Ben de Lisi

Who is Ben de Lisi?

Ben de Lisi is an American born fashion designer based in London. He is best known for his collections with high street store Debenhams, and as a mentor and judge on the television series Project Catwalk. He has also appeared on UK television show Come Dine With Me.

Born in New York and raised in Long Island, he studied sculpture at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. Designing his own menswear range in 1979, he moved to London in the fashion industry in 1982. He started working with Debenhams in 1992.

De Lisi won the British Glamour Designer of the Year award in both 1994 and 1995. He has been showing at London Fashion Week since 1995, and went on to establish his own company in 1998. After shutting his shop in 2008, which had provided evening dresses for Kate Winslet, Helena Bonham Carter and Anjelica Huston, De Lisi approached Debenhams to launch a day wear range, and was subsequently asked to redesign the Principles range.

Approached by the Department of Health, they offered him an open agenda to pick any project he wanted to redesign. Thinking he would pick a bathroom, De Lisi helped the NHS to redesign their hospital gown in 2010.

He acted as a mentor to budding Fashion designers in the British TV Series 'Project Catwalk'.