Amanda Wakeley

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Amanda Wakeley is a British fashion designer known for her clean, glam-inspired evening dresses, as well as daywear, tailoring, knitwear, and a line of accessories and jewellery. Her bridal collection is called Sposa. She is a supporter of the charity Women for Women.

Wakeley grew up in Cheshire, studied at Cheltenham Ladies’ College, and worked as a fashion model in New York in the 1980s before launching her own line in 1990 in Chelsea, London with a £20,000 loan from her father. Princess Diana’s patronage helped boost her early success. In 2012, she received significant investment from AGC Equity Partners to grow the business. Her flagship store was in Mayfair, and the brand was sold in more than 50 retailers worldwide. In 2016 she launched the Monogram Collection on QVC, focusing on leather bags and small leather goods. The company went into administration in 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic.

In her personal life, Wakeley married Neil Gillon at 26; they divorced in 1998. Since 2005 she has been in a relationship with Hugh Morrison, and in 2009 they bought back her label for £1 million. She was appointed an OBE in 2010 for services to fashion and has won multiple British Fashion Awards. Since 1996, she has co-chaired the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer charity, helping raise funds for the cause.