A black tailor who struggled to find work in Seventies London and went on to make clothes for Princess Diana has been honoured for his contribution to business.
Andrew Ramroop, who created the jacket worn by Diana in her Panorama interview of 1995, was named business person of the year at the fourth annual Black British Business Awards.
The awards recognise the contributions outstanding black entrepreneurs and professionals make to society.
The 64-year-old, pictured, is now a master tailor and owner of Savile Row institution Maurice Sedwell — the firm which offered him his first apprenticeship in the Seventies.
He hires about 20 apprentices each year in a bid to help people from diverse backgrounds into the industry.
He said: “I worked three jobs and in 1972 paid £900 a year to do a course at the London College of Fashion.
“Out of eight graduates, only two of us were black and no one, no one would employ us.
The only person to give me a job was Maurice Sidwell and to cut a long story short, I now own that shop.”
Former Goldman Sachs investment banker Martin Ijaha, 35, who grew up on a council estate in Chelsea, was recognised as a rising star for founding fintech start-up Neyber, which last month received a £100 million investment from his former employer.
Melanie Eusebe, chair and co-founder of the Black British Business Awards, said: “The awards continue to uncover a healthy pipeline of role models who are breaking through stereotypes and changing the game for UK Industry.”
Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, said: “Black business leaders have made great strides over the past few years, with more and more businesses established by members of minority ethnic communities and more diverse companies than ever before.
“However, there is still much more to do, in ensuring that Britain is a place where everyone can succeed, and I commend the work of the Black British Business Awards to both highlight role models and to help advance economic empowerment and equality.”
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