EPISODE 161 - CREATIVE MATTERS

Ana joined Creative Matters as a designer in 1999, enjoyed many years as Creative Director and became a Vice President and partner in 2017. She balances a combination of highly evolved technical expertise with insightful planning, creative designs and organized leadership. Ana manages a team of versatile professionals who contribute diverse skills, languages and cultural fluencies to each project they touch.  With an extensive and international portfolio, Ana is no stranger to collaborating across multiple time zones, countries and cultures. She has designed for residences, boutiques, restaurants, hotels and retail spaces for prominent brands and commercial clients worldwide. Clients respect her as a trusted advisor. As a result, Ana has had the good fortune to work with repeat clients on multiple projects. Ana speaks at trade shows in Canada, the U.S. Europe and Asia. She has travelled to Nepal, India, Thailand and the U.S. to work directly with our mill partners. She is proud to work with Label STEP – our fair trade partner – to ensure the best working conditions for the artisans who weave our handknotted rugs.  Ana has built her expertise over the last 21 years on the philosophy of creating designs that are not only beautiful but have a deep understanding of the interior designer’s vision for the overall space.  Her recent business passion is working with clients on hospitality projects that include both floor and wallcoverings. These capture many of the creative elements she loves along with an intense level of project management.  Ana is a graduate of the Textile Studio at Sheridan College in Canada. Ali joined Creative Matters in 2006 as a designer and steadily evolved into a people and project management role, becoming Vice President and partner in 2017. Consequently she brings a wealth of creative and project management expertise to hospitality, restaurant, retail and residential floorcovering design projects. Ali’s approach to all projects is to lead with knowledge and learning, making her experience openly available to clients, colleagues and peers. She has successfully managed projects in Canada, the U.S., South Asia and the Caribbean. Ali works with sustainable design principles, an emphasis on natural materials and a collaborative approach to problem solving. Listening to and understanding our clients’ needs and developing team relationships are essential for Ali. She’s exceptional at communicating design direction to our designers and translating design concepts into stunning solutions. Ali works with clients, mills and Creative Matters team members to create an inclusive environment where both people and projects can thrive. She has travelled to India, Thailand, China and the U.S. to work directly with our mills. Recently Ali was the project lead for an award-winning hotel project in Detroit that required 277 rugs made in three different countries including Afghanistan where she helped organize a wonderful collaboration between The World Bank, Turquoise Mountain and our fair trade endorser Label STEP. Ali is a graduate in fine art and geography from the University of Guelph in Canada. https://creativemattersinc.com/ https://www.instagram.com/cmi_design/