KH
Katharine Hamnett
Fashion Designer & Activist
Katharine Hamnett
Katharine Hamnett is a legendary British fashion designer renowned for pioneering ethical fashion and bold political activism. Best known for her iconic slogan T-shirts – “Choose Life” (worn by WHAM!’s George Michael and used in Danny Boyle’s 1996 film Trainspotting) “Stay Alive in ‘85” (for AIDS awareness) and “Worldwide Nuclear Ban Now” (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) – she has consistently used fashion as a force for political change. In 1984 she met Margret Thatcher at 10 Downing Street wearing her T-shirt “58% Don’t Want Pershing”, which came from a European opinion poll about the proliferation of American cruise and Pershing nuclear missiles across Europe without consulting the electorate. A passionate advocate for human rights, Hamnett is a strong voice against the war in Gaza, demanding justice and accountability through her design and activist work – which includes most recently, binning her CBE in protest.