Esme Young, the esteemed British fashion designer and judge on The Great British Sewing Bee, has faced numerous challenges throughout her life. Since joining the BBC competition in 2016, replacing May Martin, she has become a beloved figure alongside Patrick Grant and hosts like Joe Lycett, Sara Pascoe, and Sophie Willan.
Career Highlights
In 1972, Esme co-founded the Camden Town shop Swanky Modes with designers Judy Dewsbury, Melanie Herberfield, and Willie Walters. The brand's clothing appeared in Vogue, Honey, and The Face, and was photographed by David Bailey, Nick Knight, and John Swannell.
Esme has also designed costumes for films such as The Beach, Bridget Jones's Diary, Romeo and Juliet, and Trainspotting. She notably created the bunny costume worn by Renée Zellweger in the first Bridget Jones movie. One of her most famous designs, the Amorphous Dress worn by Linda Kozlowski in Crocodile Dundee (1986), is now part of the V&A Collection.
Personal Struggles
Esme grew up in Bedford with her stay-at-home mum and her father, an RAF fighter pilot in World War Two. In a 2022 interview with The Telegraph, she spoke about living in social housing since 1983. "I've never been able to afford my own home. I've lived in social housing since 1983 - in a one-bedroom flat in Islington, north London, rented from the charitable housing trust Peabody," she explained.
Reflecting on earlier financial difficulties, she told This is Money: "I could not afford to pay rent so I lived in a squat with my brother and friends... We had to pay for our electricity via a meter but otherwise we lived rent-free." Esme has also supported Macmillan Cancer Support, saying, "Even though I do not have much money, I give as much as I can to Macmillan Cancer Support. My mother died of cancer and it gave her and all the family lots of support."
Hidden Condition
In an interview with SheerLuxe, Esme revealed she is "partially deaf" and only learned to read at age seven. "My teachers thought I was thick and my father used to describe me as 'dreamy' - but, really, I was in my own little world because I couldn't hear anyone," she said. "I also didn't learn to read until I was seven because I didn't know how to make the right sounds. It's still a bit of a problem today because I have to look at everything visually."
The Great British Sewing Bee is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
