Blinds & Shutters talks to Gill Egglestone, product development manager at Rufflette about her role at the company and the path Rufflette is forging for itself   

In fact, an art foundation course was a condition of entry along with a satisfactory pass in chemistry A-level, so ‘diverse’ is how Gill describes her academic training in retrospect – creative, practical, hands on with need for self-discipline and motivation.

It has left her with not only a finely honed creative, inspirational ability, but also an equal measure of technical knowledge, such that ‘inspirational creative’ can be turned into ‘commercial reality’.

It has also left her with an evangelical belief that all designers should start their conceptual ideas as original drawings, not in CAD created artwork, that hand painted artwork, not computer generated execution is the key to true creative flair.

The beneficiary of such a clear-sighted understanding of both art and science is Rufflette.  In the last three years it has moved from a curtain tape and accessories manufacturer with generic dominance to the leading expert in bespoke window fashions. It launched its first fabric collection at the end of 2007 and has since added more cutting edge blinds, poles, tracks, decorative accessories and a variety of optional finishes to its blinds range.

It has also started to pioneer a bespoke service using its in-house Home Couture make up service to give consumers unique window treatments.  With typical Rufflette commercial sensitivity, the idea is that the retailer can sell and take the credit for the complete window makeover, actually produced by Rufflette, and be paid by the customer, before ever having to pay Rufflette.

With all this innovation backed by core knowledge of how it’s made and how to make it work commercially, Rufflette is well placed to serve that sector of the market that appreciates bespoke solutions that are beautiful, interesting and special to the individual as well as high quality and practical.

Combined with Rufflette’s clear commercial understanding of what works financially for the retailer and designer, Gill’s influence is leading the creation of a rejuvenated force in blinds, fabrics, blind systems and window fashions in general.

So how did Gill hone her skills? “I was told at college that the BSc textile design and design management degree I was studying was unlikely to offer me much of a career as a textile designer, so of course I wanted to prove otherwise, but my actual job today does show that it’s my wider knowledge that refines my designs and ensures that Rufflette collections are good for retail in the widest sense.

“I started with a placement at Coats Viyella Home Furnishings, who at the time owned the Dorma brand, during college. Following an academic article I wrote on the history of polyester in conjunction with the then Design Director plus the fact that one of my designs was taken up by BHS, I got a longer placement after college and then was offered a role as a creative designer with increasing managerial responsibility. Ultimately, I became the design co-ordinator for the BHS account followed by the position of own brand design manager. I then left the textile industry to work for a leading supplier of gold, silver, and costume jewellery, before coming to Rufflette to do 18 months of product sourcing and product development.  

“In complete contrast, I then spent months in Greece, returning to work for another couple of large textile companies as a design manager servicing own label accounts such as Next and Debenhams, where I worked on everything imaginable to do with soft furnishings. However, interesting as this was, it was a reactive role not proactive and in 2004, I returned to Rufflette to take over product design and development, adding marketing to my remit in 2006.

“And it’s fascinating effecting and overseeing the kind of transformation which Rufflette has gone through and which it is now adding to year on year.  I do use the obvious sources of information and inspiration – exhibitions, magazines, colour forecasting and trend prediction books – but my favourite inspirations are more obscure. For example I very rarely look at like for like products for inspiration as there is too much danger that you just get ‘me too’ results. I have a tendency to look at other surface pattern designs – from fashion to gift wrap etc. – and I really like to take inspiration from historic or archive pieces of design. The key factor is that I don’t use CAD except for 3-D design work.  OK, it is very useful for facilitation, but it is also detrimental in terms of good original design. Drawing and painting have a freedom and freshness which give vitality to design that is not evident in work that is computer generated which in turn, has a tendency to look stiff, flat and formulaic.  Weave is always sculptural and CAD, by its nature flattens and formalises. My view is that ever since circa 1996 when CAD came into to commercial design, design originality within textiles itself has tended downhill. Used properly, for finishing and presenting, it is a great help, but too many people who are talented textile artists are pushed more towards using CAD for artwork due to the speed and flexibility it offers…”

So, apart from working by hand and finding genuinely original sources of inspiration, what can we expect to see in blinds and window fashions over the next few years? For someone who once wrote an academic treatise on the use of polyester, it is a particularly interesting world… Gill explaiined:“The increasing price of oil is pushing up the prices of synthetic oil-based fibres and today’s environmental conscience is also encouraging the exploration of alternatives. Rufflette has recently started to use bamboo. At the moment it’s for poles, but I expect to see bamboo and other natural products increasingly used as a fibre source for fabrics, along with environmentally sound dyestuffs.  Technically, I am looking for the least amount of chemical processing possible, which means looking towards linens, cottons, flax, hemp, and natural wood or grass fibres for use in blinds and fabrics in general. I think the popularity of yellows and greens, while reflective of bolder taste and a move away from naturals, is nevertheless still picking up on the interest in ‘eco’, so I think these will be around for a while.”

• Rufflette