UKFT Rise – Founder Feature with Alicia Rowbotham
30/03/2022
Meet Alicia Rowbotham, 25, founder of Alicia Rowbotham Studio, with a focus on reinventing textile waste materials into luxurious and contemporary interiors.
Read Alicia’s feature with UKFT Rise below:
Company launched in: 2020
My background is in… Textile Design & Material innovation within fashion and interiors.
I decided to start my business because… I wanted to continue the research I started in my degree at Central Saint Martin’s looking into creative solutions for utilising waste materials from factories in the UK, specifically textile factories. I started working with interior designers and galleries creating new work with waste and my practice began to grow and evolve into a viable business model.
Something that really helped in getting my business off the ground is… I was awarded the Clothworkers company grant in 2020, which included subsidised studio space and business mentorship with Cockpit Studios. This really kick started everything for me and allowed me to see it was possible to work for myself full time.
An area of business I’d like to gain more knowledge of is…I am currently looking into gaining new skills in furniture and interior fabrication in hopes of expanding my bespoke collections with unique collectable furnishings, wallcoverings, interior panelling and immersive surfaces.
Three important qualities for an entrepreneur are… Have confidence in your own abilities, be consistent with the quality of your work and be patient in the process!
A UKFT Rise subscriber I find inspiring would be… As a fellow woven textile designer and enthusiast I love what Jonny MacKinnon is doing with his textiles.
Something happening in the industry that’s inspiring me right now is…I love that the trends for white on white interiors are losing momentum and trends for bold colour and textures are back in full force! As a designer who works directly in this industry I love to see bold, playful and immersive interior projects.
A change I’d like to see in the industry would be… More cross collaboration over different industries! I would love to see more creative collaboration between designers and industrial factories in the UK.
