Sarah Burton

Sarah Burton
OBE
Born
Sarah Jane Heard

1974 (age 50–51)
Macclesfield, Cheshire, England
Alma materCentral Saint Martins
OccupationFashion designer
Years active1996–present
Known forWedding dress of Catherine Middleton
Labels
SpouseDavid Burton
Children3

Sarah Jane Burton OBE (née Heard; born 1974[1]) is an English fashion designer. She worked at the Alexander McQueen fashion house from 1997 through 2023, spending her last 13 years at the company as its creative director.[2] She is currently the creative director of Givenchy.[3]

Burton designed the wedding dress of Catherine Middleton for her wedding to Prince William in 2011.[4][5] In 2012, she was named in Time 100, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world according to Time.[6]

Early life

Burton was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, one of five children of Anthony and Diana Heard.[1][5] She attended Withington Girls' School in Manchester.[4][5] After completing an art foundation course at Manchester Polytechnic,[7] and opting to pursue fashion over studies in fine art, she studied Print Fashion at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London.[5] During her third year she was interviewed for a year's placement at Alexander McQueen at the suggestion of her tutor Simon Ungless, a friend of McQueen's. She joined the company for a year as an intern, when the company was based in a tiny studio in Hoxton Square.[5]

Fashion career

Alexander McQueen (1997–2023)

Ballgown by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. Chosen as the Dress of the Year for 2011
Dress designed for Alexander McQueen's autumn/winter 2021-22 collection, featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion exhibition

Upon her graduation in 1997, Burton joined Alexander McQueen full-time.[8] Burton was appointed Head of Womenswear in 2000, during which time she created dresses for Cate Blanchett, Lady Gaga and Gwyneth Paltrow.[9] Following McQueen's death in February 2010, and after company owner Gucci confirmed that the brand would continue, Burton was named as the new Creative Director of Alexander McQueen in May 2010.[10] In October 2010, Burton presented her first show in Paris.[11]

On 29 April 2011, it was revealed that Burton had designed the wedding dress of Catherine Middleton for her marriage that day to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. It is believed that Burton's work came to the attention of Middleton in 2005 when she attended the wedding of Tom Parker Bowles, the son of the Duchess of Cornwall, for whom McQueen had designed the wedding dress for his bride, fashion journalist Sara Buys.[9] Burton said creating the royal wedding dress had been the "experience of a lifetime".[12][13]

Burton also designed maid of honour Pippa Middleton's dress, and the dress that Kate Middleton wore to the wedding's evening festivities.[14][15]

In 2011, Burton was named the British Fashion Council's Designer of the Year.[16]

In September 2023, Burton announced she would be departing Alexander McQueen. She had worked at the brand for 26 years.[17]

Givenchy (2024–present)

It was announced in September 2024 that Burton would become creative director for French fashion house Givenchy.[3]

Personal life

As of 2011, Burton lived in St John's Wood with her husband David Burton, a fashion photographer.[5]

Honours

On 28 November 2011, Burton won the Designer of the Year at the 2011 British Fashion Awards.[18]

In July 2012, Burton received an honorary degree from Manchester Metropolitan University where she was a former student, becoming an honorary Doctor of Arts.[7]

Burton was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2012 Birthday Honours for services to the British fashion industry.[19][20][21]

In June 2019, Burton was awarded the Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti International Award by the Council of Fashion Designers of America.[22] In November 2019, the British Fashion Council bestowed Burton with the Trailblazer Award.[23][24][25]

In 2023, Burton was given the 'Special Recognition Award' at the Fashion Awards.[26][27][28]

References

  1. ^ a b Charlotte Cox (4 May 2011). "Exclusive: Parents of royal wedding designer Sarah Burton speak of their pride - and how they got first glimpse of Kate's dress through a periscope". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  2. ^ "Alexander McQueen designates Seán McGirr as new creative director". The Guardian. 3 October 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b Socha, Miles (9 September 2024). "EXCLUSIVE: Givenchy Selects Sarah Burton as Next Designer". WWD. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Kate Middleton's dress designer was a 'brilliant pupil'". BBC News Online. 29 April 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Helen Wigham (18 March 2011). "Sarah Burton". Vogue. Archived from the original on 4 April 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  6. ^ Parker, Sarah Jessica (18 April 2012). "The 100 Most Influential People in the World". Time. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  7. ^ a b "Honorary Doctorates announced". Manchester Metropolitan University. 8 June 2012. Archived from the original on 2 December 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  8. ^ "The Woman Who Became McQueen". The Cut. 3 February 2023.
  9. ^ a b Heidi Blake (6 March 2011). "Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen to design Kate Middleton's wedding dress?". The Daily Telegraph.
  10. ^ "Burton For McQueen". Kering. 27 May 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  11. ^ "Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2011 collection". Vogue. Archived from the original on 2 January 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  12. ^ "Balcony kisses seal royal wedding". BBC News Online. 29 April 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  13. ^ "Kate Wows in Second Sarah Burton Outfit". Sky News. 29 April 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  14. ^ "Kate wears second Sarah Burton dress" Timeslive.com. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  15. ^ "Pippa Middleton's McQueen bridesmaid dress hits Net-a-porter.com". Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  16. ^ "2011 winners". Fashion Awards 2019. British Fashion Council.
  17. ^ "Sarah Burton Is Departing Alexander McQueen". The Business of Fashion. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  18. ^ "British Fashion Awards 2011 Winners | British Vogue | British Vogue". 29 November 2011.
  19. ^ "No. 60173". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 June 2012. p. 9.
  20. ^ "Honours for Branagh and Burton". BBC News. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  21. ^ "Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen to receive OBE". 18 June 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  22. ^ "All the Winners From Fashion's Biggest Awards Show". Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  23. ^ "Sarah Burton OBE Is To Be Awarded With The BFC's Trailblazer Award At The Fashion Awards 2019". 28 November 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  24. ^ "Fashion Awards 2019 : Sarah Burton récompensée pour son esprit visionnaire". Fashion Network. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  25. ^ "The Fashion Awards 2019 Winners Announced". British Fashion Council. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  26. ^ "Qui sont les grands vainqueurs des Fashion Awards 2023 ?". Marie Claire. 5 December 2023. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  27. ^ "Jonathan Anderson, Martine Rose and Sarah Burton among winners at the star-studded Fashion Awards". Vogue. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  28. ^ "Fashion Awards 2023 : qui sont les grands noms de la mode du palmarès à connaître ?". Madmoizelle. 5 December 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
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