DESIGNERS GUILD
Introduction
Established in 1970 by Tricia Guild, Designers Guild designs and wholesales furnishing fabrics, wallcoverings, upholstery and bed and bath collections worldwide.
The company is headed and owned by brother and sister, Tricia Guild, Founder and Creative Director,
and Simon Jeffreys, Group Chief Executive. The Designers Guild business philosophy is to combine creativity
and innovation with the highest levels of quality: quality of design, product, service and people.
“We believe in quality of design, product and service combined with a committed and motivated team”
Timeline by Decade
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)
DG feature on front cover of Design Council Magazine
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
Tricia Guild & Simon Jeffreys
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
Tricia Guild Honorary Masters Degree Winchester
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’
Tricia Guild OBE
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
Tricia Guild is placed first in the Telegraph’s July list of Britain’s most famous female interior designers
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
Coronation Road
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
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
Established in 1970 by Tricia Guild, Designers Guild designs and wholesales furnishing fabrics, wallcoverings, upholstery and bed and bath collections worldwide.
The company is headed and owned by brother and sister, Tricia Guild, Founder and Creative Director,
and Simon Jeffreys, Group Chief Executive. The Designers Guild business philosophy is to combine creativity
and innovation with the highest levels of quality: quality of design, product, service and people.
“We believe in quality of design, product and service combined with a committed and motivated team”
Timeline by Decade
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)
DG feature on front cover of Design Council Magazine
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
Tricia Guild & Simon Jeffreys
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
Tricia Guild Honorary Masters Degree Winchester
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’
Tricia Guild OBE
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
Tricia Guild is placed first in the Telegraph’s July list of Britain’s most famous female interior designers
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
Coronation Road
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
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