Esme Young (born 19 February 1949) is an English fashion designer and television presenter.[2][3] Since 2016, she has been a judge on the BBC reality series The Great British Sewing Bee.[4]
Esme Young | |
|---|---|
| Born | Esme A. Young 19 February 1949[1] Bedford, Bedfordshire |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Central St Martins |
| Occupation | Fashion designer |
| Label | Swanky Modes |
| Parent(s) | Brian Pashley Young CB CBE, Patricia Cole |
Early life and education
Esme Young was born at Bedford Hospital,[1] the second of five children.[5][3] Her father, Air Vice Marshal Brian Pashley Young CB CBE (1918–1992), was born in Natal, South Africa,[6] and was a career officer in the RAF.[5] He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1944,[7] a Commander of the same order in 1960,[8] and a Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1972.[9] In Series 8 of The Great British Sewing Bee, Young revealed that her father was captain of Wasps RFC in the 1950/51 season. Her mother, Patricia Josephine Cole, was a secretary who worked as a nurse during the Second World War.[3][10]
Young attended the Convent of the Holy Ghost, Bedford, where she learnt to draw and to sew.[11] She went on to Saint Martins School of Art.[11][3]
Career
Swanky Modes
In 1972, Young, along with fellow fashion designers Judy Dewsbury, Melanie Herberfield, and Willie Walters, founded a shop in Camden Town called Swanky Modes.[12][13][2] Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Swanky Modes clothing appeared in Vogue, Nova, Honey and The Face.[4] Their clothing was also photographed by Helmut Newton, David Bailey, Nick Knight, and John Swannell.[4]
Film and television
Young has made costumes for many films including The Beach, Bridget Jones' Diary, Romeo & Juliet and Trainspotting.[11][14]
Since 2016, Young has been a judge on The Great British Sewing Bee.[4] One of Young's most famous designs was the 'Amorphous Dress' worn by Linda Kozlowski in the 1986 movie Crocodile Dundee; a dress that is now in the V&A Collection.[15]
In December 2022, she was a contestant on Richard Osman’s House of Games.[16]
Academic career
She teaches at Central Saint Martins and is involved in a project called "Exploding Fashion" which highlights the importance of pattern cutting.[14][17]
Writing
Young published her autobiography in 2022: Behind the Seams: My Life in Creativity, Friendship and Adventure from the star of the Great British Sewing Bee.[18][19]