Betty Jackson CBE, one of the UK’s most celebrated fashion designers and a national patron of Smart Works, comes to Smart Works Edinburgh on 3rd August to talk about her distinguished career in fashion and her support of the charity’s work.
Smart Works is the charity which recognises the value in dressing women for job interviews offering a brighter future. It helps unemployed and vulnerable women to get back into work by giving them training for interviews and ensuring they look the part with interview clothing.
Betty Jackson’s profile outside the fashion scene was raised when she became widely known for her clothes designs for the characters of Patsy and Edina in the 1990s British television comedy programme ‘Absolutely Fabulous’.
Jackson’s informal fashion talk, followed by a question-and answers session, will take place during brunch at the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh, today 3 August 2019 hosted by Gabriella Bennett, author of The Art of Coorie.
Betty Jackson ran her own fashion business Betty Jackson Ltd for over 37 years, as well as launching the Autograph collection for Marks and Spencer Betty Jackson Black for Debenhams. Her achievement within British fashion was recognised with an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 1987 and later in 2007 with a CBE for ‘services to the fashion industry’.
All proceeds from the event will support Smart Works Edinburgh in their work allowing the women they help to look and feel their best at a crucial moment in their lives.
Over one in two women Smart Works sees will go on to get the job within a month of their interview.
Betty Jackson CBE and Patron of Smart Works said:“It’s an honour to have the opportunity to share my story and help the local Edinburgh centre of Smart Works, a charity which is very close to my heart. It was a no brainer for me to get involved with Smart Works. So many women find themselves getting side-lined and they can’t find their way back and our support points them in the right direction. We had one woman who arrived at the charity with a plastic bag full of her stuff and we worked with her and gave her the confidence to go to interviews. She is now a secretary at Buckingham Palace.”
Maggie Darling, Chair, Smart Works Edinburgh, said:“We’re delighted to welcome Betty to discuss her incredible career as one of the leading lights of British fashion. It’s a unique opportunity for fashion lovers to get together to hear some of Betty’s insights into running her own business. As a long-time supporter of Smart Works, Betty has an amazing understanding of the power of clothes to transform lives.”
