A BRIEF HISTORY OF JANET DE BOER O.A.M.

My life was extremely conventional (?) until overturned radically by the decision to start a textile magazine for Australia & surrounds. Since starting the magazine for TAFTA in 1981 I’ve been able to create my own updates via a regular column, “In Glass Houses”… and 2010 sees the 100th edition coming out in November.

An editor wears many hats...in the centre is Helen Lancaster’s version of a Blue Swimmer Crab, originally made to adorn the head of a model who was wearing one of Helens fabulous ‘Wearable Art’ creations (we publish a lot of wearable art)... to the right is a felt shoe with strap, to be worn on the head, for people who like to think they are ‘One Step Ahead’ to the left is a ladylike bow created in hope of the effect it might have...

I delight in bringing together the facts and the fantasy creations, the history and the hopes, the gamut of the textile arts in fact - all for publication - and I run a pretty amazing week long FORUM conference too. It is an honour to have been the CEO of TAFTA (I’m also known as “Executive Director” or simply Employee) for over twenty years now.