Meet Connor Ives, the British designer everyones talking about

In a fashion landscape often saturated with noise, Connor Ives stands apart with quiet clarity. Bedford-born and London-based, the Central Saint Martins graduate has carved a distinct path, blending glamour with grit, and nostalgia with a future-forward vision. His breakthrough moment came while still a student, when Adwoa Aboah wore one of his designs to the 2017 Met Gala, a milestone that led to a pivotal stint at Rihanna’s Fenty, acclaimed runway shows, and the founding of his own label, rooted in sustainability, storytelling, and an unapologetic point of view.

Now, With his latest ‘Protect the Dolls’ T-shirt, Ives further cements his role not just as a creator of beautiful clothes, but as a powerful voice for a generation seeking something honest, urgent, and real. Here, we introduce Connor Ives, a name you’ll want to remember.

Who is Connor Ives?

Growing up in Bedford, New York, Connor Ives was immersed in aesthetics early. His mother, who he describes as having a ‘refined’ taste, favouring brands like Ralph Lauren, and loved collecting Americana and folk crafts. By the age of 12, Ives had taught himself to sew, drape, and rework garments into something entirely new.

At 18, he moved to London to study at Central Saint Martins. There, he honed an aesthetic of reconstituted Americana, underpinned by sustainability and emotional storytelling. Early on, he worked with Rihanna, assisting on the development of her inaugural Fenty collections, a formative experience that hinted at the voice he was fast becoming, one shaped as much by cultural commentary as by style.

These day, Ives’ collections mine an American history of cheerleaders, debutantes, downtown girls and creates it into something both knowing and new. He’s a master at making stories out of scraps, where a skater dress is stitched with cotton pom-poms, and feels like a memory you can’t quite place.

How did the ‘Protect The Dolls’ T-shirt come to be?

It’s Ives’ Protect the Dolls T-shirt that debuted as part of his Fall 2025 collection that not only captured a wider cultural moment, but really put the designer on the map.

The slogan serves as a love letter to transgender women and a rallying call for trans rights. What started as a sartorial political statement has now been worn by celebrities like Pedro Pascal and Troye Sivan — names have catapulted the shirt into the global spotlight, and contributed to raising over $300,000 for Trans Lifeline to date.

Where to shop Connor Ives

For those wanting a piece of Connor Ives’, his ready-to-wear collections are available via his official website, Net-A-Porter, SSENSE, Matches Fashion and more.