Behind the Seams: The perfect gift for fans of The Great British Sewing Bee

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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. I was born in 1949. My father was a pilot during the war and got shot down, which meant he returned to England and had to stay in hospital for two years. When I was born, he insisted I was named Emma after and old friend who had shown him kindness – even though my mother wanted to call me Caroline. When I was 19 and at St Martins, my name was called out as ‘Esme Young’ – I have no idea where it came – and when I said I went by Emma, my tutor seemed baffled that I would want to be known as Emma when my name was Esme, so that was the moment things changed. Hubby bought me Esme Young’s autobiography for my birthday as she always has such interesting snippets of stories dropped in the TV show (like sitting in a window with David Bowie) and I was keen to learn more about her career.

I didn't understand any of the sewing bits but then I love watching Sewing Bee because watching people being creative is really what it's all about. Young dove into a creative world in London with a lot of ideas but very little money. “We were part of a very vibrant and creative community,” she says. “We knew artists and we knew musicians.” Friends helped Swanky Modes put on their fashion shows for free. “It was amazing. I did find it special. We couldn’t have done it without people doing it for nothing.” She recognises how different the London of her youth is to the London of today. “I think it’s so difficult now for creative young people in London. We squatted, we could afford to have a shop, there was a real creative community. Now, it’s not the same at all.” 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. The Great British Sewing Bee has returned for series 9 with the latest batch of talented home sewers as they battle it out to be crowned Britain's Best Amateur Sewer of 2023. From adventures at Central Saint Martins to The Great British Sewing Bee , go behind the scenes of Esme Young's amazing life...Born into the very early era of punk, and then raised in the difficulty of the early 1980s, I always saw fashion as a huge important element of society - a reflection of what the masses wanted to be, and in many cases what could be afforded and imagined as a result of the restriction. I still fear the stay pressed, flat fronted nylon trouser, but admire it as a part of our wonderful textiles heritage and history. Esme is an inspiration, not just because of her career, but also in the way she is 100% her authentic self - what you see is what you get, zero f’s given! He’s tall, I’m small, we’re a double act,” she says. But they get on so well they share a dressing room. Viewers will be interested to learn that Esme has also made costumes for many films, including The Beach, Romeo & Juliet, Trainspotting and Bridget Jones' Diary. She revealed in a recent interview that Renee Zellweger's iconic Tarts and Vicars party bunny costume was one of her creations.

This article was originally published on 7 June 2022. Esme Young is speaking at the Cambridge Literary Festival on 19 November, sharing the story of her creatively adventurous life. I know nothing about dress making and have little interest in fashion but I love Esme. I read this book in a day because it was exactly what I knew it would be - fun, interesting and hypnotic. Bauer Consumer Media Ltd, Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited, Company number: 1394141; Registered office: Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing, Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern, 75 Hampstead Road, London NW1 2PL Young writes and speaks warmly about both of her parents, and all of her four siblings, but admits that her relationship with her glamorous, independent, practical joke-loving mother was not always easy. “She had a difficult childhood,” Young tells me. “She had postnatal depression as well. But she… she didn’t really like me. That’s what I felt.” When Young would dress up in her colourful, self-made outfits – she recalls one that was made from a child’s patchwork dressing gown – her mother would refuse to walk down the street with her. “She was embarrassed by me.” It was towards the end of her mother’s life that the pair became, she explains, “much closer”.In her free time, Esme teaches Innovative Pattern Cutting for graduates and professionals students at Central Saint Martin’s College. Esme uses hands on experience of design, pattern cutting and clothes making to move students’s imagination and help them interpret their drawings so they can develop the designs into actual garments. Previously, she had been living with a friend in a council flat, but when she left, the council refused to keep her on as a tenant and was forced to leave. What TV shows has Esme presented? She has lived in the same social housing flat for 40 years and, outside of Sewing Bee, still teaches pattern cutting at Central Saint Martins. Despite working on numerous film sets, celebrity doesn’t faze her. a b c Dunn, Karen. "Meet The Great British Sewing Bee's Esme Young". Gathered . Retrieved 15 July 2020. The label gained notoriety with its signature body-con dresses worn by celebs such as Cher and Grace Jones.

The hotel is a stone’s throw from some of Bath’s most impressive sights which you will have plenty of time to explore. You'll find Bath Abbey, the Roman Baths and Thermae Bath Spa, the UK’s only natural thermal spa, nearby. Bath also has cobbled streets full of quirky independent shops. It was she who ­introduced me and my sister to boutiques such as Mary Quant and Biba. She wasn’t keen when I went to jumble sales and wore second-hand clothes when I was older.” Young has made costumes for many films including The Beach, Bridget Jones' Diary, Romeo & Juliet and Trainspotting. [11] [14] Recycling fabrics is a top ­priority on Sewing Bee, a feelgood TV favourite set to reach the final of the eighth series later this month.

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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. His suit and his shoes,” she says, seeming amazed that I’d had to ask. “The tailoring was Italian.” As 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

Renee wanted a cleavage because her character wasn’t a skinny woman,” she recalls. The normally slender star had famously struggled to put on weight to play Bridget and wanted the effort she’d put in on display. It also felt disconnected, we didn’t get to really know and see her, to feel any emotions. It was just a light collection of memories. 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. In December 2022, she was a contestant on Richard Osman’s House of Games. [16] Academic career [ edit ] I had no idea who Esme Young was, I got the book as I enjoy crochet, crafting and occasional sewing, and I thought there might be some good tips on sewing/clothing repairs.

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] From adventures at Central Saint Martins to The Great British Sewing Bee, go behind the seams of Esme Young's amazing life... 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.