Catriona McLean acts as consultant in the following key areas -

• Design
• Trends
• Product Sourcing & Range Planning
• Own Label & Product Development
• Introduction to & establishment of Export Markets

Examples of projects undertaken -

• Design of furniture for a conservatory in a private London residence
• Design of flatpack ironwork range for manufacture in Vietnam for UK distributor
• Design of a wrought iron furniture range for car dealer showrooms in the UK
• Design of Planters for manufacturers in Eastern Europe
• Textile Colours & Patterns for a cashmere knitwear range for Japan
• Own-label partnerships between manufacturers and retailers
• Negotiation of exclusive product designs for UK retailers
• Catalogue Product Range development
• Chelsea ‘shop within a shop’ for leading French brand of gardening products
• Negotiation of Japanese franchise for London garden retailer
• French market introduction for UK manufacturer of seed propagators
• Export marketing for French manufacturers – terracotta, seeds and other ranges
• Agencies for product distribution – UK & France

Catriona trained as a fashion designer. When she graduated from Kingston School of Art with first class honours in 1970, she joined Mary Farrin, of Bond Street, London as knitwear designer. From there, she moved to Paris and set up the Catriona McLean design studio in Paris, working for private clients and international couturiers, for the next five years.

On returning to London she was recruited by the International Wool Secretariat (Woolmark ®) to work in trend and design research. She travelled extensively in Europe, the Far East and Japan, liaising with yarn manufacturers and knitwear producers. Her next move was to House of Fraser plc, as national knitwear buyer, sourcing from Italy, France, Taiwan, Korea & Hong Kong.

After a break to look after her children and a move to Scotland, she was recruited by the Scottish Development Agency to promote exports for the Scottish textile industry around the world, again mainly dealing with Europe and the Far East. When this contract was completed she joined a Hawick based cashmere producer to manage knitwear export sales to the same overseas markets plus the USA.

In the early 90’s the Scottish cashmere knitting industry went into decline, and she decided to set up once more as independent in the mid ‘90’s, which is when the Catriona McLean Consultancy was born. She moved to Montpellier in 2004, and since then, has traded from France.

Catriona brings to consultancy not only her substantial experience of international markets and her manifest flair for design, but also a personal and constantly refreshed enthusiasm for the products and projects she works on.

Throughout her career she has had to be, and chosen to be, at the leading edge of market and design trends, and it is for the resulting originality, and energy of, her ideas and plans, that she is respected by her clients.

If you would like to discuss a project with Catriona send us an email with your contact details, including your telephone number, and she will get back to you.