JULIAN DAVEY

Production Director

WEAVING IN THE WOW FACTOR

As a keen artist who drew and painted avidly from a young age, Julian always knew he wanted to pursue art as a career but didn’t know exactly what form this would take. That was until he took a foundation course at art school and became fascinated by textile design.

While studying for a textiles degree at Winchester School of Art, he refined his specialism further when he discovered a love of weaving. The discipline satisfied both his creative and mathematical skills and he admired how the design was integrated into the structure of the material rather than carried on its surface.

His first design job after graduation was with a small British firm, Roger Oates Design, that specialised in flatweave carpets and floor runners – unusual at that time. As the company expanded, Julian developed his expertise in many areas, eventually becoming responsible for running production.

When the opportunity came to join forces with Andrew Hartley and Stephanie Tissier in developing the Hartley & Tissier brand, Julian was able to use his design and production experience to ensure the creative and manufacturing processes dovetailed well and produced superb results.

Although Julian enjoys almost every facet of the business, he says his biggest thrill and source of pride comes from being involved with a traditionally woven product that, even after working with it closely for twenty-five years, is essentially beautiful and continues to wow people who see it for the first time.