Sarah Burton

Burton designed the wedding dress of Catherine Middleton for her wedding to Prince William in 2011. In 2012, she was named in Time 100, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world according to Time.

• Name — Sarah Burton • Birth Name — Sarah Jane Heard • Born — 1974 • Birthplace — Macclesfield, Cheshire, England • Label Name — * Alexander McQueen (2010–2023) • Givenchy (2024–present) • Education — Central Saint Martins • Occupation — Fashion designer • Years Active — 1996–present • Spouse — David Burton • Children — 3

Burton was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, one of five children of Anthony and Diana Heard. She attended Withington Girls' School in Manchester. After completing an art foundation course at Manchester Polytechnic, and opting to pursue fashion over studies in fine art, she studied Print Fashion at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. During her third year she was interviewed for a year's placement at Alexander McQueen at the suggestion of her tutor Simon Ungless, a friend of McQueen's. She joined the company for a year as an intern, when the company was based in a tiny studio in Hoxton Square.

• Illustration — Ballgown by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. Chosen as the Dress of the Year for 2011 • Illustration — Dress designed for Alexander McQueen's autumn/winter 2021-22 collection, featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion exhibition Upon her graduation in 1997, Burton joined Alexander McQueen full-time. Burton was appointed Head of Womenswear in 2000, during which time she created dresses for Cate Blanchett, Lady Gaga and Gwyneth Paltrow. Following McQueen's death in February 2010, and after company owner Gucci confirmed that the brand would continue, Burton was named as the new Creative Director of Alexander McQueen in May 2010. In October 2010, Burton presented her first show in Paris. On 29 April 2011, it was revealed that Burton had designed the wedding dress of Catherine Middleton for her marriage that day to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. It is believed that Burton's work came to the attention of Middleton in 2005 when she attended the wedding of Tom Parker Bowles, the son of the Duchess of Cornwall, for whom McQueen had designed the wedding dress for his bride, fashion journalist Sara Buys. Burton said creating the royal wedding dress had been the "experience of a lifetime". Burton also designed maid of honour Pippa Middleton's dress, and the dress that Catherine Middleton wore to the wedding's evening festivities. In 2011, Burton was named the British Fashion Council's Designer of the Year. In September 2023, Burton announced she would be departing Alexander McQueen. She had worked at the brand for 26 years.

It was announced in September 2024 that Burton would become creative director for French fashion house Givenchy. Actor Timothée Chalamet debuted the first ever menswear look by Burton for Givenchy at the 97th Academy Awards.

As of 2011, Burton lived in St John's Wood with her husband David Burton, a fashion photographer.

Sarah Burton is recorded with the occupation fashion designer. Recorded as a citizen of United Kingdom.