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Debby Tenquist portait
  • textile design

  • garden design

DEBBY TENQUIST

Botanica Trading was launched in 2015. I offer a stunning range of textiles I have designed that is inspired by my love of the natural world, botanical art and of all things from the near, middle and Far East.

 

My studies in London at the Victoria & Albert and the British Museum covered garden design, architecture & decorative arts from the 15th Century to the modern day in Europe, the Middle East and America. Latterly I studied the history of Japanese and Korean design. I worked for Sotheby’s auctioneers in South Africa and Australia for 12 years, specialising in Oriental and European decorative arts which has resulted in my great interest in all things botanical and textile design. The principles of good design, proportion, the language of colour and a variety of styles have informed my aesthetic vocabulary. My love of research and exotic destinations continually informs my creative design process.

 

THE STORY BEHIND MY FABRIC DESIGNS 

From my early teens I have loved textiles and was designing my own dresses with Marimekko curtain fabric in the early 1970s. I particularly enjoy the history behind archival designs. In my early 20s I studied at the Victoria & Albert Museum and spent many afternoons in their incredible textile collection. Later in my 20s I studied further at Sotheby’s and the University of London (SOAS) and the decorative art syllabuses included the history and development of textile designs and covered different techniques hailing from all over Europe and the near and Far East. 

The designs that I love are largely drawn from flora and fauna and are a celebration and extension of my love for the beauty found in the natural world which was enriched when I worked as a garden designer.

 

In August 2018 I launched my first comprehensive range of textiles "Incredible India". As with all my designs this range was historically motivated and largely botanically inspired with an edited modern sense of scale and colour sensibility.

In November 2019 I launched my Tribal Range influenced by ethnic designs from the world over. There are essentially three designs in numerous colour ways including Ikat inspired designs. This range will be added to over time.

My Ottoman inspired Suleiman range was launched in March 2020. The Silk Road Range was launched in 2021 and the latest range is the Ikat Stripe range, launching June 2022

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