Biography
With a career spanning over twenty years, Katie Hillier is widely regarded as a pre-eminent accessory designer and creative consultant and counts luxury brands such as Stella McCartney , House of Holland and Victoria Beckham amongst her elite list of clients. In May 2013, Katie was appointed creative director of Marc by Marc Jacobs ; when the label shuttered in 2015, she launched her label with long-time collaborator and close friend Luella Bartley.
A graduate in fashion from the University of Westminster in London, the British designer, began her career in 1999 working alongside Luella Bartley at her newly established brand on a range of accessories that included jewellery, bags and small leather goods. Her work at Luella has often been credited as the start of the “It” bag movement of the early 2000s.
With the launch of her own studio, the designer freelanced as a creative consultant for a number of brands, most notably Marc by Marc Jacobs where she worked for over 9 years within the accessories division. In 2009, Katie was awarded Accessory Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards, and named one of the top 50 most Influential People in Fashion in Elle magazines Fashion Power List. Shortly afterwards the designer launched her own fine jewellery brand Hillier London — a collection of quirky designs presented with the tagline “Luxury With a Wink.” The collection proved an instant hit with fashion insiders and, in May 2013, Hiller London launched an e-commerce shop to meet demand.