‘The Rose Dress was the catalyst for the catwalk show, it’s all about re-birth and everybody deserves another opportunity,’ said designer Ross Griffiths, who is making the most of his own second chance.
Life could have been very different for Chorley-born Ross who struggled through his teens and was involved with drugs and crime. He has spent time living on the streets and, as a 21-year-old, he was diagnosed with HIV and tried to take his own life.
Now 33, things are looking much rosier. He has launched an award-winning business, delivered an inspirational show at London Fashion Week and had a key piece bought by a museum.
His award-winning Kingfisher Couture label is inspired by classics such as Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe, along with his own theatrical and flamboyant flair.
‘Kingfishers are leaders and that’s why I chose the name,’ he says. ‘They were among the first to leave Noah’s Ark, and they provided a safe path for people and that is my ethos.’
And the biblical inspiration carried through into his collection with his ideas for the rose dress being sparked by the story of the Garden of Eden. ‘The first rose was thornless and, once picked, the roses started to grow thorns to protect their own beauty. It was all a sign of rebirth, and it was perfect for what I wanted for the final piece and the whole collection.’
He created the collection for last year’s London Fashion Week after the Widnes-based cancer charity Sam’s Diamonds asked him to work with them.
'Collaboration is important. Working with people teaches you how to deal with the industry stresses,’ Ross says.
‘The charity approached me to give their service users an experience of a lifetime. Fourteen of the catwalk models were cancer patients, some of whom were living with their illness and some were stage four and looking to take part in something extraordinary.
‘Without them, I really wouldn’t have been able to do it, and the things they do for those women is absolutely unreal.’
And the Rose Dress will be showcased again when the Harris Museum re-opens next spring after its refurbishment
Fashion historian and museum curator Scott Schiavone visited Ross at his home studio to browse his collection and couldn’t resist the one-of-a-kind piece. And Ross also donated the ensemble he wore to claim his Emerging Designer award in 2023.
'I actually had to sit down when they said they wanted to buy my item, I was so proud,’ Ross says. ‘That is going to leave a legacy for me for centuries, my outfits will be inspiring generations to come, people will hear my story and if I can help just one person then that’s my job done.’
Ross is a self-taught designer and his experience at last year’s London Fashion Week was a particularly steep learning curve.
‘I didn’t expect it to be so ignorant,’ he says. ‘The most unexpected thing was how unwelcoming the industry is and how dismissive people can be when you’re new.
‘I’ve learned so much about myself, and if I could go back there would be so much, I would change but it’s what we do, we learn who we are.
‘My advice to anyone who wants to get into the industry is to go to college, go to university and get that experience and make those connections.
‘My interest in fashion came from wanting to be a model. I’ve always been a bit of an extrovert when it comes down to the way that I look and the way I dress.
‘I think fashion is a defence mechanism I use. It can be used for so many things, it can be a mask or an uplifter, it can be used to identify as someone else.’
And Ross adds: ‘I have never studied fashion, only at my high school, Southlands in Chorley, at GCSE level. But textile technology has been taken out of most curriculums and if you’re after a career in fashion you have to wait until you’re at college to find a course that will teach you the skills to work in the industry.
‘If textile technology wasn’t in my school, I don’t know where I would be today,’ he says. ‘I want to educate the younger generation and introduce them to something that might actually redirect the course of their life, because it did for me. I would love to go into schools and do fashion workshops and motivational talks.’
His first collection was launched early in 2022 and was named Hamilton, in honour of the now-retired textiles teacher Susan Hamilton who taught him the basics.
The last couple of years have been a whirlwind for Ross who set himself eight years to meet a number of career goals: become a fashion designer, win an award, do London Fashion Week and leave a legacy.
‘I’ve achieved them in two years, so I really don’t know what I’ll do next,’ he says. ‘I did not expect to have such incredible people around me that really made my vision come alive. I do have plans to launch a community interest company later this year that will focus on fashion, creativity and design in order to help people.
* To find out more, follow Ross at facebook.com/Kingfishercouture.
