Matthew Williamson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Matthew Williamson
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Williamson in 2007
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| Born | 23 October 1971 Manchester, England
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| Education | Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design |
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Matthew Williamson is a famous British designer known for his super colorful and bold designs. He creates amazing patterns for clothes, homes, and more! He started his career in fashion and later expanded into designing for homes and other lifestyle products.
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Matthew Williamson's Early Life
Matthew Williamson was born in Manchester, England, on October 23, 1971. He went to Loreto College until he was 17 years old. After that, he moved to London to study design. He attended a famous art school called Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design. He finished his studies there in 1994.
Designing Fashion Collections
Matthew Williamson started his own fashion company in February 1997 with Joseph Velosa. In the same year, he showed his first collection, called 'Electric Angels', at London Fashion Week. This was a big moment for him!
His designs were also shown at New York Fashion week in 2002. In 2004, he opened his own store in London. It was located on Bruton Street in a fancy area called Mayfair.
- In 2005, Matthew Williamson launched his own line of perfumes.
- From 2006 to 2008, he also worked as the creative director for another famous fashion brand called Pucci.
- In 2007, some of his designs were even featured in a music video for the song "Chelsea Rodgers" by the musician Prince.
By 2008, Williamson decided to focus completely on his own brand. He wanted to make it even bigger and better. In 2010, his brand released its first collection for men.
A book about Matthew Williamson's work was published in 2010. It was written by Colin McDowell and included thoughts from famous people like Sienna Miller and Anna Wintour. An exhibition of his photographs also took place to celebrate the book.
In 2011, he launched a new, more affordable clothing line called MW by Matthew Williamson. This made his designs available to more people.
In September 2012, Matthew Williamson celebrated 15 years in the fashion world. To mark this special occasion, a short film called XV was made. It featured friends of his brand, including Sienna Miller. The film was shown online, along with a special collection of crystal dresses.
By 2015, Matthew Williamson decided to sell his fashion collections mainly online. He also closed his main store in London to focus on new projects.
Designing for Homes and Lifestyle
After his fashion focus, Matthew Williamson started designing for homes and other lifestyle products. He brought his love for bold colors and patterns to furniture, wallpaper, and more!
- In 2013, he started working with Osborne & Little to create beautiful home fabrics and wallpapers. He released new collections in 2014 and 2015.
- In 2016, he designed his first furniture collection with Duresta. He also created cards, stationery, and even a coloring book with his famous prints.
- He also worked with CB2, a homeware brand in the United States, in October 2016.
Matthew Williamson has also collaborated with other companies, like Linda Farrow for sunglasses and The Rug Company for rugs.
In 2022, he launched a big homeware collection for John Lewis. This collection included his signature bright colors and botanical patterns on bedding, cushions, towels, mirrors, and lights. This was a very large collaboration for John Lewis.
Also in 2022, Matthew Williamson designed the inside of The Cocktail Club bar in Birmingham. He used leopard print sofas, gold ceilings, and a cheetah statue to create a fun and colorful space.
In 2023, he designed a dining area called the Design Kitchen at the Design Museum in London. He worked with British artists to create a green lounge with soft leather furniture.
Also in 2023, he teamed up with Kurt Geiger, a British brand, for a special summer collection. This included beachwear, handbags, shoes, and jewelry with his unique prints.
Other Creative Work
Matthew Williamson has also appeared on TV shows.
- In 2010, he was a guest on Project Runway, a show where designers compete.
- In 2019, he was a guest judge on Interior Design Masters, a show about interior design, which aired on BBC Two. He has continued to be a guest judge on this show, helping new designers.
In 2023, Matthew Williamson released a new book called Living Bright: Fashioning Colourful Interiors. This book is a guide to help people make their homes more colorful and exciting.
Awards and Exhibitions
Matthew Williamson's work has been recognized in several ways.
Exhibitions
In 2007, the Design Museum in London held a special exhibition about his work. It was called "Matthew Williamson – 10 years in Fashion" and showed his designs from the past decade.
Awards
In 2008, Matthew Williamson won the "Red Carpet Designer" award at the British Fashion Awards. He has also been nominated three times for the "Designer of the Year" award at the same event.
