David Kendall's multi-faceted role at David Collins Studio includes overseeing the brand’s marketing and public relations, leading special projects such as the book, ABCDCS (Assouline, 2014), and Past Present Future – the 30th anniversary exhibition presented at Phillips in London in 2015 – as well as being part of the Studio’s senior management team.
The Power List is presented in association with Investec.
What does it mean to you to be named a Walpole 2020 Power List winner?
A lot! 2020 marks the 35th anniversary of David Collins Studio, and my 13th year here!
Simon (Rawlings), Lewis (Taylor) and the design team layer our projects with detail and myriad references, so I am very fortunate that there are a lot of stories to tell within our projects around craft, artisanship, artist collaborations and design. It is really special to work for a brand that affords itself the time to invest in creativity and that creates beautiful, hand-crafted products. That combination of passion, time, research and craft is the real magic of what The Studio does.
Why do you think you were named on the List this year?
After 13 years at The Studio, I see my role as helping to define, develop and preserve the David Collins Studio brand. A big part of that process involves collaboration with writers, photographers and artists from outside The Studio, and seeing our designs through their eyes is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. In a year which has been marked by unprecedented upheaval, I hope that our continuing success shows that this strategy of looking outward and having the confidence to ask others to interpret our work has contributed to our success, and highlights that our clients that have an appreciation of the nuanced world of David Collins Studio.
