How Ben the gown guru scored a healthy success

Now American-born designer Ben de Lisi has given British hospital gowns a style-guru makeover, bringing his effortless design magic to a garment that has been the subject of despairing jokes

for decades.

Born in New York, de Lisi was taught to sew by his grandmother and studied sculpture at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn before moving to London in 1982 to launch his first fashion collection. It was his sleek red gown with a one-shoulder petal strap, worn to the Oscars by Kate Winslet in 2002 when she was nominated for Iris, that nailed his status as one of the world's leading eveningwear designers.

It's testament to the pure wearability of de Lisi's creations that he was selected by the Design Council to create the Universal Patient Gown, as part of its Design for Patient Dignity project, which includes prototypes for new bed-pods (described as a "private, patient-controlled bed environment"), a reclining hybrid day/wheel chair, new screening and signage systems and new washrooms.

De Lisi is excited about his contribution. "It's about decades of embarrassment being changed in one fell swoop. Hopefully, we'll be about to roll out, by 2011, to the entire NHS, the Ben de Lisi Hospital Gown," he says with pride, adding: "And I am being approached by hospital authorities around the world to buy this gown."

Actually, it's more a capsule collection designed around a key piece, the gown itself. De Lisi says: "It does not open at the back any more. It's done in a beautiful cotton stripe, in blue and white stripe right now, but will also be offered in a blue, taupe, pink and white stripe, with men's and women's the same. We haven't done a children's, but we can size it down for a child. And we also do a cropped pyjama pant with it, and a polar fleece wrap, just in case they get cold."

Before putting pen to paper, de Lisi researched practicalities such as how many times a day gowns might be changed, and how many washes they would be expected to withstand, and also discussed patient needs with NHS staff, visiting hospitals to understand the problems posed by non-ambulatory and comatose patients, those morbidly obese and on mental health wards, as well as patients whose religion poses dress challenges.

"The most important thing was that the patient's dignity was kept intact and the gown allowed the medical staff to access the body and help the patient."

The gown and accessories were produced in collaboration with UK-based manufacturer Silvereed, whose parent company is based in the Far East. As far as cost is concerned, the Design Council says it will be competitively priced within the current price range for the NHS.

De Lisi's designs have received the approval of Ann Keen, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Health Services, and could be recommended for

purchase by the health service next year, after being tested by 50 patients at a London hospital.

Surely one of the world's hardest working fashion designers, de Lisi is slap-bang in the middle of a madly busy period, having just resurrected Principles, which has been bought by Debenhams to become another of its in-store designer collaborations, renamed Principles by Ben de Lisi.

The Principles brand disappeared from the High Street in March last year, when its parent company, Mosaic Fashions, went into administration. Debenhams, which already sold the label in its stores, bought the remaining stock and worldwide rights to the brand name.

De Lisi has created a 106-piece collection targeted at the 40-plus woman with a 46-piece companion range for petites, all focusing on well-tailored cuts, beautiful fabrics and flattering shapes with designs for weekend, smart day, occasion and evening wear, together with handbags and accessories.

US First Lady Michelle Obama was his muse for the range, with de Lisi inspired by how she mixes High Street names with designer.

"It is a blas chic with a touch of humour and a touch of individuality, not being scared to wear brooches and little sparkly cardigans from J Crew with a designer skirt, or wear clashing colour, or mixing texture. She obviously has the added bonus of being tall and statuesque, but she does it with great confidence.

"Being American, I think that's a very important slant for me to bring to the collection. What I wanted to do was pitch it between Michael Kors and Banana Republic, but keep it quite immaculate."

The British woman, he says, is more adventurous than an American. "Americans are more conservative in the way they dress and tend to keep it quite clean and pure, which is what I am trying to get them to do here. We've kept the offer the same – ladies separates, day into cocktail, building a wardrobe. What we have added is polish, class, chic and reliability.

His association with Debenhams goes back more than 20 years

"On the back of the success of Ben de Lisi eveningwear, there were High Street stores (not Debenhams) that were actually copying what I did and I thought, if that's going to happen then I'll reach the consumer myself," he says.

The result was Debenhams' first designer collaboration, BDL by Ben de Lisi, a range of effortlessly chic evening wear.

Although he still offers his couture service at his London shop, de Lisi has recently turned more of his attention to High Street collaborations and last year launched his homewares collection in Debenhams.

Now comes Principles by Ben de Lisi. Showing me around the new area at the Leeds White Rose branch of Debenhams, he looks nothing like his 52 years as he points out how he has snuck some homewares in among the clothes – a cushion he created, nestling on the shelves, featuring his beloved bulldog Ella – is already a British design classic. Like the homewares, the fittings are based on his own home, in Battersea, which he shares with his dogs.

As a designer, he is changing how we dress ourselves and our homes. And now, should we be unfortunate enough to end up in hospital, at least we may well be able to say that we have been dressed by

Ben de Lisi.

Prices for the collection will start at 10 for a handbag and 20 for tops, with dresses from 45 and a top price of 80 for a spring/summer coat. Customer enquiries: 08445 616161.