ABOUT Lydia
Lydia is an accomplished print and textile designer with over 14 years of industry experience, specialising in design for fashion. Coming from a lineage of fine artists—her grandfather a Professor of Painting at the Royal College of Art, and her grandmother a painter and muralist—Lydia’s creative foundation was formed early. Her passion for textiles has taken her across the globe, from exploring the silk weaving traditions of Varanasi, the Punjab, and Istanbul, to the textile mills of Lake Como.
She holds a First-Class BA (Hons) in Surface Pattern and Printed Textiles from Leeds College of Art, following six months of immersive work in Northern India. Her deep interest in historical textiles led to research roles at the Victoria & Albert Museum and Leeds City Museum costume archives.
Lydia began her career in luxury womenswear as Studio Assistant to Zandra Rhodes, later joining Paul Smith in her role of Print and Textile Designer for menswear, accessories and homewear. She continued her career at Calvin Klein, where she was the sole Print and Graphic Designer for menswear and later, part of the Calvin Klein Accessories division. Since then, she has worked as a designer for international brands across Europe and Canada.
An active member of The Art Workers’ Guild since 2012, Lydia has also lectured at art and fashion institutions and led art workshops for child refugees. Alongside her studio practice, Lydia is engaged in human rights advocacy — particularly for children — and has contributed her artistic skills to projects supporting this cause. During the 2020–2021 lockdowns in Amsterdam, she expanded her practice into illustration, painting, ceramics, collage, and objet d’art, drawing her inspiration from ancient history, religious art, and the decorative arts. Holding her first exhibitions in London in 2023. Her work has been featured in British Vogue, Elle Japan, House & Garden, The World of Interiors, Condé Nast.
Lydia is based between Amsterdam and the UK, taking on freelance projects across fashion and interiors.
To discuss a project or view my portfolio, get in touch via contact page.
For collaborations, commissions, or creative enquiries including teaching and consulting, please send a brief outline via the contact page.
“Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet”