Doctorates for Dixon and Ive

In a ceremony taking place in London today, The University of the Arts London is to honour Tom Dixon and Jonathan Ive for their contribution to the world of design.

Dixon will receive an honorary fellowship – the equivalent of an honorary doctorate but conferred on those with an existing relationship with the university – while Ive gets an honorary doctorate. Other designers to receive honorary doctorates include Celia Birtwell, known for her influential textile designs, and Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani.

Hussein Chalayan, Katharine Hamnett and Jasper Conran are all to be made visiting professors at the University of the Arts for ‘distinction’ in the fields of fashion, eco fashion, costume and theatre design.

Gerda Flockinger and Peter Blake were among those who received honorary fellowships and doctorates last year. The University of the Arts London has been awarding honorary degrees since 1996.

The decision to award an honorary doctorate or fellowship is decided by a selection panel with connections to the university. ‘The panel seeks to recognise those who have made an outstanding contribution to their chosen field of endeavour, from across the disciplines that the university covers,’ a spokesman for the university says.