The Great British Sewing Bee's Esme Young looks completely different with pixie cut in epic throwback photo

Esme Young is back on our TV screens in the new season of BBC One's hit reality competition show, The Great British Sewing Bee.

The TV presenter, alongside fellow judge Patrick Grant, tasks a group of amateur sewers with a series of challenges in the hopes of being crowned 'Britain's most sensational seamster'. 

As fans of the heartwarming show will know, Esme is a renowned fashion designer, having co-founded the successful fashion brand Swanky Modes in the 1970s. 

In February last year, Esme shared an amazing throwback to her young years, showing the designer posing alongside her friend, Bette Bright. 

"Me and my friend Bette Bright in Swanky Modes," she captioned the picture. Commenting on her hairdo, Esme added: " I'm the one with the short hair."

While the fashion guru is known for her trademark grey bob and stylish flats, she couldn't look more different with her fashionable pixie cut and racy cut-out dress. 

Esme Young's Swanky Modes

Esme, Judy, Melanie and fellow fashion fanatic Willie Walters set up Swanky Modes in a shop in Camden Town during the 1970s.

It didn't take long for the label to rise to prominence thanks to its high-profile clients, including Grace Jones and Cher. Their clothes soon began appearing in magazines and newspapers such as Vogue, The Sunday Times, Nova, Honey and the V&A Little Black Dress Book. Their designs were also snapped by renowned photographers, including David Bailey, Helmut Newton, Nick Knight, John Swannell and Neil Kirk.

Esme's designs have appeared on the big screen, too, including in The Beach, Bridget Jones' Diary, Romeo & Juliet, 2011's Wuthering Heights and Trainspotting.

In an interview with RTE, Esme revealed that she was the brains behind Renee Zellweger's iconic Tarts and Vicars party bunny costume.

© Photo: Rex

"Renee wanted the bunny outfit to be tighter because her character wasn't skinny," she said, adding: "She really wanted a cleavage, so the costume pushed her breasts up. She could hardly sit down in it because it was so tight."

Esme Young's TV career

As well as carving out a successful career as a fashion designer, Esme also works as a TV presenter and has appeared on The Great British Sewing Bee since 2016.

Esme is a judge on the show alongside Patrick Grant, while comedian Sophie Willan took over from Sara Pascoe as host for the 2025 Christmas special and season 12. 

© Production

She has also made several one-episode appearances as a celebrity guest on various reality programmes, including The Weakest Link, The Wheel, House of Games, Celebrity Antiques Road Trip and Who Do You Think You Are?

When she's not on the small screen, Esme can be found teaching students at Central Saint Martins, which is the same art school she graduated from.

© James Stack

She also published an autobiography in 2022, titled Behind the Seams: My Life in Creativity, Friendship and Adventure from the star of the Great British Sewing Bee.