David Oakey: Pioneer of Sustainable Design

The Museum of Carpet is delighted to host a talk by David Oakey, pioneer of sustainable design, award-winning entrepreneur and textile industry disruptor.

Across a stellar career that has taken him from the streets of Kidderminster to the boardrooms of some of the world’s biggest companies, David Oakey has blazed a trail in the practice of ‘biomimicry’ – finding solutions to textile design, manufacturing and business problems in partnership with nature.

David will take his audience on a tour from his early days as a student of carpet design in Kidderminster, to his ground-breaking work with global companies who are increasing their investment in the circular economy. Alongside insights about his design practice, David will provide inspiration on how we can all live, work and consume more sustainably.

Driven by a philosophy that good design means a product exists not merely for its own sake, but also with the effects of its waste in mind – which must be reusable or recyclable – David has proved time and again that business can be both sustainable and commercially successful.

This talk is a must for anyone with an interest in textiles, art, design and sustainability. Tickets are £15 per person. A limited number of free student tickets are also available on a first-come-first-served basis.