Amber Butchart

Amber Butchart is best known for her presenting roles on the BBC for ‘The Great British Sewing Bee’ and ‘A Stitch in Time’. Aside from her work in television, Amber is the author of five books, a fashion historian and popular keynote speaker who has given talks to a wide variety of institutions about fashion. Having always been passionate about old clothes, going charity shopping with her mother, Amber has dedicated her life to studying the craft of others. Now, Amber is expertly able to speak on the topic of fashion history, having given talks at the National Gallery, BAFTA, British Museum, British Film Institute, Royal Albert Hall and the Science Museum to name a few.

With a career which developed organically, from combining several passions including reading, research and objects, Amber’s profession took her down a path which even she could not have imagined. She gained her bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Language at Kings College London and subsequently studied her master’s in History and Culture of Fashion at London College of Fashion. She began her career as a buyer for the international vintage clothing company, Beyond Retro, and has since developed over 20 years of experience in buying and styling second hand and vintage clothes.

Amber is a former Research Fellow at the University of Arts, London and currently teaches university students on cultural and historical studies at London College of Fashion. She is also the Lead Consultant in Forensic Garment Analysis with Alecto Forensics and the host of the ‘Cloth Cultures’ podcast for the British Textile Biennial. Presenting the 6-part YouTube series ‘English Heritage’ which went on to win the Grand Prix Prize at the 2019 YouTube Works Awards, Amber proved her natural ability as a presenter. Other notable projects of Amber’s include ‘Civilisations Stories: The First Refugees’ which aired on BBC, and a regular guest on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Women’s Hour’.

Having published articles in the likes of The Guardian, Times Literary Supplement, the Financial Times, Icon and The Pool, Amber has cemented herself as one of the leading experts of the history of fashion. Her historical expertise has been requested by top brands such as YSL and GHD for their campaigns, and Amber is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a trustee of the Costume Society and a member of the Royal Historical Society. Whether you are looking for a seasoned panel host or an excellent speaker on the history of art, look no further than Amber Butchart to hire at your next event.