At Modus we know we need to work hard to bring greater diversity to our fabulous roster of designers, we are working on this, but this International Women’s Day we want to pay homage to three brilliant designers who are a joy to work with and an inspiration to any woman thinking of entering the design industry…
Celebrating International Women's Day
We have been working with Monica Förster since 2007, her sculptural approach to design has led to some fabulous pieces including the new Panda collection, a gorgeously sensuous range of upholstery pieces all made in our Somerset factory.
Recent winner of the Elle Deco Designer of The Year Award 2021, Monica works in multiple fields and can turn her hand to anything.
“I like my life to be interchanging and full of contrast. Simple things are sometimes the best.” - Monica Förster
We began working with Terri Pecora in 2019, launching her Clara collection in 2020, just before #lockdown1. Clara is a range of upholstery pieces with a lifecycle thinking approach, designed for disassembly, every piece has individual soft cushions inside a tubular frame.
Terri works across a broad spectrum of design fields from furniture to bathroom design.
“Today, I’m very happy, proud and grateful to be a creative, working woman and mother. It’s true there are a lot of obstacles for women who work in male dominated fields, but I prefer to keep my focus on what I WANT, so things move forward in the direction that I WANT. And when they do, it makes it all that much sweeter knowing that I ROSE to the challenge to make it happen. It can be hell moving through creativity, work, domesticity, relationships and motherhood all at the same time: massive multitasking. But I wouldn’t have it any other way, I like very much being my own woman." - Terri Peccora
Gemma Matthias is co-founder of SmithMatthias with whom we have been working since 2014. With a love of the natural world and an approach that respects planetary boundaries, Gemma’s work on the March Lite chair resulted in a pared back stacking chair with exceptional attention to detail.
"I'm proud that I'm building a business, the perseverance and hard work this requires, and I’m proud of the products and furniture we're creating. Women can add to the design world in the same way anyone else who is engaged with it can. I think there has been a hangover in the design world from the more traditional gender specific roles that dominated most of the C20th. The gender gap is certainly changing, particularly nowadays, but I wonder if that’s still a factor for young women looking to pursue a career in the industry, whether that's because it's seen as inherently more ‘masculine' or simply being an area that’s dominated by men, don’t see themselves represented. There's still a big lack of diversity in the industry which must be addressed. There are many females in the design industry that inspire and motivate me, many of whom are my friends, and we support and inspire each other." - Gemma Matthias
Smith.Matthias
