Sitting across from Josh Birch Jones in the sunlit Victoria Suite of the Adria Hotel in London, it’s hard to reconcile his youthful energy with the weight of his achievements. At just twenty, he is the youngest member of the British Fashion Council- ever. “Sometimes people forget my age,” he admits with a smile. But milestones like this don’t happen overnight. So how did Josh’s journey in fashion begin, and what shaped him into the designer he is today?
A Childhood Written in Fabric
Josh’s story began long before fashion shows and client fittings. At four, while most children were still learning their ABCs, he was already buried in his mother’s wardrobe. She had modelled in the 1990s and her closet was a treasure chest of outfits. “I know what’s in my mum’s wardrobe more than she does,” he laughs. “I’d pull out a garment and think, what if the sleeves were longer? I’d sketch my own version.”
By eleven, those childhood doodles had evolved into something more serious: he was designing pieces for a charity fashion show in Kent, marking the start of his remarkable journey. At 12, he became the youngest designer to show at London Fashion Week – and by 13, had already debuted internationally.
“Designing a dress and running a business are two completely different skill sets.”
– Josh Birch Jones
Then came the pandemic. With studios shut and the industry frozen, Josh was forced to adapt. “It was like someone hit pause,” he reflects. “All I had was a sewing machine, scraps of fabric, and time.” Those three things became his teachers, pushing him to refine his craft through trial and error.
Balancing Business with Couture
Unlike many young designers, Josh chose not to attend fashion school. Instead, he enrolled at the University of Exeter to study business. “Designing a dress and running a business are two completely different skill sets,” he admits. His weeks quickly turned into a balancing act. Monday to Friday, he was buried in lectures; come the weekend, he was stitching together client fittings and business meetings across London.
Outside of his bespoke services, his inquisitive mind is always imagining new collections, and the question that guides his design process is deceptively simple: Who is the woman I’m designing for? “I think about her whole day – where she’s going, how she moves, what makes her feel confident. That’s what drives every decision.” His collections often begin with a hundred sketches, which he refines down to twenty or so. The rest is endless testing, sampling, model fittings and alterations.
Josh Birch Jones Spring/Summer 2025 runway show
In 2023, his Autumn/Winter collection paid homage to old Hollywood. Sweeping gowns, lush textures, and art deco flourishes filled the runway. “I wanted it to feel timeless – like something you could wear ten years from now and it would still be relevant.”
Building a Legacy Beyond the Runway
Josh joined the British Fashion Council at just seventeen, becoming its youngest member in history. “For a designer coming in to the industry on a more unconventional path”, he explains “it’s been an incredible opportunity and I’m excited to work on the future projects the partnership brings.”
Among his proudest creations is The Rose – a bold red strapless gown from his 2019 collection, constructed from 27 metres of fabric. “It made such a statement. People still ask me about it today.”
Josh Birch Jones’s creations at the Cannes Film Festival 2025. The Rose worn by Shannon K (left) and Afiya Bennett modelling a couture gown on a Riva yacht (right).
More recently, besides his regular shows at London Fashion Week, where in 2024 Marie Helvin walked the runway, he unveiled a headline-grabbing eveningwear collection at the prestigious Lansdowne Club in Mayfair.
Beyond designing, Josh is committed to inspiring the next generation. He regularly speaks at schools and colleges, encouraging young creatives to balance vision with pragmatism. “I tell them: creativity is essential, but you can’t run a brand on inspiration alone. You need to understand the business side.”
As our conversation winds down, I ask him what drives him most. He pauses, then smiles. “Growing up with my mother, along with many other powerful female presences. My drive has always been to create and inspire confidence in the women wearing my designs. That’s everything to me.”
And perhaps that is the most striking thing about Josh Birch Jones. For all his youth, he isn’t defined by his age, but by a far greater purpose: designing a future where every woman who wears his work feels confident, powerful and seen.
Author: Yanis Mardel
Lead image: Josh Birch Jones, SS 2025 Collection, at London Fashion Week.
Josh Birch Jones portrait by @Lewis French
Afiya Bennett at Cannes Film Festival 2025. Production @stylelabltd / @theprofile_agency. Photography @imagedazur. Yacht courtesy of @riva.mbs @rivayacht
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