Mary Portas, Samuel Ross and Oscar Pinto-Hervia recognised in King's New Year Honours
Retail expert Mary Portas, creative director Samuel Ross and retailer Oscar Pinto-Hervia are among the fashion names to be recognised in the King's New Year Honours list.
Portas, who was awarded an OBE for services to business, broadcasting and charity, began her career in retail at John Lewis but it was at Harvey Nichols in the 1990s where she made her name as creative director and is credited with turning the department store into a true fashion force.
She left to esablish her own agency, then known as Yellow Door, where she helped some of the high street's biggest names, from Clarks to Oasis, with their creative strategies.
In the 2000s she became as household name through her television series Mary, Queen of Shops and Mary Portas, Secret Shopper.
A champion of sustainable retail – her agency, known known as Portas, is a BCorp – Portas set up her first 'Living & Giving Shop' charity store in support of Save the Children in 2009. In 2011 she was invited by then Prime Minister David Cameron to conduct a review of the British High Street.
Dr Samuel Ross
An MBE for services to fashion has been awarded Dr Samuel Ross, the designer and creative director, who founded the luxury sportswear label A-COLD-WALL*, which is known for its cutting edge collaborations with the likes of Nike, Timberland, Converse and Dr Marten's, as well as its own creations.
A creative polymath, Ross's output stretches beyond fashion and he honed his craft and vision as the first design assistant to the late Virgil Abloh.
He founded A-COLD-WALL* in 2014 and in 2020 established The Black British Artist Grants Programme, which has independently provided 50 artists with funding, connecting the next generation of talent to global institutions, including the V&A and The Royal College of Art.
The MBE is the latest in a string of awards received by Ross who received an honorary PHD from the University of Westminster in 2021.
Rami Cassis and Oscar Pinto-Hervia
Oscar Pinto-Hervia, founder of the groundbreaking Hervia boutique has been awarded the OBE for services to fashion and charity.
Pinto-Hervia opened the Hervia Bazaar store in 1993 and it quickly became a landmark in Manchester and became known for stocking directional labels including Rick Owens, Yohji Yamamoto, Comme des Garçons, Y-3, and Maison Margiela.
While it was initially frequented by The Haçienda nightclub-goers, the boutique gained a global reputation and today more than 80% of its sales now come from outside of the UK, particularly in Asia.
In 2022 the business received investment from Parabellum's Rami Cassis and recently re-opened its boutique in a Grade II listed banking hall following a development project to bring together Hervia’s head office, e-commerce operations, and stock holdings under one roof alongside its gallery style retail space.
"This reopening is momentous for Hervia. This is the first phase in a plan to build the brand into something truly incredible. It is particularly exciting to be holding this reopening in our 30th year of business. I am looking forward to continuing to work at the heart of the Manchester fashion community for another thirty years," Pinto-Hervia said of the re-opening.
Jane Boardman, Founding Chair of the British Beauty Council and adviser to the British Fashion Council, has been awarded an OBE for voluntary services to beauty and fashion. Read more at TheIndustry.beauty.
