Master and mentor: Jonathan Saunders

Fashion designer Jonathan Saunders is renowned for his clever use of colour, original prints, beautiful silks, and above all, his craftsmanship. The key to success, he says, is balancing recognition and novelty. And now he plans to share his expertise with young designers

Jonathan Saunders: ‘You have to have a form of repetition in your work. Without it, you fail to have a recognisable DNA’ Pic: Marc O’Sullivan
Saunders with designer Diane von Furstenberg at the CFDA Fashion Awards in New York

There is something about Jonathan Saunders.

The Glaswegian fashion designer is sitting on a high stool, sipping a Peroni beer. He’s dressed expertly: a black blazer slung over the right T-shirt and the right jeans. Striking too is his skin, a zingy, expensive complexion that speaks more of the New York facialist he frequents than the cheeky cigarette he stubbed out ...