Jonathan Saunders

Jonathan Saunders
Born	1977 (age 47–48) Glasgow[1]
Nationality	British
Education	Stonelaw High School[2][3] Glasgow School of Art Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
Occupation	Fashion designer
Awards	Elle Style Awards British Designer of the Year 2008 British Fashion Council/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund Award 2012
Website	www.jonathan-saunders.com

Jonathan Saunders (born 1977)[4] is a Scottish fashion designer, known for his work with prints and use of traditional silk screening techniques.[5][6] Celebrities who have worn his designs include Madonna,[7] Kylie Minogue,[8] Sienna Miller[9] and Michelle Obama.[10]

Career

Saunders graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 1999 with a BA in printed textiles, and went on to gain an MA in the subject at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 2002.[1] His graduate collection, which featured a series of brightly printed chiffon kaftans inspired by the Beatles' Yellow Submarine album cover,[5] won him the 2002 Lancome Colour Award.[11] Within two days of his graduation show Saunders was commissioned to design prints for Alexander McQueen[5] and produced a bird-of-paradise print for McQueen's 2003 collection.[12] Saunders was also enlisted as a consultant for fashion houses Chloé, and Pucci under the direction of Christian Lacroix.[6]

Saunders made his debut at London Fashion Week in September 2003.[13] British Vogue featured one of Saunders' designs on the cover of the January 2004 issue,[14] and Harrods and Harvey Nichols placed orders for his designs.[15]

Saunders continued to show regularly at London Fashion Week until 2008, when he decided to take his collection to New York Fashion Week in a move he described as "a natural progression".[16] He returned to London Fashion Week in 2010.[10]

Saunders was previously creative director of Milan-based fashion house Pollini,[17] for whom he designed ranges for retail chains Target[18] and Topshop.[19] He was succeeded by Nicholas Kirkwood.[20]

On 8 December 2015 Saunders announced the closure of his eponymous label, citing 'personal reasons'.[21]

Accolades

• 2005 Scottish Fashion Designer of the Year - Scottish Style Awards[22]
• 2006 Designer of the Year - Scottish Fashion Awards[23]
• 2008 British Designer of the Year - Elle Style Awards[24]

References

1. Wyllie, Alice (12 September 2009). "Interview: Fashion designer Jonathan Saunders". The Scotsman. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
2. He's got his work cut out | Just four weeks before his London show, his computer was stolen. But Glasgow fashion designer Jonathan Saunders has turned disaster into a dream. By Cate Devine, The Herald, 26 September 2003
3. Style | Glasgow Gurus, Evening Times, 15 February 2008
4. "Jonathan Saunders". models.com. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
5. Cartner-Morley, Jess (19 February 2004). "Saunders launches kaleidoscope of colour". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
6. "Jonathan Saunders – Biography". Vogue (Australia). Archived from the original on 2 January 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
7. Gilbert, Laurelle (14 September 2009). "Madonna Headlines MTV Music Awards 2009". Elle.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
8. MacDonald, Stuart (4 May 2008). "Scottish Fashion Awards face funding cuts". The Times. Retrieved 6 June 2010.^[dead link‍]
9. Clements, Erin (3 April 2009). "Red Carpet Buzz: Sienna Miller". Elle.com. Archived from the original on 28 July 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
10. Alexander, Hilary (24 June 2009). "Jonathan Saunders returns to London Fashion Week". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 28 June 2009. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
11. Hewitt, Lucy (26 November 2008). "Best Scottish designer". The Scotsman. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
12. "Jonathan Saunders". hellomagazine.com. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
13. Groom, Avril (24 September 2003). "Scots designer fashions debut triumph". The Scotsman. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
14. "Northern Star". Vogue.com. 1 May 2006. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
15. "Who's who in London Fashion Week". The Times. 16 September 2009. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
16. Cartner-Morley, Jess (2 February 2008). "Saunders joins British fashion's New York exodus". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
17. Cowan, Natasha (15 May 2008). "Pollini appoints Jonathan Saunders as new creative director". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
18. Jana, Reena (1 October 2008). "Ducking the Price War, Target Highlights Fashion". Business Week. Archived from the original on 5 October 2008. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
19. Sells, Emma (22 January 2010). "Jonathan Saunders for Topshop hits stores today". Elle.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
20. "Nicholas Kirkwood Has Been Replaced at Pollini". fashionista.com. 19 December 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
21. Milligan, Lauren (8 December 2015). "Why Jonathan Saunders Is Closing His Label". vogue.co.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
22. "Biography of Jonathan Saunders". Scottish Style Awards. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
23. "Scottish Fashion Awards 2006 Winners". Female First. 12 May 2006. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
24. Alexander, Hilary (13 February 2008). "Elle Style Awards". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 26 August 2009. Retrieved 6 June 2010.