Textile Design alumna on her exciting global career with Edinburgh Weavers
21 May 2026
From spending a summer studying in Florence as part of her course to now travelling to Italy again as part of her job, BA(Hons) Textile Design alumna Alex Barton has used the technical, creative and communication skills gained from her time at Falmouth to travel, exhibit work and flourish in her role as sales executive at internationally renowned textile company Edinburgh Weavers.
We caught up with Alex to chat about her role in the export team, how studying textiles has supported her in her career and the opportunities that can arise from immersing yourself in the world of textile design.
Can you talk us through your role as sales executive? For example, what does it entail and what opportunities does it bring?
I’ve been working as sales executive at Edinburgh Weavers on the export team for just over a year now, and I absolutely love it. My role involves working closely with international clients, presenting new collections and supporting the growth of our export market.
One of the most exciting aspects of my role is the opportunity to travel and meet people from different sectors of the industry. Within my first month at the company, I attended the Interwoven Show in North Carolina, where we showcase our collections twice a year to the US furniture market.
Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to travel to other countries, visiting customers across a range of international markets, which is an amazing experience.
How were you involved in the Edinburgh Weavers exhibition in Italy earlier this month?
Edinburgh Weavers exhibited its brand-new collection at the Proposte Fair in Lake Como, Italy, which is really exciting. It’s such a great opportunity to meet our customers face to face, with people travelling from places all around the world such as Japan, the USA, Spain and Argentina.
There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes before the show, from spending time working closely with in-house designers to pull the collection together and ensure everything feels cohesive, to curating and designing the stand and display. During the exhibition, I chatted with clients, presented the new collection and made connections, one of my favourite parts of the job. It was a lovely mix of catching up with existing customers and meeting new people in the industry.
In what ways do you use the skills gained from your time as a BA(Hons) Textile Design student within your role?
Every day I find myself using the skills I developed during my degree. From colour knowledge and pattern repeats to understanding fabric composition and different printing techniques, having this creative background and knowledge to draw on really helps when presenting collections and talking about design process with clients.
During my studies, I had multiple opportunities to exhibit my work, from the graduate show to New Designers, and I was also selected by the Embroiderers’ Guild to exhibit at the Knitting and Stitching Shows.
Exhibitions play such a pivotal role in my job, and having those experiences at Falmouth really helped me build confidence and develop strong communication skills, which are now essential in my current sales role.
How did you find your experience of studying at Falmouth?
I absolutely loved studying at Falmouth. I had visited Cornwall on family holidays and knew I wanted to live there one day, so when it came to applying to university, Falmouth felt like the perfect choice, especially with its strong focus on creativity.
One of the standout aspects for me was the support I received, even before I accepted my offer. As I applied during Covid most universities weren't doing tours, meaning I had to make my decision virtually, but Falmouth reached out and offered me a tour. I travelled down, and the moment I stepped into the Fashion & Textiles Institute, I knew it was where I wanted to study. I’m pretty sure I accepted my offer on the journey home!
During my time there, the support from both staff and peers was amazing. The lecturers were incredibly encouraging, and always made time to help me develop ideas and refine techniques. I was surrounded by such a creative and supportive group of peers; being part of that environment really pushed my work and confidence.
Falmouth also offered some incredible opportunities alongside the course. I took part in the Cultural Immersion Programme, where I spent a summer studying Italian Culture and Art at the University of Florence. It was such an amazing experience and something that has stayed with me since. It feels very full circle now having the opportunity to travel to Italy again through my job role.
Overall, my time at Falmouth gave me both the creative and professional confidence I needed to step into the industry, and it’s an experience I look back on very fondly. My family still joke that they miss having an excuse to visit Cornwall when I lived there!
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