Nicole Farhi

In the last two decades, Nicole Farhi has emerged as one of the UK's leading designer names. Her unique blend of easy, but functional tailoring with luxurious, desirable separates and accessories has created a loyal following in the UK, USA and Japan, and increasingly throughout the world.

Born in Nice and trained in fashion design, Nicole began her career in Paris as a freelance designer before moving to London in the early 1970's to work with Stephen Marks on the French Connection brand.

In 1983 Marks launched the Nicole Farhi label giving Nicole the opportunity to design a collection more in tune with her own personal philosophy, clothes that she herself really wanted to wear.

It did not take long for her aesthetic to stimulate demand for the label. Five yaers later she expanded the collection with a diffusion line for women - Farhi. A collection of sporty, easy pieces, Farhi provided the solution for every working woman's weekend wardrobe. The Nicole Farhi brand has continued to grow with the introduction of swimwear, shoes, accessories and eveningwear.

When Nicole launched the now renowned menswear collection in 1989, it seemed like a natural progression. "I was designing womens clothes that had a masculine touch", says Farhi. Softly tailored suits and separates have made the collection one of the UK's strongest labels. The diffusion line for men also now called Farhi was introduced in 1996.

In September 1994 Farhi opened a flagship store on London's New Bond Street, which embodies the complete Nicole Farhi lifestyle, including the restaurant, Nicole's. Nicole Farhi now has eight free standing London stores, one of which is solely devoted to menswear and one for the Home collection, which opened in October 1998 and now has its own group of devoted followers. And in October 2002, Nicole Farhi launched a new concept store '202' in West London.

In August 1999 the Nicole Farhi US flagship store opened in New York, just off Madison Avenue at 10 East 60th Street, housing men's and women's collections, Nicole Farhi Home and Nicole's restaurant. Nicole Farhi also has concessions in Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges.

An eight time nominee for the British Fashion Awards, Nicole Farhi won the British Classics award in 1989 and the Contemporary collections in 1995, 1996 and again in 1997. Nicole Farhi was also named Menswear Designer of the Year at the 2000 FHM Awards, and British Designer of the Year at the 2001 Maxim Awards.