ABOUT Lydia
Lydia is an accomplished artist-designer with over 16 years of industry experience — rooted in print and textile design for fashion, and increasingly sought for bespoke commissions for interiors, and the decorative arts.
Coming from a lineage of fine artists — her grandfather a Professor of Painting at the Royal College of Art, her grandmother a painter and muralist, and with her mother, a portrait painter and print maker and father, an abstract artist — her creative foundation was formed early and runs very deep.
Her passion for textiles has taken her across the world: from the Banaras silk weaving traditions of Varanasi, the Punjab, and Istanbul, to the textile mills and silk printers of Lake Como. She holds a First-Class BA (Hons) in Surface Pattern and Printed Textile Design from Leeds College of Art, following six months of living and teaching in Northern India. A deep interest in historical dress and textiles led to volunteer research roles at the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Leeds City Museum costume archives.
Lydia began her career in luxury womenswear as Studio Assistant to Zandra Rhodes, before joining Paul Smith in London, as Print and Textile Designer across menswear, accessories, and homewear. She went on to Calvin Klein, where she served as sole Print and Graphic Designer for menswear apparel and later into the Accessories division as designer and graphic designer. Since then she has worked with international brands across Europe and Canada.
An active member of The Art Workers' Guild since 2012, she has lectured at art and fashion institutions and led workshops for child refugees — a reflection of her long-standing commitment to human rights, particularly for children. During the 2020–2021 lockdowns, she deepened her studio practice into illustration, painting, ceramics, collage, and objet d'art, drawing inspiration from ancient history, religious art, and the decorative tradition.
Her first solo exhibitions of painting and objects were held in London in 2023. Her illustrative work has been featured in British Vogue, Elle Japan and House & Garden Magazine.