At the beginning of the 90s, our lease at Swanky Modes was coming up. Mel had left and Judy was living in Hastings, and it would have all come down to me to run it. So, it felt like the right time to close. Instead, I set up a new workshop and several ex-employees started to get me involved in the film world. Working in this world depends so heavily on who you know and who you meet – I was only asked for a CV when I applied for the position on The Great British Sewing Bee. I’d never done one before and had to get my brother to help me! I’d highly recommend if you’re a fan of Sewing Bee and just want to find out more about Esme, it was a really lovely read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Taking place next April as the perfect way to blow away the cobwebs on a short break with like-minded Prima readers, our three-day trip is set to be a fabulously crafty escape. One of the best sewing courses Bath has to offerAs well as running her successful clothing line, Esme lectures at her old fashion college - the prestigious St Martin's College in London. Esme Young on The Great British Sewing Bee In December 2022, she was a contestant on Richard Osman’s House of Games. [16] Academic career [ edit ] Caroline Baker was the fashion editor at Nova magazine at the time and she loved our see-through plastic macs. She told us Helmut Newton would be keen to photograph them and asked me to send some drawings to him. I drew the macs on naked bodies – mainly because it was too hard to draw them over clothes. Well, he took it literally and that’s how he shot them in the end. [The fashion designer] Katharine Hamnett ended up coming into the shop to buy one. After the BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee burst onto our screens in 2013, we all fell in love with the art of sewing and embroidery all over again, but the fun hasn't stopped with the end of this year's series. I’d only ever seen clips of Sewing Bee on my computer. It’s a new experience for me talking to the camera, but everybody has been helpful and made me feel really relaxed. Well, I was never really relaxed, but they made it easy for me,” she laughs.

At this point, Mr Grant interrupts with a roar of laughter: “Esme’s got plenty to say!” Clearly, the chemistry between the two judges will be something to watch. BBC Two - Richard Osman's House of Games, Series 6, Week 14: Thursday". BBC . Retrieved 11 December 2022. From adventures at Central Saint Martins to The Great British Sewing Bee, go behind the seams of Esme Young's amazing life... She continues: “I get people making comments about what I’m wearing. I probably make a quarter of my clothes.” She was “great fun but far from easy”, Esme writes in her memoir. Her mother ­suffered from postnatal depression and her five children lived with their aunties while she recovered.Her jewellery is a form of self-expression. “When I was a child, I was quite deaf — I expressed and communicated through being creative, drawing and making,” says Young. “When I was a teenager, I expressed through what I wore — and I still do.” At age five, Esme was asked to write in her notebook, but instead, she filled it with drawings - the only way she knew to express herself. At seven, when it was discovered she was partially deaf, she found refuge in her sketchbooks. Shortly after, Esme made her first garment and a passion for sewing and designing was born. As a teenager, she made her way to London where her creative journey truly began. You might not recognise her face, but you have almost certainly seen the work of Esme Young, the stylish judge on The Great British Sewing Bee. Esme Young's clothing line Young has made costumes for many films including The Beach, Bridget Jones' Diary, Romeo & Juliet and Trainspotting. [11] [14] The course in Cambridge taught me everything I needed to know about art – drawing, sculpture, printing… it was very practical and we got to try everything. They had a brilliant graphics department, with lecturers including people like Roger Law (Spitting Image), which is why I then applied to study graphics at what is now Central St Martins. It was a wonderful time – I remember feeling like anything was possible and I could whatever I wanted.

Christie, Janet (11 June 2022). "Esme Young, star of The Great British Sewing Bee goes behind the seams with her new book". The Scotsman . Retrieved 22 September 2022. After Swanky Modes closed in the early Nineties, Young transitioned into costume design. As well as Bridget Jones, she has made clothes for The Beach, 28 Days Later and Never Let Me Go. She now teaches at Central Saint Martins and works with one of her former students, the designer Ashish, on his collections. She was nearly 70 when she was approached to be a judge on the Sewing Bee.I find what’s happening on the high street a bit disheartening. Going to the shops and buying something makes you feel good – but only for a little while. It’s a bit like having a drink or eating an ice cream. Short-term pleasure. It’s no wonder the fashion industry is the second-most polluting industry in the world. Fast fashion is all about the high. That’s not to say it doesn’t serve a purpose – truly sustainable garments are expensive, and therefore they can be exclusive – but it’s about buying second-hand where possible and, if you buy new, buy less. It’s such a complicated issue and it’s really difficult to build a truly sustainable brand. I don’t really envy those who are trying to do it. Esme discussed making the iconic Hawaiian shirts for DiCaprio and co-stars John Leguizamo and Harold Perrineau in Baz Lurhmann's masterpiece during last year's series. Stephenson, Hannah (23 April 2022). "The Great British Sewing Bee's Esme Young on partying with David Bowie". The Herald Scotland . Retrieved 22 September 2022.