Jeff Banks
Jeff Banks | |
---|---|
Born | Ebbw Vale, Wales | 17 March 1943
Label | Jeff Banks |
Jeff Banks
Biography
Banks was born in the Monmouthshire valleys of South Wales, at Ebbw Vale. His sheet metal worker father left his mother when Banks was eight, and she consequently decided to move to London.[1]
He was offered a scholarship to independent
Encouraged by a teacher to study art and become a painter, he realised his art skills were limited during his first year at London's
Banks holds honorary degrees from the
He was awarded the Minerva Medal by the Chartered Society of Designers in 1994 and was the Society's President from 2001 to 2003.[citation needed]
In 2009 Banks was appointed as a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the
Career
In 1964, with money saved from the paraffin business and from his father mortgaging his own home, Banks opened the boutique Clobber in London,[1] which carried his own designs along with other designers' work. It proved such a success that in 1969, he launched his own fashion label.
In 1975 he opened the first standalone Jeff Banks shop in London, as well as retail outlets in twenty-two department stores, including Harrods and Harvey Nichols.
In the late 1970s, he co-launched the fashion chain Warehouse, as well as continuing to work as a freelance designer. After it was taken over by retail chain
Banks's standing as a commercial force in retail fashion led to his presenting over 320 episodes of The Clothes Show, the BBC's long-running fashion show, alongside Selina Scott and Caryn Franklin. The show's success in often gaining over 10 million viewers,[5] led in 1989 to the first "Clothes Show Live" event at the NEC Birmingham, as well as the launch of the Clothes Show magazine.
Having been asked to create corporate design wear for many organisations Jeff Banks created his own corporate clothing company in 1996. Incorporatewear is now one of the largest companies in the United Kingdom producing corporate clothing. With partners Rob Pollock and Brian Lamb the company produces a wide range of clothing for various types of companies.[citation needed]
In 2000, he signed a deal to design clothes for the UK chain Sainsbury's. The installation of Jeff Banks stores within Sainsbury's outlets proved successful, but a dispute led to the early termination of his contract. The resulting lawsuit was resolved with Sainsbury's agreeing to pay a reported settlement of £1 million, plus a box of truffles every week.[6]
In April 2007, Banks mocked Kate Moss's design range for Top Shop, saying: "Can Kate sharpen a pencil, do an impression of a cow or draw a matchstick man? I would put money on it, though not very much. I'll bet [Kate Moss] just grabbed one of her many Prada bags, rifled through her wardrobe ... and turned up at Topshop's head office in Oxford Street for a quick hour's briefing with the in-house designers and buying staff."[7]
Banks has continued to work as a designer with designs for the
Banks's own fashion design influences are Hardy Amies, Giorgio Armani and Alice Temperley.[1]
Personal life
Banks has been married twice: firstly to the 1960s pop star Sandie Shaw (1968–1978), (with whom he has one daughter), and subsequently to Sue Mann, a model and film makeup artist.
Banks is a lifelong member of Catford Cycling Club, and a sponsor of their racing team CatfordCC Equipe/Banks,[10] an amateur under-23 squad having British National 'Elite' team status.[11][12]
Banks accepted the honorary position as Lord Lieutenant of the Ben Gibbons charitable Society of Farnham in March 2024.
References
- ^ a b c d e My Way: Fashion designer Jeff Banks on how to get on at work[dead link] The Independent – 19 July 2007
- ^ a b c "Jeff Banks bio". Archived from the original on 21 October 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) BBC Wales Arts & Entertainment. Archived 20 October 2007. - ^ "Jeff Banks – Fashion Designer". University of the Creative Arts. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 17 August 2007.
- ^ Honours for Lee, Faldo and Delia BBC News 12 June 2009
- ^ Meet Jeff Banks Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine UKTV Style – Retrieved 17 August 2007
- ^ "Jeff Banks Enterprise Challenge: About Jeff". University of York. Archived from the original on 20 May 2007. Retrieved 17 August 2007.
- ^ Herbert, Ian – Designer wars as Banks savages Topshop Kate Archived 7 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine The Independent – 25 April 2007
- ^ 100 Years of Girl Guides BBC – broadcast 7 February 2010
- ^ London 2012 cutting a dash with Jeff Banks for the final line in Singapore Archived 8 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine London 2012 – 22 June 2005
- ^ Catford Cycling Club, Banks Team page Archived 24 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 22 May 2014
- ^ Bull, Nick (8 January 2014). "Jeff Banks backs Catford CC at a claimed £250,000 for 2014". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 21 April 2014.[permanent dead link]
- ^ British Cycling Elite National Teams British Cycling Org, retrieved 22 May 2014
External links
- Jeff Banks at IMDb
- Official website
- Jeff Banks at FMD
- incorporatewear
- ICW tailored by Jeff Banks Archived 24 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- Jeff Banks Australia
- Jeff Banks Official Online Store