Donna Ida Thornton is an Australian-born fashion designer, founder of the eponymous Jeans brand DONNA IDA. The designer is regularly referred to as the “Jeans Queen” by the UK press.[1][2][3]
Early life
editThornton was raised in Sydney, Australia.[4][5] Having left school at the age of 16, she started her career as a personal assistant at a property development company.[6] She moved to London in 1999, still working in marketing.[5]
DONNA IDA
editThornton started her eponymous jeans brand in October 2006[6] when she was 33 years old.[7] The first boutique was located on Draycott Avenue in Chelsea, and was followed by boutiques opened in Westfield, Belgravia and Guildford.[8][9] The DONNA IDA fashion brand was launched in 2012. Notable fans of the brand include Made in Chelsea regular Millie Mackintosh, who in 2012 did a photoshoot with Thornton.[10] In 2014, the Donna Ida brand expanded its denim offerings to include more low-rise jean options.[11]
In 2016, the designer collaborated with high street retailer Jaeger to launch a new denim collection.[1][12] In 2017, British Vogue covered her brand's expansion beyond denim clothing into a lifestyle brand that includes merchandise such as candles and nightwear.[13]
Personal life
editThornton is married to restaurateur Robert Walton. The pair first met in 2006, and married in 2009 at a ceremony held at St Paul's Cathedral.[14] Their family chihuahuas[6] are "majestically indulged" according to the Times.[15] The pair purchased the 16th century grade II listed Langdon Court Hotel in 2021.[16][17]
Thornton is a patron of Jeans for Genes,[18] and helps to raise money for the charity Genetic Disorders UK.[19]
References
edit- ^ a b Wightman-Stone, Danielle (2016-09-12). "Jaeger collaborates with 'Jean Queen' Donna Ida". FashionUnited. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
- ^ "Donna Ida's denim shopping guide - Sloane Street". 2022-05-17. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
- ^ "Is The Low-Rise Jean Back?". British Vogue. 2014-09-24. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
- ^ "Donna Ida". Country and Town House. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
- ^ a b Potter, Kerry (July 2015). "Closet Confidential". ELLE. pp. 89–90.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ a b c "Interview, Fashion: Donna Ida Thornton". www.scotsman.com. 2017-11-27. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
- ^ "I found a focus for my ambition". Glamour. October 2015. p. 23.
- ^ "Donna Ida Thornton | HuffPost". www.huffingtonpost.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
- ^ Hampshire, David (2016). London's best shops & markets. Internet Archive. Bath : Survival Books. p. 99. ISBN 978-1-909282-81-0.
- ^ "'I Used This During Both Births To Help Me Relax': Millie Mackintosh On Her Hospital Bag Must-Have". Grazia. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
- ^ Milligan, Lauren (2014-09-24). "Is The Low-Rise Jean Back?". British Vogue. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
- ^ Roberts, Lauretta (2016-09-09). "Jaeger launches collaboration with "Jean Queen" Donna Ida". TheIndustry.fashion. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
- ^ Conlon, Scarlett (2017-05-04). "Donna Ida's New Direction". British Vogue. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
- ^ "Five Minutes with Robert Walton MBE". The Pemberley. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
- ^ Burroughs, Katrina. "The best luxury doggy decor to pamper your pooch". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
- ^ "Robert Walton and Donna Ida Thornton buy..." The Caterer. 2021-09-09. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
- ^ Telford, William (17 February 2022). "Hotel sales worth more than £86m: STAYCATION BOOM DRIVES PROPERTY DEALS". The Plymouth Evening Herald; Plymouth (UK) [Plymouth (UK)]. p. 9 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "Jeans for Genes - Donna Ida". archive.ph. 2012-08-02. Archived from the original on 2012-08-02. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
- ^ Karlson, Dana (2013-05-28). "Good Jeans". Glamour UK. Retrieved 2022-10-29.