Ahead of her conversation with Sarah Mower at Light House next week, pioneering designer Katharine Hamnett shares her advice. PLUS we’re giving away a free ticket to the talk on 14th July.
For five decades, Katharine Hamnett (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) has challenged what fashion can be, and what it should stand for. Long before sustainability became a buzzword or slogan T-shirts became a staple of high street collections, the British designer was pioneering manufacturing innovations, campaigning for workers’ rights and proving that clothing could be a vehicle for political change. Her bold typography became instantly recognisable, but behind the graphics was a career defined as much by systems thinking and activism as it was by design.
On Tuesday 14th July, Hamnett joins acclaimed fashion journalist Sarah Mower at Light House for a rare conversation (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) looking back on the career that reshaped British fashion. Together, they’ll revisit the innovations behind her work, the rise of the Katharine Hamnett brand in the 1980s, and the ideas that continue to shape her practice today.
Ahead of the event, we caught up with Hamnett to ask what advice she’d offer emerging creatives. Unsurprisingly, she wasn’t interested in rehearsing the usual clichés about chasing your dreams or saying yes to every opportunity. Instead, she offered the same kind of honesty that has defined her work for decades: creative careers are changing, fashion is facing enormous challenges, and building a sustainable life sometimes means thinking beyond your dream job.
While tickets to the exclusive in-conversation can be purchased for £40 (artist fee donated to Heal Palestine), we’re thrilled to share that as part of our latest Exclusive Opportunity, we’re giving a Learner Platform member the chance to attend the conversation for free. Find application details below, along with some expert insight from the industry innovator.
Datum
10.07.2026
