Wayne Hemingway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wayne Hemingway
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Hemingway in 2013
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| Born | 19 January 1961 Morecambe, England, U.K.
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Label(s)
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Red or Dead |
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Wayne Andrew Hemingway (born January 19, 1961) is a famous English designer. He is known for starting the fashion brand Red or Dead and for his work in design and building projects. He has also received a special award called an MBE for his services to design.
Contents
Early Life and School
Wayne Hemingway was born in Morecambe, England. His father, Billy Two Rivers, was a Mohawk chief and a former wrestler. Wayne's father moved back to Canada when Wayne was three years old, but they later got back in touch.
Wayne remembers his mother and grandmother dressing him up as characters like Elvis or Tarzan when he was very young. They would walk him along Morecambe pier.
He went to Lancaster Road school and later earned a scholarship to Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn.
In 1982, he studied Geography and Town Planning at University College London. Later, he earned a master's degree in Fashion from the University of Surrey.
In 2014, Wayne and his wife, Gerardine Hemingway, were given special titles as Honorary Senior Fellows by Regent's University London.
Starting a Fashion Business
Wayne Hemingway began his fashion journey in a very simple way. He and his childhood sweetheart, Gerardine (who is now his wife), started selling clothes from their own wardrobes at Camden Market in London.
It was a huge success! Gerardine then opened a stall in Kensington Market. She would make clothes right there on a sewing machine and sell them. She once said, "It was £6 rent for the stall and we took £80 the first day. It just took off from there."
They did so well that by the end of the year, they had 16 stalls. They even started bringing in second-hand clothes and shoes from all over the world.
Red or Dead Brand
By 1983, Wayne and Gerardine opened their first shop in Kensington, London. They sold Gerardine's handmade clothes there. In the same year, they created their first collection for their new brand, Red or Dead. The clothes were inspired by traditional Russian peasant styles.
Their designs were very popular, and they received a big order from a famous US department store called Macy's. Red or Dead shops also started selling Dr. Martens work boots as a fashion item, which became very trendy. This led to them creating their own line of fashion shoes.
The Red or Dead brand won the British Fashion Council's Street Style Award three times in a row: in 1995, 1996, and 1997.
In 1998, Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway sold their Red or Dead company to a company called Pentland Group. They used the money from the sale to help Gerardine design their family home in Chichester, West Sussex.
HemingwayDesign
In 1999, Wayne and Gerardine started a new company called 'HemingwayDesign'. This company focuses on creating affordable and community-friendly designs.
One of their biggest projects was called The Staiths South Bank. This was a large housing project with 800 homes in Tyneside. It won many awards, including the 2005 Housing Design Award. Another important project was The Bridge Dartford, which involved building 1,000 homes in Kent.
Hemingway also designed special beach pods in Boscombe that people could rent or buy. These pods helped raise over £1 million for the local area.
Other Projects and Events
In 2010, Wayne Hemingway wrote the introduction for a book about cycling in the North of England.
His team also started a new cultural event called the 'Vintage Festival' in August 2010. This festival celebrates vintage styles, music, and culture. In 2011, the festival was held at the Southbank Centre in London as part of the 60th Anniversary of the Festival of Britain. It was held there again in 2012.
In 2013, the Vintage Festival took place in Glasgow and Morecambe. Wayne Hemingway said he loved visiting Glasgow when Red or Dead had a shop there. A special 'Vintage New Year' event was also held at Southbank Centre in 2013. In October 2013, they launched 'Vintage presents A Classic Car Boot Sale'.
In 2012, Wayne, Gerardine, and the HemingwayDesign team were chosen to design the historic Dreamland site in Margate. This involved transforming and branding the £10 million heritage theme park.
Wayne Hemingway received an honorary degree (a special award called 'Doctor of Arts') from Leeds Metropolitan University in 2012.
In 2014, Hemingway's company designed new uniforms for the London Underground staff. These uniforms were first tested at some stations and train depots before being used by all staff in 2015. In the same year, he became a patron (a supporter) of The Unite Foundation. This charity helps young people from difficult backgrounds get free university housing in the UK.
Family Life
Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway were both awarded the MBE in 2006 for their contributions to the design industry. This award was given to them by the Queen.
They live in Chichester, West Sussex, and have four children: Jack, Tilly, Corey, and Beck. They also have a springer spaniel dog named Minnie.
Wayne is a big fan of the football team Blackburn Rovers. In May 2012, he became an Honorary Patron of a leading Blackburn Rovers supporters group.
He has also appeared on the TV show Soccer AM several times.
