Diane and Jim Gaffney
Di and Jim Gaffney, as the founders of Textile Traders, are well-known specialists in batik and handmade textiles – initially from Indonesia but today from around the world.
For 40 years they have been travelling, reasearching and buying textiles and related artefacts from many skilled artisans who are not only business partners, but valued friends.
They really know their stuff, having travelled the back roads all across Asia, through ‘the Stans’ and China all the way to Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Java.
In recent years they’ve gradually transitioned the business to the next generation of Textile Traders.
Their son Sean now handles Textile Traders events, while pseudo-daughter Olli Moon manages the website and mail order business.
Di and Jim are still integral to the World Textile Days team – helping organise the experts, traders and speakers at our venues around the UK. World Textile Day wouldn’t happen without them!
Jim Gaffney’s Textile Treasures
Jim Gaffney is an acknowledged expert in Asian textiles – particularly Javanese batik and natural-dyed textiles from South East Asia. His talks at World Textile Days and beyond are always fascinating, bringing you closer to the textiles and the people who make them.
Having transitioned the Textile Traders business to the younger generation, Jim just can’t let go completely.
‘Once a trader, always a trader,’ he admits.
So, with no occupational pension to fall back on, he still aims to eke out a ‘meagre crust’ in his declining years as a ‘nomadic rag trader’. His words, not ours.
You’ll find him with his table loaded with the leftovers from 4o+ years of travelling, collecting and trading textiles.