Tan France facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tan France
France in June 2018
Born	Tanveer Wasim Safdar (1983-04-20) 20 April 1983 (age 42) Doncaster, England
Education	Doncaster College
Occupation	Fashion designer entrepreneur television personality
Years active	2011–present
Spouse(s)	Rob France ​ (m. 2007)​
Children	2

Tanveer Wasim "Tan" France (born 20 April 1983) is a British-American fashion designer, business owner, and television star. He is famous for being the fashion expert on the Netflix show Queer Eye. He also hosted the web series Dressing Funny and co-hosted Next in Fashion. His book, Naturally Tan, came out in June 2019. Tan France has Pakistani family roots. He is known for being one of the first people of South Asian background to be openly himself on a big TV show. He is also one of the first Muslim men to be openly himself on Western television.

Early Life and Fashion Beginnings

Tanveer Wasim Safdar was born in Doncaster, England, on April 20, 1983. His parents were Muslim immigrants from Pakistan. In his book, he shared how he felt different growing up in Doncaster. He also talked about not seeing many people like him on TV. He faced challenges because of his background and appearance when he was young and as an adult. He said his home was not super religious but had a strong connection to their Muslim heritage.

France became interested in fashion when he was very young. He was inspired by the clothes made at his grandparents' denim factory. He spent time working there. By the age of 13, he knew how to make and decorate a denim jacket. He later found out his grandfather had to close the factory. Tan France went to Hall Cross School. He then studied fashion at Doncaster College. After that, he moved to Manchester and then to London.

Building a Fashion Career

France started his career as a designer and director for big brands. These included Zara, Selfridges, and Bershka. He wanted to learn all about how the fashion industry works. He first worked in menswear. Later, he focused on women's fashion for his degree. France often worked as a stylist for important clients who visited the stores where he was working.

In 2008, France began working in the United States. He first lived in New York City. He officially moved to the US in 2015. He was a company director at Shade Clothing. Then, in 2011, he started his own fashion company called Kingdom & State. This brand made clothes that followed certain guidelines. This was because many people in Utah, where his company was based, followed these guidelines. He later created two more clothing brands. Retailers like ModCloth and Forever 21 bought his designs. In 2016, he became a co-founder and designer for the Rachel Parcell Inc clothing line. This line was sold at Nordstrom.

Becoming a TV Personality

After selling his businesses, Tan France planned to retire and start a family. But then, Netflix contacted him. This led to his role as the fashion expert on the new show Queer Eye. The show first aired in February 2018. In 2019, France appeared in the music video for Taylor Swift's song "You Need to Calm Down".

In 2020, he was on a special charity episode of The Great British Bake Off. This was to raise money for Stand Up To Cancer. He won that episode. That same year, it was announced that France would co-host the new Netflix series Next in Fashion with Alexa Chung. France has shared that he sold all three of his businesses after he started working for Netflix.

Since 2019, France has written a column for GQ magazine about the Middle East. In 2020, he became Express's monthly stylist. He was nominated for an Emmy award in July 2020. This was for Best Hosting of a Reality or Competition Program with his Queer Eye co-stars. In September 2020, France became a style instructor on MasterClass. This is an online learning platform. Also in September 2020, the Tan France x Etsy collection was launched. For this, France helped design home decor and food items with thirteen independent sellers.

In 2022, France presented a BBC Two documentary called Beauty and the Bleach. This show was about how people are treated differently based on their skin color. He then became the host of Say Yes to the Dress with Tan France. This show is set in the English countryside. It started airing in August 2023.

Tan France's Personal Life

Tan France lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. He married Rob France, who is a pediatric nurse and artist, in 2007. They first married in London. They married again in New York City after marriage for all couples became legal in the US. In April 2021, he announced that he and his husband were expecting their first child via a surrogate. Their son was born early on July 10, 2021. He had to spend three weeks in a special care unit for babies. On May 28, 2023, France announced that their second son had also arrived via a surrogate.

France is a citizen of both the United Kingdom and the United States. He became an American citizen on June 9, 2020. He said he had been working towards this for "literally 20 years." He loves cooking and baking. He learned how to cook and sew when he was nine years old.

France has spoken out about the challenges he has faced throughout his life. These include issues related to his background and appearance. In September 2019, he created an Instagram account called Shaded. On this account, he promotes Black people, people of color, and different cultures. In September 2020, he shared that experiencing challenges in the UK was one of the main reasons he moved to the US.

In 2023, France mentioned that he and his husband were looking to buy a second home in London. This is because France works more in the UK now. They also visit often so their children can stay connected to their British family.

Books by Tan France

France released his book, Naturally Tan, in June 2019. It became a NYT bestseller. The book talks about his experiences growing up. It shares what it was like to be himself in a traditional Muslim family. It also describes being one of the few people of color in Doncaster, England. The book starts with his childhood in England. He shares stories of having to run back to school to avoid bullies. The book also discusses challenges related to skin color in South Asia. It also talks about the challenges he faced before and after major world events.

Television Appearances

Music Videos

Awards and Recognitions

Tan France and his Queer Eye co-stars have been nominated for several Primetime Emmy Awards.

See also

In Spanish: Tan France para niños