Anna Dent is a surface pattern designer, creating simple, energetic and retro influenced designs, based in London. Anna takes pride in the fact that all of her designs start with hand drawings, which she then transforms and modifies digitally. She is trained as a fine artist and has been designing fabrics and patterns professionally since 2011. Anna loves fabric designs from the 1940s-1970s and is especially inspired by Scandinavian designs and modernist furniture. So we are proud to bring you the Designer Insights of Anna Dent.
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1) In your own words describe your unique style and creative aesthetic?
My style is simple and fresh, using hand-drawn geometric patterns and shapes, with a mid-century influence and also a Scandinavian feel.
2) When starting a new project, what is your creative process?
All of my patterns start off with hand-drawn shapes and lines, which either come from a free doodling session, or from a shape or pattern that I notice around me and feel inspired by.
3) Out of the creative people you have worked with, who is it that you respect and admire the most?
When I was a child I tried making some pots with my grandmother Marianne de Trey, but mine were never as good as hers! She trained as a textile designer at the Royal College of Art, and then took up ceramics, working with my grandfather. She was a fantastic painter, hand-painting beautiful designs onto her pots. She’s still with us at 101 years old, which is definitely something to respect!
4) When looking for inspiration is there a particular thing you do to get inspired?
I do a mixture of things to look for inspiration, sometimes it comes from looking at work that I love and admire, sometimes from really observing the world around me, and sometimes ideas just pop into my head.
5) What has brought you to this point in your career? And what is your advice for people looking to follow in your footsteps?
I’ve always loved textiles and pattern and realised a few years ago that I’d like to try making my own. I run my design business alongside another career, which has enabled me to develop it organically and try out new things. If you’ve got an idea, give it a go – you never know where it will lead!