French fashion designer who works in the UK, producing understated, easy-to-wear clothing in natural fabrics. She started out designing for French Connection in 1973, and for Stephen Marks - the label was renamed to Nicole Farhi in 1983. In 1989 she launched a menswear line, and has since produced a line of home furnishings, also simple, also in natural colours and fabrics. Since then she has been nominated eight times for the British Fashion Awards. She won the British Classics Award in 1989 and the Contemporary Collections Award in 1995, 1996 and 1997.