Philip Jacobs studied printed textiles at Hornsey College of Art from 1973 to 1976. He then worked freelance designing dress fabrics and designs for bedding for the American, Japanese and English markets. In the early 1980's he started designing furnishing fabrics for most of the major English companies including Sanderson, Libertys, Bakers and Osborne and Little eventually becoming Design Director of Rammson & Crocker. Through Rammson & Crocker he designed furnishing collections for the major American companies including Brunschwig, Lee Jofa, Rose Cummings, Hinson, Baker Furniture etc., as well as collections for Marks & Spencer in England.

Philip now works freelance again and has over the years built up a vast archive of antique textiles and wallpapers from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The archive is stored in an old converted stable at his home in Dorset and acts as a source of inspiration for new designs. He is now producing furnishing and wallpaper designs for Andrew Martin, Colefax & Fowler, Sanderson, Zoffany and is working with Kaffe Fassett producing the quilting designs for Westminster fabrics.

His other interests include digging up fossil dinosaur bones on the Jurassic coast of Dorset near his home, and he has recently had a book of practical philosophy published in England and in the States.