ABOUT BWD

Background

Barbara Wiggins, the creative force of Barbara Wiggins Designs, has always had a passion for paper and leather (her great-grandfather had a leather business in Ireland). Steeped in nature as a child in the depths of the Irish countryside, Barbara has always loved painting and colour and has drawn and painted passionately since the age of eight, encouraged by artistic parents each with a great eye for quality materials, craftsmanship, painting and drawing, and a love of nature. Barbara founded her business in 1983 and it is now well-established in the UK and overseas as a supplier of innovative British handcrafted stationery and leather products. Some major customers, like Liberty in London, have been buying right from the outset, and many others have been buying for more than 20 years. In addition to these stalwarts, we welcome smaller upcoming customers for whom our products reflect the need for contemporary design with quality materials and craftsmanship.

Inspiration and Innovation

Originating from a fine art background, Barbara finds most of her inspiration in nature: the pockets of green in the South East, the River Thames, Deptford Creek, Hillyfields, and the ancient woodland of Oxleas Woods are favourite places to draw.

Her design approach is an imaginative combination of old and new concepts in mostly natural materials, including suedes, leathers, silks, linens and papers, with a high quality of craftsmanship to create original, tactile and delightful products that will be a pleasure to use for many years.

Contemporary Classics

Continual product development using contemporary colours and design features mixed with classic and traditional styling ensures fresh new products emerge each season. Exciting accessories, including purses, pencilcases, music bags, satchels, passport and travel pass holders, luggage tags and key fobs, accompany coordinating stationery ranges comprising albums, notebooks, address books, journals, diaries, portfolios, bookmarks and frames.

Personal Touch

The ability to retain the personal contact, attention to detail and responsiveness to emerging trends are fundamental strengths of the business. A bespoke service is also offered to complement the wide range of stocked products.