Experience

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  Charles and Patricia Lester Ltd.

  • Textile Manufacturing
  • 1 - 100 Employee

  • Designer and owner

    • Dec 1964 - Present

    There is no such word as 'retirement' - as we near the traditional period that might suggest such a major change we do not necessarily have to walk away from the things that we love doing. What happens is a change of emphasis and perhaps we can be allowed to chose to do different things and hand over the more routine tasks to the next generation. However this has not really happened with Charles and Patricia because they are still very active in all aspects of the business including the ever challenging internet work. Through social networking on the internet they have met and continue to meet such a wonderful diverse variety of people with whom they can exchange ideas as well as expanding the potential for internet marketing. The latest project is printing, onto canvas, large format photographs that Charles has taken over the years. They have turned part of the workhouse site into an art gallery and are keen to let space to other creative people. http://www.guilt-edged.com/lester-gallery Gradually these pictures will appear on the internet - powerful images that will work brilliantly with contemporary interior design projects, both for the private home, or the corporate offices and luxury hotels.

  • Owner designer

    • Dec 1964 - Present

    The business was originally started so that Patricia could look after her young family - so she took in dressmaking and alterations. This gradually evolved into the business that it is today - with no formal training restricting her imagination she has, with the help of Charles, gone beyond the boundaries of traditional craftsmanship associated with dressmaking and textile design.

  • Textile and fashion designer

    • Jan 1964 - Present

    Designer of textiles, both prints and textures and colouring as well as the design of the final garments and interior pieces. All approached with original ideas. The hand pleated silk is impossible to be made in a traditional way so new techniques became necessary to structure these garments. Later they explored the idea of using the pleated silk to make dramatic 'impressionistic' wall hangings. These take many months to complete as they are intricately stitched in every direction to anchor the fluid silk firmly onto the backing cloth which is then quilted to complete the piece.

  • Owner Designer

    • 1964 - Present

    Initially Patricia made clothes out of ready-made fabrics; at the time the fabrics were synthetic and soulless. In order to have genuinely unique garments they started experimenting with painting and traditional techniques of tie-dye, batik using natural fibres such as silk, cotton and linen. They gradually extended to exploring new ideas by adding texture and colour to silks and velvets. The pleated fabric became a signature of their work and was sort after by many prestigious stores around the world, especially in the United States. Small collections in branches of Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom etc. with more comprehensive collections in Bergdorf Goodman, Bendels, Barneys, Forgotten Woman etc. Harrods in London carried a collection in their plus department until the department was closed a couple of years ago. Liberty’s and Fortnum & Mason were major stockists in London for a number of years until Fortnum’s ceased carrying clothing lines and Liberty’s changed emphasis to a more high street genre. Liberty’s are now returning to their roots of art and collectible collections and the Lester line is again available in the store.Many celebrities have bought Charles and Patricia's clothes - icons of the worlds of film, opera and pop music - people that love the unique and rare quality of the work - Dame Judi Dench, Helena Bonham Carter, Barbra Streisand, Whoopi Goldberg, to name but a few. Their clothes are popular with a number of high profile opera singers because they have that timeless quality tht is so good for performances.Their work for films has included costumes for the film 'Wings of the Dove' nominated for an Oscar for the costume designer Sandy Powell. And they have made costumes and set textiles for a number of operas for Opera Holland Park in London.Their latest venture is putting the house that they have built in West Wales onto the Welsh Film Commission site as a location for films.

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  St. Anne's College, Oxford University

  • Oxford, United Kingdom

  • Secretary/PA

    • 1960 - 1962
    • Oxford, United Kingdom

    PA and general secretarial work for tutors and the Principal at St. Anne's College - Oxford University.