Katharine’s stellar rise to the top of the fashion world started when she graduated in Fashion Design from Central Saint-Martins College in 1969, launching her own self-titled label by 1979.

After numerous awards, including being named designer of the year by the British Fashion Council, she went on to open her own shops in London and Glasgow.

Katharine has evolved into a champion of ethical fashion ever since she commissioned research in 1989 which examined the impact of the clothing and textile industry on the environment. The study revealed that over 10,000 people a year died from accidental pesticide poisoning through conventional cotton agriculture.

Since then she has campaigned for cotton to be grown organically and sustainably. Katharine launched her Katharine E Hamnett label (with the ‘E’ standing for ethically and environmentally) of designer clothes in 2004, as a response to what she perceived as the industry’s unwillingness to adopt a green approach.

Katharine became a Professor for University of the Arts, London in 2007. That same year she was voted number 1 ethical hero by New Magazine and declared the ‘Queen of Green’ by Vogue. Her Katharine E Hamnett label is working with Dublin City University Business School Centre for Consumption Studies on a pioneering 3-year research project on corporate social responsibility in the fashion industry.