Please introduce yourself…
Hello my name is Jo England and I’m the founder of Tribe Dubai. Tribe is a niche, interior brand that specialises in sustainable materials that are ethically sourced and handmade. Our collections range from furniture and décor to rugs and lighting. We have a well-known retail store in The Courtyard and our customers are B2C and B2B.
I’m Australian and been in UAE for eight years and previously lived in London and Kuala Lumpur for total 15 years. I transitioned into interiors after a long career in advertising and corporate branding as senior art director and stylist.
Describe your studio to us…
I have a beautiful light-filled loft design studio, only a minute drive from our store in Al Quoz. It is filled with our sustainable pieces that are so beautiful and naturally lifts the energy level of the space. With a showroom and workshop where our reclaimed wood is lovingly restored and crafted into furniture pieces and filled with rug and fabric samples.
How has COVID-19 affected how you work?
Since lockdown, work location has become more about convenience. My days are planned based on site visits and photo shoots so having the flexibility to work from home is sometimes more effective; I can focus on projects and product design. I work on my laptop with a sketch pad, so a chair beside the pool is my preference while the weather is so incredibly perfect.
How does your day start?
I touch base with my team, check in on projects and usually get styling on a photo shoot or an installation of a project. With the launch of our 15-day custom-made sofa collection, I also spend a lot of time on production and checking details for our customers.
What are your current projects?
The studio is a balance of designing new product for the store, working with trade on F&B, residential and design projects. A very exciting project at the moment is a beautiful outdoor living space on a remote island which will be a stunning gathering space for the family to spend quality time. I drive onto a boat to get to the location, which is fun. We are also absolutely loving working on a Bvulgari Penthouse project, which is a gorgeous mix of our custom sofas and decor.
Tell us about the day’s high and low
High points of a day are usually seeing a creative process come to fruition. It can be an installation or unloading a container of new product and designs. This brings a lot of energy and excitement. Challenges at the moment are restrictions of the pandemic which are changing and shifting regularly as information unfolds. With an online store, free delivery and a dedicated support team, we have managed to keep going through this time.
Where’s your inspiration location?
I take a lot of inspiration from my coastal home town of Byron Bay, Australia. It is so rich in natural beauty, is located between a mountain range and the ocean and the region is filled with inspiring artists that we also source from.
What’s on your desk and what are you listening to?
On my desk is my laptop and a notepad and marker and a refillable water bottle because I dislike plastic bottles immensely. My playlist is in keeping with our Tribe vibe, is a Café Del Mar mix or a good podcast on parenting or entrepreneurship.
What do you love about your work space and what would you change?
I love how it’s light and airy, planned well and organised; our loft studio has a little back door and we can drop straight into our product storage and carpentry workshop, which is so important when curating these projects.
We are an efficient team and all communicate closely so it’s great to have all our spaces close enough to touch base when need to. We have a large photography space that is also a canvas to play and we style up our new arrivals to shoots and get the shots straight up onto Instagram. Only thing I would change is move it beside the beach.
When does your day end?
I find the days I work from home there is a blurred line between the day ending, it tends to be more of a balancing act to get everything done. It also depends if I’m planning orders and may be working till late because I’m talking to my artists in Morocco or up early to touch base with Australia or Indonesia.
What’s the last things you do before you leave work?
Tidy my space, thank my amazing team, and put my mask on…