Inspirational Women: Accelerating Action with Lynn Kingdon, Head of Creative Design at Camira

To celebrate International Women’s Day 2025, Design Insider is proud to present a special series highlighting Inspirational Women leading the way in commercial interiors. These visionary professionals are shaping the industry through experience, their unique approach, and a commitment to driving meaningful change.

This year’s theme, Accelerate Action, underscores the urgent need to dismantle systemic barriers and fast-track progress toward gender equality. At the current rate, full parity won’t be reached until 2158—five generations from now. By amplifying the voices of women who are making a tangible impact, we aim to inspire industry-wide action and showcase effective strategies that help move the needle faster.

In this exclusive interview series, we speak with Lynn Kingdon, Head of Creative Design at Camira, to explore her journey, insights, and the initiatives she supports to create a more inclusive and equitable commercial interiors sector. From championing rising talent to breaking down barriers in leadership, she shares how we can all contribute to a future where women thrive.

Can you start by introducing yourself, your role, and your business? What drives your passion for the work you do?

I am Head of Creative Design at Camira, a global leader in sustainable textiles for contract and hospitality spaces.

After starting my career in Banking and realising it wasn’t for me, I learnt early on if you don’t love it, stop it! This experience spurred me on to work really hard at something I loved – Art & design. I completed a one-year art foundation course and then I studied Textile Design at Central St Martins.

I began my design career as an intern at Studio Fox Linton before spending a decade at Sanderson. I joined as their first ever colourist, colouring William Morris’s iconic designs and Sanderson chintz florals – I later expanded into printed design and woven collections, sourcing fabrics worldwide.

Eager to advance my leadership skills, I transitioned into retail, leading a dynamic design team at John Lewis. After nine years, I shifted to consulting, allowing me to balance work with parenting. Once my daughter started school, I returned to in-house roles at Laura Ashley and Next Home before joining Camira in 2019. Drawn to Camira’s commitment to sustainability and its passion for colour, I now lead the creative design team.

Textiles and interiors are my passion. I have a love for creating beautiful things – and Camira does exactly that so it’s a perfect fit.

The 2025 International Women’s Day theme is “Accelerate Action”—a call to urgently address systemic barriers to gender equality. In your experience, what are the most pressing challenges women face in the commercial interiors sector, and how do you think these can be addressed faster?

Work and home life balance continues to be a huge challenge for women and despite improvements following the pandemic with the rise in hybrid working, there’s still a way to go to support women in the workplace and allow them to flourish in their careers as well as be present for their families.

To accelerate progress, businesses must take intentional action—ensuring equal opportunities for leadership development, actively supporting mentorship and sponsorship programs, and fostering inclusive workplace cultures. Representation matters, and seeing more women in senior roles will inspire the next generation. Additionally, flexible working policies and a commitment to closing gender pay gaps will help retain and empower female talent. By prioritising these actions, we can drive meaningful change more quickly, creating a more equitable and dynamic industry for all.

As to the future, it does concern me that power will lie in technology increasingly in the future, but women are not yet equally represented in creating it!

Supporting organisations that uplift women is a cornerstone of this year’s campaign. Are there any groups, initiatives, or movements within the commercial interiors industry—or beyond—that you actively support or draw inspiration from? How can individuals and businesses in this sector help accelerate their impact?

Barbara Chandler who heads up Green Grads is an incredibly inspiring role model. Green Grads is a UK-based initiative that provides a platform for new talent to present innovative, eco-conscious ideas, materials, and products that address environmental challenges.

As a role model for women, Barbara Chandler exemplifies how one can successfully combine a passion for sustainability with a commitment to empowering others. She has been a driving force in championing the next generation of designers, advocating for a more inclusive and eco-conscious industry. Her work and influence serve as an inspiration to many, showing that it is possible to be a leader in design while fostering positive change.

To accelerate impact, women in this sector should take the time to mentor and support other women, especially those early in their careers. Being an advocate for women’s ideas and contributions can help amplify their voices in meetings and leadership discussions.

Which other inspirational women are disrupting the commercial interiors sector or related fields right now, and what impact do you think their work will have on the future of the industry—or society as a whole?

Eleanor Pritchard is a really impressive British designer known for her woven textile designs, particularly focusing on creating high-quality fabrics with a strong emphasis on craftsmanship and sustainability. Eleanor is part of a movement that fosters collaboration rather than competition, especially among women in design.

This collaborative mindset helps create a more inclusive and empowering environment for women in the creative industries.

Wallace and Sewell are also a pair of incredibly creative, inspirational women – champions of British design and manufacturing who have successfully built a business in a competitive industry which showcases their entrepreneurial spirit, determination, and leadership.

One of the IWD principles emphasises understanding what works and doing more of it. What strategies, tools, or practices within the commercial interiors sector have you seen that are effectively advancing women in leadership, design, or business? How can these be scaled to make a broader impact?

Technology has created new opportunities not only for the interiors sector but for the workforce as a whole. The ability to work and communicate from virtually anywhere in the world has empowered women to manage personal responsibilities whilst also excelling in their careers.

Additionally, recognising and celebrating women’s achievements—through awards, promotions, or public recognition-can boost confidence, highlight role models, and motivate others to aim for leadership positions. By increasing the visibility of female leaders in design and business, we can inspire more women to pursue leadership roles.

What advice would you give to young women looking to make their mark in the commercial interiors sector? How can they contribute to the global effort to accelerate action for gender equality?

Firstly, you must work hard, learn your craft and be tenacious, there are no short cuts. Be a bit obsessed – be authentic and stay passionate. Then experience in the creative industry is one of the most valuable things you can gain. After two years in the industry, you’ve likely acquired essential tools and gained a basic understanding of the field. It’s important not to be too protective of your style though —whilst it’s vital not to lose sight of your passion and maintain your unique voice, it’s equally important to expand your experience in the early years of your career.

By actively challenging gender stereotypes and biases in everyday life, young people can create a culture of inclusivity. Young people can support each other by building networks of support and fostering mentorship that can help others navigate challenges and open doors to new opportunities.

At the current rate of progress, full gender equality won’t be achieved until 2158. If you could accelerate one key change within the commercial interiors sector that would have the greatest impact on closing the gender gap sooner, what would it be? 

Embracing diversity and creativity and realise it matters. Women must be represented at the highest level.

Finally, what message would you like to share with the global community this International Women’s Day to inspire collective action toward gender equality? 

I have been very lucky in my design career and I am currently blessed to work alongside many inspirational women at Camira in leadership roles who work collectively to create change.

Lastly, I turn to the words of Mary Portas in her book – Work Like a Woman “Men and women have as much to gain as each other from creating radical change in the way we work and live. This is not us or them. This is we.”