Janet Timmis

Background

About Janet Timmis

There is a whole technical element of clothing which fascinates me: the constantly evolving innovation and science of fabrics and the possibilities of solving new and old problems in the garment industry. The challenge of researching the technical demands of any marketplace and the excitement when I find a practical solution to the problem is what keeps me constantly interested in this field. Whether it’s specialist sports clothing or technical PPE, the needs and problems are vitally important to the wearers and finding a solution for them is deeply satisfying. I’ve been involved in a wide range of areas of clothing design for many technical garments, from the development of the ultimate protective garments for the Home Office CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear)- through to the design of specialist waterproof motorcycle clothing and protective equestrian clothing: all involving the challenge of extreme hazards. While my drawing board has been the starting point for all types of garments from leisure to technical, I also cut patterns, make samples and write specifications for manufacture and compliance. In addition to design and creation, I’ve also worked on improvements in the speed of implementation and quality improvement – this is truly an end-to-end product operation! I also find educating and improving the understanding of the kit that people are wearing incredibly fulfilling – watching understanding dawn on someone’s face always gives me a sense of achievement. Whether it is teaching Fashion Business and Marketing to Foundation Degree students, or teaching Engineers about the safety features of their fire-resistant gear, it all requires a skill in imparting the complicated knowledge I have built up over 45 years of experience in the clothing industry. Of course, it always helps to add in practical, hands-on, deconstructed examples to illustrate my points! Working with Anchor Safety as Head of Product Development, and ensuring that workers can go home safe at the end of each day, is certainly a satisfying challenge for me which builds on my layers of experience with industries, garments and fabrics of all kinds. It means I can engage my creativity and come up with solutions which will make a genuine difference to people's working lives. If you would like help in protecting and engaging your workforce, then I can be contacted at janet.timmis@anchorsafety.co.uk When I’m not brandishing layers of fabric, tape measure, scissors and notebook, I like to write – I’m very proud to say I am the published author of a children’s book.