Case studies: Textile design studio owner: Tracey Brown

Tracey Brown did a BA Hons in Surface Pattern and Textiles at Brunel University and now runs her own design studio, Bay and Brown.

I was fortunate to get my first job before I left university. Assessed on my portfolio, I was taken on as a basic designer in a well-established studio where I spent the next five years. It was a relatively small studio, so I received a great deal of help in developing my professional skills and becoming a commercial designer.

Following this experience, I decided to freelance and worked with two studios, largely focused on designing for womenswear. There is a great difference between working in-house, with stability and a supportive environment in which to develop, and being freelance with studios acting as agents; I had to be far more independent and confident in working.

My ambition had been to run my own business and my degree had offered a grounding in the basics of being self-employed, such as how to deal with tax and national insurance. I took an Open University degree in business studies alongside my design work and although I've learned a lot from this, not all of it was directly related to running my own business.

After four years now with my own design studio, I’m still loving every minute of it. I work with around 15 freelancers and a partner whose expertise is sales. Our business is based around producing hand-painted, one-off originals which are then used by major fashion companies in developing their garments. Our client base includes Top Shop, Marks & Spencer, Zara, Calvin Klein and other internationally known fashion brands.

I don’t do much hands-on design work now, but have the satisfaction of leading the creative work of others, keeping up to date with fashion trends on the catwalk and deciding on the themes and direction that our work will take. Each of my freelancers has their own style and area of excellence - for example florals or abstracts, and this enables us to have a wide client base. We have a presence at the major trade shows in Paris, Italy and New York and use secondary agents in other areas of the world.

Working in the textile design field is not an easy job. The hours can be long and the pressure to meet deadlines can be intense. However, the rewards are very high in terms of job satisfaction and enjoyment. I still get an enormous amount of pleasure in the weekly meetings with my designers, seeing their new work and discussing the next developments. My plans for the future are to continue with the business and work to make it grow. I can't imagine doing anything else.

For students wanting a career as a textile designer, my advice is to make sure that you have very strong drawing skills to contribute to your portfolio and that you have a keen eye for fashion. There is great competition for initial posts in studios offering the industry experience you’ll need, so make sure before applying to a studio that your portfolio presents work that would be appropriate for their style and client base.