Ben de Lisi
Encyclopedia
Ben de Lisi is an American
born fashion designer based in London
. He is best known for his collections with high street store Debenhams
, and as a mentor and judge on the television series Project Catwalk
. He has also appeared on UK television show Come Dine With Me
.
Born in New York
and raised in Long Island
, he studied sculpture at the Pratt Institute
in Brooklyn
. Designing his own menswear range in 1979, he moved to London in the fashion industry in 1982. He started working with Debenhams in 1992.
De Lisi won the British Glamour Designer of the Year award in both 1994 and 1995. He has been showing at London Fashion Week
since 1995, and went on to establish his own company in 1998. After shutting his shop in 2008, which had provided evening dress
es for Kate Winslet
(2002 Oscars red dress), Helena Bonham Carter
and Anjelica Huston
, De Lisi approached Debenhams to launch a day wear range, and was subsequently asked to redesign the Principles
range.
Approached by the Department of Health, they offered him an open agenda to pick any project he wanted to redesign. Thinking he would pick a bathroom
, De Lisi helped the NHS
to redesign their hospital gown in 2010
He acted as a mentor to budding Fashion designers in the British TV Series 'Project Catwalk
'.
Ben received an honorary Doctorate from the University of Northampton
, 14 July 2006. On the 17th July 2009, de Lisi was conferred with an Honorary Degree by the Robert Gordon University
, Aberdeen
.
De Lisi lives in a Victorian
cottage
by the River Thames
, close to Battersea Bridge
. He used it as inspiration for his Debenhams homewear range BDL by Ben de Lisi, with a logo based on his first French bulldog
, Ella. It became the most successful launch Debenhams has ever made.
In 2010, Ben De Lisi began to make regular appearances in the fashion slot on It Takes Two
, the spin-off to the BBC One show Strictly Come Dancing
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
born fashion designer based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He is best known for his collections with high street store Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
, and as a mentor and judge on the television series Project Catwalk
Project Catwalk
For the Dutch version of Project Catwalk, see Project Catwalk Project Catwalk is a competitive reality television series focusing on fashion design. In the UK it is shown on the digital station Sky One. The show follows a group of fashion designers as they compete against each other to avoid being...
. He has also appeared on UK television show Come Dine With Me
Come Dine With Me
Come Dine With Me is a popular Channel 4 television programme shown in the United Kingdom, produced by Granada Television and first broadcast in January 2005. The show has either four or five amateur chefs competing against each other hosting a dinner party for the other contestants...
.
Born in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and raised in Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, he studied sculpture at the Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. Designing his own menswear range in 1979, he moved to London in the fashion industry in 1982. He started working with Debenhams in 1992.
De Lisi won the British Glamour Designer of the Year award in both 1994 and 1995. He has been showing at London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week is an apparel trade show held in London, England twice each year, in February and September. It is one of the "Big Four" fashion weeks, along with New York Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.-Organization:...
since 1995, and went on to establish his own company in 1998. After shutting his shop in 2008, which had provided evening dress
Evening dress
Evening dress may refer to:* White tie, the most formal civilian dress code in Western fashion* Black tie, a semi-formal dress code for evening events and social functions in Western fashion...
es for Kate Winslet
Kate Winslet
Kate Elizabeth Winslet is an English actress and occasional singer. She has received multiple awards and nominations. She was the youngest person to accrue six Academy Award nominations, and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Reader...
(2002 Oscars red dress), Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter is an English actress of film, stage, and television. She made her acting debut in a television adaptation of K. M. Peyton's A Pattern of Roses before winning her first film role as the titular character in Lady Jane...
and Anjelica Huston
Anjelica Huston
Anjelica Huston is an American actress. Huston became the third generation of her family to win an Academy Award, for her performance in 1985's Prizzi's Honor, joining her father, director John Huston, and grandfather, actor Walter Huston. She later was nominated in 1989 and 1990 for her acting in...
, De Lisi approached Debenhams to launch a day wear range, and was subsequently asked to redesign the Principles
Principles (retailer)
Principles was a UK-based fashion retailer founded in 1984.The firm was launched by the Burton Group as an attempt to capitalise on the new modern trends in fashion; the mid-1980s was the boom era for the yuppie, a new upmarket cultural movement, and power dressing was a key trend: at the time,...
range.
Approached by the Department of Health, they offered him an open agenda to pick any project he wanted to redesign. Thinking he would pick a bathroom
Bathroom
A bathroom is a room for bathing in containing a bathtub and/or a shower and optionally a toilet, a sink/hand basin/wash basin and possibly also a bidet....
, De Lisi helped the NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
to redesign their hospital gown in 2010
He acted as a mentor to budding Fashion designers in the British TV Series 'Project Catwalk
Project Catwalk
For the Dutch version of Project Catwalk, see Project Catwalk Project Catwalk is a competitive reality television series focusing on fashion design. In the UK it is shown on the digital station Sky One. The show follows a group of fashion designers as they compete against each other to avoid being...
'.
Ben received an honorary Doctorate from the University of Northampton
University of Northampton
The University of Northampton is a university in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England.-History:In 1924, Northampton Technical College was opened at St George's Avenue, site of the current Avenue Campus. A new building for the college was formally opened by the then Duke and Duchess of York in 1932...
, 14 July 2006. On the 17th July 2009, de Lisi was conferred with an Honorary Degree by the Robert Gordon University
Robert Gordon University
Robert Gordon University is located in Aberdeen, Scotland. Building on over 250 years involvement in education, it was granted university status in 1992. Robert Gordon University currently has approximately 16,407 students at its two campuses at Garthdee and the City Centre, studying on over 145...
, Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
.
De Lisi lives in a Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
by the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
, close to Battersea Bridge
Battersea Bridge
Battersea Bridge is a cast-iron and granite five-span cantilever bridge crossing the River Thames in London, England. It is situated on a sharp bend in the river, and links Battersea south of the river with Chelsea to the north...
. He used it as inspiration for his Debenhams homewear range BDL by Ben de Lisi, with a logo based on his first French bulldog
French Bulldog
The French bulldog is a small breed of domestic dog, related to the English bulldog and American bulldog.-History:The origin of the modern French Bulldog breed descends directly from the dogs of the Molossians, an ancient Greek tribe. The dogs were spread throughout the ancient world by Phoenician...
, Ella. It became the most successful launch Debenhams has ever made.
In 2010, Ben De Lisi began to make regular appearances in the fashion slot on It Takes Two
Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two
Strictly: It Takes Two is a British television programme, the companion show to the popular BBC One programme Strictly Come Dancing. It airs on weeknights during the run of the main show on BBC Two at 6:30pm...
, the spin-off to the BBC One show Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
.