Damian Hopkins has been awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to the Retail and Fashion Industry by Anne, Princess Royal.
Hopkins is a distinguished entrepreneur and business leader with over 25 years of experience in the retail & fashion industry. Hopkins was one of the early adopters of sustainable and ethical manufacturing processes, and he has actively promoted British retailers and brands to international markets.
Hopkins has extensive experience across the business spectrum and throughout his career he has collaborated with many major retailers, brands and celebrities to help them design, produce, license and deliver their products sustainably and ethically both at home and internationally.
During numerous visits to factories in India, Turkey, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, Hopkins saw first-hand the reality for workers in the fashion sector and as a result, in 2008 he spearheaded one of the first fully certified Fairtrade Cotton supply chains in the UK market, working with African cotton growers, Indian spinners and Bangladesh factories to develop affordable fairtrade cotton products. His company was also an early adopter of sustainability in the fashion sector developing school uniforms made from recycled materials and selling them to high street retailers.
Hopkins also devotes time to support the retail and fashion industries being closely involved with the
Retail Trust charity for over a decade and currently chairs the Retail Trust ambassador programme which consists of over 60 senior retail leaders who share a passion for putting people at the heart of what they do, championing wellness in retail. Damian is also Retail Ambassador for the licensing sustainability organisation Products of Change, a movement of industry experts and influencers who work to reduce the environmental impact of retail products.
Hopkins is the founder and CEO of PDS Radius Brands (a division of PDS Ltd), a company that offers supply chain solutions, new market entry, and product licensing, with strong environmental, social, and ethical values, working with some of the world’s leading brands and talent in the fashion and home sectors. Damian is also the founder of womenswear brand Vivere a contemporary, responsible womenswear brand. Viverelondon.com. And is a NED for ITIM PLC an AIM listed retail tech solution providing omni-channel retailers with a Unified Retail platform.
Hopkins commented: “It has been an incredible day and one which I will cherish forever. I feel profoundly honoured and humbled to have been recognised in this way and my thanks go to everyone who has not only worked with me in whatever capacity over the years but also to those who have supported, encouraged and inspired me particularly my family. I couldn’t have achieved what I have without the support from them, and it was wonderful to share today with my wife and daughters. The retail industry in the UK employs over 3m people and it is a wonderful community of incredibly passionate, dedicated creative hard working people and I feel blessed to be part of that community, and I would like to express my gratitude to those who nominated me.”
A CBE is the highest ranking Order of the British Empire award.
