Jack Isenberg's interest in fashion started long before he knew what to call it. Growing up in West Finchley, he waited each week for the fashion magazine inside the Sunday papers, and schoolbooks from when he was around seven are filled with fashion sketches.
After graduating from Central Saint Martins, he packed one suitcase and moved to Milan to work on Valentino's women's first line. At the time, he says, it seemed an unlikely move for "just a boy from West Finchley in North London".
Nearly two decades across New York, Milan, Paris and London followed. That run included a spell as Head Designer at Giambattista Valli from 2009 to 2012, roles at Versace, Nina Ricci and Tom Ford, and experience at Ralph & Russo and Jenny Packham. In July this year, he then joined Temperley London as Design Director, with the brand introducing his debut collection, Summer 2027, last month.
In this interview, he talks about how Valentino's designers taught him a technical skillset that helped him to understand fashion as a craft, what he believes defines a good designer, and why not coming from a fashion background should never have made him doubt his place.
Have you always had an interest in fashion? Why does it appeal to you and why did you want to work within it?
I remember when I was young, and I would wait every week for the Sunday papers, which included the fashion magazine. There, I was able to digest all the excitement and wonder of the international fashion world, which, in my day-to-day life living in the London suburbs, was unattainable.
Recently, I found my old schoolbooks dating back to when I was around seven years old, and there are sketches of women in clothes in those books, so I assume I must have had an interest even before I knew what fashion truly was.
Fashion appeals to me. I wanted to work within it because, like art, it is subjective to each person. It identifies us as individuals, and it is a community that is welcoming to those who think differently, while championing people from all walks of life. It is an industry that is charitable and one that uniquely evolves through cultural changes, which means that we all play a part in its future.
Tell us about your first job in fashion. What were the most valuable skills or lessons you gained from that first experience?
After graduating from St. Martins, my first job was at Valentino, where I went to work on the women’s first line. I remember being young, full of excitement with a splash of nerves, but then, looking back, I must have thought, I am just a boy from West Finchley in North London, and these things simply don't happen to someone like me. I had one suitcase, and off I went to Milan.
Valentino is a powerhouse. The experience grounded me; I learnt a whole new technical skillset from some of the most talented designers in the world, who kindly took the time to take me to the factories, explain processes and show me how things are done professionally. Fashion is a craft and one that must be respected. I remember being told, "Jack, keep your head down, do the work, always be agreeable and be open to new ways of working." That is a sentiment I still carry to this day. I believe being a good designer is not just about designing clothes; it is about understanding people and working within a diverse team.
What do you most enjoy about your current role?
After nearly two decades working across New York, Milan, Paris and now London, I have developed a diverse skill set and a broad understanding of how different fashion houses operate. I have admired Temperley London for many years, long before joining the house, and have always had enormous respect for its distinctive point of view, craftsmanship and rich creative heritage. It has been a real privilege to step inside that world and discover the archive, which I have loved exploring and am now reinterpreting through my own lens.
This feels like a particularly exciting moment for me and for the brand. My debut marks the beginning of a new chapter for Temperley London, and I feel incredibly proud to be entrusted with shaping where we go next. I want to honour the qualities that have made the house so distinctive while bringing a fresh perspective, new energy and a sense of possibility to the collections.
I am fortunate to have the trust and creative freedom of those around me, while also believing strongly in listening to my team and allowing ideas to evolve collaboratively. I love working with people who are engaged, passionate and invested in the future of the house. There is a wonderful sense of family within the team, and I am excited about what we can build together and about everything that is still to come for Temperley London.
If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice at the very start of your career, what would it be - and why?
Honestly, looking back, I wouldn’t have changed anything. I always understood that to work in an industry you love is a privilege, but perhaps I would have told my younger self that even though I did not come from a fashion background, that didn't mean I was any less deserving of finding my place and being welcomed by my peers. In the end, they fully accepted me based on my talent and who I was as a person.
What does the next chapter of your own career look like and how are you hoping to grow from here?
I always said the day I feel there is nothing left to learn or excite me is the day I will retire. Given that fashion is constantly changing, I feel I most likely, like my father, will continue to work until I physically can't. I am excited about technology, how clothes will develop and have more purpose with integrated AI programs. I also hope that I will continue to uphold the same standards that I had at the start of my career: to be kind and considerate to those around me, to listen and learn from the youngest in the team as well as those with more experience, and to continue to grow and expand the Temperley London woman to a new audience.
Has there been a person in fashion that you have always admired and why?
I always say I am a product of nearly twenty years working with extraordinary people. I admire my fellow designers who have inspired me, the people in the factories who took the time to educate me on the process of how things are actually made, and those in all the different areas within fashion who took the time to show up and support me.
