In Conversation with: Honor Clough, Area Business Manager - Rail at Camira Fabrics

HONOR CLOUGH, AREA BUSINESS MANAGER – RAIL AT CAMIRA FABRICS

Honor recently passed her Sales Executive course. She has worked on the new fabric for Transport for London’s Deep Tube Upgrade Programme with Siemens and the East Midlands Railways Aurora launch film. She also worked to get Camira Print on to the new Tyne & Wear Metro.

How did you get started in the industry?

I started in Camira’s transport customer services team in 2015 and then moved into the sales department in 2019. Joining Camira was a great move for me as I had studied textiles in school and had a real interest in the products. Prior to working at Camira I worked in administrative role in the product sampling and legal sectors.

When did you join Camira Fabrics and what is your role within the company?

I started in April 2015 and I am the Area Business Manager for Rail; this involves nurturing relationships with our transport customers, growing business in the transport sector and collaborating with other departments to provide excellent customer service and promote our textile products for the transport sector.

What would you say is the most exciting technology in the industry?

Camira Print transforms what is possible in rail interiors. With cutting edge capabilities, Camira Print creates fabrics using state-of-the-art digital print technology that delivers design and manufacturing freedom.

Applied to a lightweight British wool moquette fabric, it provides the ultimate in durability, and meeting the highest of standards, there’s a reason why moquette is part of the transport sector’s past, present, and future.

An industry rich in heritage and iconic in its textiles, the fabrics of bygone transport eras can be brought to life with Camira Print which makes recreating existing designs simpler than ever before using images, logos and branding.

What are some of the biggest challenges this sector currently faces?

Transport accounts for around a fifth of global carbon dioxide emissions and has the highest reliance on fossil fuels of any sector, it’s a challenge for transport designers to create an interior that is sustainable whilst remaining durable and aesthetic for years to come.

Rail already has strong credentials for sustainability, with lower emissions compared to other modes of transport. What we get asked by customers is what can interiors do to address sustainability, and more specifically how can we provide them with sustainable textile solutions.

Hybrid, Camira’s wool rich composition is one of our most sustainable transport textiles. Its renewable fibres are highly durable, supremely technical, ultra-intelligent, and can even enhance the air quality of transport interiors with its ability to absorb harmful gases. With an ever-increasing need to embrace sustainability in each element of our lives, Hybrid marks the future of transport textiles.

What types of products and services do you offer?

Camira offers moquette, leather, vinyl and faux leather fabrics.

What are some standout projects you’ve been involved in over the years?

Elizabeth Line, Avanti, East Midlands, Central Line, DART Irish Rail, COP26. We are involved in most of the projects in the UK rail market.