’ wallpaper is awarded ‘Best Wallpaper’ by the Homes & Gardens Fabric Awards, UK

Tricia Guild’s sixteenth book is published in nine languages: Colour Deconstructed. In 8 languages

DG’s blog is launched, along with its Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest accounts

2014

A new logistics/distribution centre opens in West London; the DG website is upgraded; a new paint range with 154 colours is launched. DG exhibits for the first time at Design Junction, London

Tricia Guild is placed first in the Telegraph’s July list of Britain’s most famous female interior designers

2015

Tricia Guild’s seventeenth book is published: Paint Box in 6 languages

The Italian mosaic tile brand Bisazza interprets DG designs

2015-16

DG’s online stores are launched, including those serving France, Spain and the USA

2016

A new DG showroom opens in the heart of the Paris Design District

2018

John Derian by Designers Guild is introduced

2019

Tricia Guild’s nineteenth book is published: In My View

2020

DG ranges include nearly 9,000 fabrics alone; turnover is over £50 million. DG’s fiftieth anniversary is celebrated with the publication of Out of the Blue and an exhibition of the same name at the Fashion and Textile Museum, London

Artistry, creativity and innovation is at the heart of the creative process at Designers Guild and shaped by the guiding principle of lifestyle that continues to drive the business today. Each design starts its life with a seed of an idea or point of inspiration and often planted by Guild herself and always with an artist’s brush or pencil. Derived from such diverse sources as Eastern decorative art, Italian architecture, flowers and nature to classical documents.

The designers collate ideas and paint and sketch, experiment and trial - working through ideas and themes to create a body of work that Guild steers, guides and ultimately edits in to a collection. The creative process can take up to two years from start to finish and at each step, Guild will nudge and nurture and edit - moulding the artwork into styles and looks that will eventually go on to market and create notable trends. Armed with the edited designs, she works closely with the development team – identifying the best weavers, printers and manufacturers to translate the designs into various products. Since the early days of hand screen printing, the company now employ a variety of techniques and methods to achieve their aims – from rotary Galvano printing to state of the art digital printing. This method enables greater freedom of design and is so true to the original artwork that it has become something of the company’s trademark.

The Designers Guild range currently has nearly 9,000 fabrics and 2,000 wallpapers including printed floral and geometric fabrics; plains, checks and stripes, jacquards, tapestries, silks, velvets, trimmin. The highest qualities of cloth are sourced; from combed Egyptian cottons and Scottish linen unions to Swiss woven damasks. Printers and engravers use state of the art technology and strict quality control systems are applied both in-house and at our suppliers.

Division of Designers Guild Fabric & Wallpaper

In 2008 Designers Guild launched a new brand The Royal Collection of Fabrics and Wallcoverings, on behalf of the Royal Household, which is a series of collections inspired by the interiors of the Royal residences, including Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle and the first licensing agreement of its kind. A second collection was launched in September 2009 including a brand new collection of tie–backs and trimmings and a third collection followed in 2010 Campanula.

In 2001 the company substantially increased its fabric and wallpaper division to incorporate William Yeoward Fabric followed by wallpaper in 2002 and continues to launch regular collections under this brand.

In 2011 Designers Guild launched the first collection for the iconic international luxury brand Christian Lacroix under license to Designers Guild – Arles prints and weaves and accessories went live at Maison et Objet in Paris January 2011

In 2018 a collaboration was announced between the American decoupage artist John Derian and Designers Guild and a collection of fabrics and later wallpapers as well as throws and accessories are now part of the company’s offer.

Designers Guild is also the exclusive distributor in Europe of Ralph Lauren Fabrics and wallcoverings.

Furniture

An exclusive range of contemporary upholstered furniture designed in the Designers Guild studio. The pieces include a wide range of sofas and chairs, daybeds and modular units as well as stools and ottomans in a variety of styles and are manufactured to the highest standards in the UK and Italy and distributed throughout Europe and in many of our overseas markets. Every single piece of Designers Guild furniture has been carefully considered and designed to combine timeless style with extreme comfort and outstanding quality.

Home Accessories

Designers Guild offers an ever expanding collection of rugs, cushions, blankets, throws, quilts, towels, bags and home fragrance with every collection launch, offering superb quality, beautiful design and the very best materials with an extensive colour palette.

Bed and Bath

The Designers Guild Bed and Bath range of printed, woven, embroidered and appliqued bedlinen is made from finest 100% pure cotton and is complemented by a range of pure cotton towels, wool and cotton blankets and quilts. This division was launched in January 1995 and products are available through leading stores and retailers and through the online shop.

The Designers Guild Group employs over 280 people in the UK and has overseas offices and showrooms in New York, Paris, Stockholm and Paris. The company operates from a 16000 sqft purpose built Head Office and an a 80,000 sq ft state of the art Warehouse and distribution centre both in West London with Flagship stores in King’s Road and Marylebone High Street The management of the Company flows from a corporate strategy, using planning, communication and information management systems. The Designers Guild philosophy includes equity participation and communication at all levels of the Group and the Company enjoys tremendous commitment and loyalty from its staff, who are aware and kept informed of strategic developments and performance. The highest levels of quality and service are continually strived for and achieved.

All sales networks are supported by a fully computerised customer service facility and B2B website which handles over 1000 orders, deals with queries and provides full technical information.Linked to this are stock control and purchasing systems which process over 2 million metres of fabric and wallpaper a year. Rapid deliveries are guaranteed through a network of couriers and orders can be despatched anywhere in the UK, Europe and worldwide within 24 hour Turnover has grown rapidly over the past 20 years to over £55 million selling to interior designers, department stores, retailers and the hotel and contract market.The single largest market is the UK. Sales overseas are through local Designers Guild operating centres in France, Germany , Sweden and Italy and agents & distributors in the rest of Europe and world–wide. Of total sales, over 60% is overseas, with Designers Guild represented in over 70 countries.

“A key requirement in our philosophy of quality in terms of design, product, service and people is our aspiration to trade with an ethical and moral way throughout our business”

- Simon Jeffreys, Chief Executive London, August 2019

We have an aspiration and a commitment to trade ethically throughout our business, and as examples of this we have the following strategies in place:

Our Commitment to trading ethically

We are committed to reviewing our supply chain, from the initiation of product through to the disposal of our packaging material, in a way that enhances the environment for our suppliers, and our customers wherever possible.

Our People

All our people are tasked with dealing ethically with everyone they meet in an honest, open and collaborative fashion. Secondly like our suppliers we source products from around the world but only deal with suppliers who have a similar ethical ethos. We visit every supplier and take a great deal of time inspecting their base of operations, their work force and their manufacturing processes. We subscribe to SEDEX and all suppliers that we deal with where relevant are registered with SEDEX. As well as inspecting all manufacturing sources at the outset, we regularly revisit.

We favour larger mills that are able to support proper working conditions and we ensure there is no child labour or any other unacceptable exploitation.

Ecology

The majority of our products, particularly fabrics and papers are made from natural fibres and are recyclable. We recently introduced a fully upcycled cotton yarn collection, one of the first in the industry, which utilises no hydrocarbons in the manufacture. From a safety perspective, our suppliers accord with COSHH regulations and we source ethical alternatives to an extensive list of banned chemicals. This commitment extends to effluent control directives and the full life cycle of resources.

Recycling Policies

Our Head Office and Distribution and Logistics Centre are designed to be as energy efficient as possible using natural light and low energy lighting options.

We have introduced state of the art recycling equipment in accordance with Pure Planet Recycling, so that all cardboard and paper packaging is compacted and recycled, all plastic is separately recycled and all wooden pallets etc. are also separately recycled. All waste produced is turned in to a solid fuel, RDF.

All computer equipment is recycled, as are all redundant mobile phones through a charity.

All scrap fabric is donated to various children's charities, for example Children's Scrap Project. All remnants and end of line fabrics are upcycled.

Our largest contribution has been supporting Oxfam in the building of a school in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

We have an unwavering commitment and dedication to our ecological and social responsibilities as a company. We are committed to reviewing our supply chain, from the initiation of product through to the disposal of our packaging material, in a way that enhances the environment for our suppliers and our customers wherever possible.

IN-HOUSE

Responsibility is an ongoing process – we know that small yet efficient solutions, like eradicating all single use plastic and recycling every piece of paper and cardboard, can make all the difference.

We have removed all single use plastic across all our office locations. We recycle all waste paper and cardboard. All waste from both manufacturing our products and running our business is either recycled or used to generate renewable energy.

We have a no landfill policy - none of our waste goes to landfill at all.

Our logistics vehicles, including those of our representatives, are now electric.

We have replaced all diesel vehicles with electric alternatives.

All our carrier bags and wrapping paper are made from sustainable paper or cardboard and are fully recyclable.

LOGISTICS

Our policy on achieving sustainable style

Getting there shouldn’t cost the earth. Our logistics vehicles, including those of our representatives, are now electric. In 2019 we started to replace diesel vehicles with electric alternatives to slowly but surely, drive change.

STORES

Shop easy, rest assured - our carrier bags are 100% recyclable

We’re constantly improving our sustainable service and so this year, we replaced our recyclable plastic store carrier bags with eco friendlier paper bags.

PRODUCTS

Many of our products are made from natural fibres or are recyclable.

In spring 2019, we launched an innovative recycled fabric collection, Lisbon which was one of the first in the industry. Using no water in its manufacture – it is entirely made from yarns recycled from the fashion industry. In spring 2022, Watkin weaves has the same strong eco credentials, with yarns made from a biproduct of waste textiles. We have also introduced BC – ‘better cotton’ to our collections and Cassia Cord has an entirely Better Cotton pile and our coordinating Cassia velvet will become BC as stocks are replenished.

A large proportion of our fabrics are Oekotex approved, the world's best-known approval body to guarantee our products are free of harmful substances. It stands for customer confidence and high product safety.

Paint - Our collection is completely water-based, vegan and low-VOCs (Volatile organic compounds, that contribute to atmospheric pollution), making them virtually solvent free. Brushes and painting equipment can be easily cleaned without harmful chemicals. Designed to last – our paint offers excellent coverage, adhesion and flow, meaning fewer coats are needed when compared with other premium paints.

All our paints are manufactured in the UK. Our paint tins are made using 50% recycled steel and our packaging is made using recycled materials, that can be used again.

CHARITIES

Our largest contribution has been supporting Oxfam in the building of a school in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

All scrap fabric is donated to various children's charities, for example Children's Scrap Project. All remnants and end of line fabrics are upcycled.

We have worked with the charity Maggie’s, for a number of years – A charity that provides free practical & emotional support for people living with cancer and their families, through support centres built in the grounds of specialist NHS cancer hospitals. In 2018 Tricia Guild directed the interior design of a new centre for Maggie’s.

We are constantly reviewing our recycling and waste collection policies too and are also working with World Land Trust by donating to their Buy an Acre programme on a monthly basis. Each acre purchased protects threatened habitats and their wildlife in Colombia, Mexico and Zambia.

This statement is made pursuant to section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and sets out the steps that Designers Guild has taken and is continuing to take to ensure that modern slavery or human trafficking is not taking place within our business or supply chain.

Modern slavery encompasses slavery, servitude, human trafficking and forced labour. Designers Guild has a zero-tolerance approach to any form of modern slavery. We are committed to acting ethically and with integrity and transparency in all business dealings and to putting effective systems and controls in place to safeguard against any form of modern slavery taking place within the business or our supply chain.

Our Business

Designers Guild is a luxury home furnishing company that designs, distributes and markets furnishing fabrics, wallcoverings, upholstery and home accessories Worldwide. The company is based in London with design studios in Head Office as well as a distribution centre and retail premises. It also has offices and showrooms in over 60 countries and customer service centres in London, Munich, Paris and New York.

Product design and development is done inhouse and is produced by a range of manufacturers based in the UK and overseas.

Our Policies

We operate a number of internal policies to ensure that we are conducting business in an ethical and transparent manner. These include:

1. Anti-slavery policy. This policy sets out Designers Guild’s stance on modern slavery and explains how suppliers and employees can identify any instances of this and where they can go for help.

2. Code of business conduct. This code explains the manner in which we behave as an organisation and how we expect our employees and suppliers to act.

3. Recruitment policy. We operate a robust recruitment policy, including conducting eligibility to work in the UK checks for all employees to safeguard against human trafficking or individuals being forced to work against their will.

4. A whistle blowing policy.

Our Partnerships

We pride ourselves on the honest, open and collaborative relationships we have with our suppliers. We source products from around the world but only deal with suppliers who have a similar ethical ethos to ourselves, often favouring larger mills that can support proper working conditions. We also subscribe to SEDEX, a global non-profit organisation for sharing responsible data on supply chains.

All new suppliers are subject to an assessment by ourselves before we commit to any transactions, including an online search to ensure that the particular company has never been convicted of offenses relating to modern slavery. Our Ethical policy forms part of our contract with suppliers and they are required to confirm that no part of their business operations contradicts this policy.

We often further follow up with site visits to strengthen our understanding and to allow us to accurately risk assess.

The Future

We are constantly reviewing our procedures to ensure that we continue to monitor both our own organisation and our supply chains to guarantee that our business follows the ethical policy that we as a company subscribe to.

Approval for this statement

This statement was approved by the Board of Directors, April .

Simon Jeffreys
Chief Executive

Designers Guild is a progressive employer committed to promoting equality of opportunity and equal treatment across all aspects of our business. We have a clear policy of paying employees equally for the same or equivalent work. Over 60% of our workforce is female and women are strongly represented at all management levels of the business.

Our Gender Pay Gap information as required by the Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017 is published below. On the snapshot date (5th April 2018) Designers Guild Ltd had 250 employees of whom 156 (62%) were female and 96 (38%) were male.

Pay Data

Our calculations show a mean gender pay gap of -9% meaning that the average pay for women was 9% higher than the average pay for men. Men also have a lower median pay as shown by the median pay gap of -27%. This means that when hourly pay for men and women is ranked by value the woman in the middle of the range is paid 27% more than the man in the middle of the range of men.

These calculations reflect the composition of the workforce. In particular, the higher proportion of women in the upper middle quartile of the pay structure and the higher proportion of males in the lower quartile than for the company as a whole.

Bonus Data

The proportion of women and men receiving a bonus payment was approximately equal at 44% for men and 46% for women.

The mean bonus gender pay gap was 31% and the median bonus gender pay gap was 36%.

This means that for employees who received a bonus, the average bonus paid was 31% higher for men. If bonuses are ranked by value for men and women, the man in the middle of the range for men received a bonus 36% higher than the woman in the middle of the range of women.

Quartile Data

The proportion of men and women with hourly pay in each quartile is set out below.

We confirm that the above data is accurate and produced in accordance with The Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017.

Margaret Romanski
Finance Director