AW14: BEHIND THE SCENES WITH EMILIA WICKSTEAD
Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large
'Oh, that's my sister' says Emilia Wickstead as she gestures towards the sweet little dog which is careering around her studio. She goes on to explain that Peach belongs to her mother. Aha, so the polished and elegant Wickstead has not lost her marbles but is just being entertainingly witty, despite the fact that her AW14 show is just six days away.
You might imagine that the airy salon in Belgravia which Emilia Wickstead calls HQ would be an oasis of calm. Yes, there is a pristine showroom area and several glossy staff who are model-like bedecked head-to-toe in their employer's designs but downstairs there's a flurry of cameramen shooting a preview film and jostling for space with a small army of sewers and pattern cutters quietly beavering to put the finishing touches to Wickstead's new film noir and Erwin Blumenfeld inspired collection.She claims that she has changed her mind so many times that only now, a few days before the show, is everything really beginning to come together. 'No sleep for me this week!' she laughs almost as if she's rather excited at the prospect.
Erwin Blumenfeld colours (via h3nryh3nry.blogspot.com)
Today, the focus is on embroidering hundreds of Swarovski crystals into neat rows and rose-like patterns. "I want them to look like purposeful clusters, but with some areas where there will be much more embellishment than others". She demonstrates this by arranging fingerfuls of pearls and baguette gems onto a piece of dusky pink lace which echoes the tones of Blumenfeld's photography.This is the second season that Wickstead has worked with Swarovski and she's enthusiastic about the benefits. "Embellishment is not something I'm used to working with so I love the challenge". And there's no playing it safe. One of the most intriguing works I spot in her studio is a leather trench coat which will be edged in pearls and golden beads. The mac is a nod to darkly glamorous film noir. Such is the attention to detail that the leather will be embellished on both sides so that when the mac falls open, another row of sparkle will be revealed.
Swarovski clusters
It's silly to take one show piece to tell you a lot about a designer. However, said edgy, dramatic leather trench could be taken as a sign that Wickstead is by no means settling into a comfortable existence of designing appropriately chic dresses for society ladies. Emilia Wickstead has travelled an unusual and fascintating London trajectory since starting out in 2008, from quiet salon presentation through to an ever-growing, full blown on-schedule show. 'We're doubling our capacity this season' she tells me of this exciting growth. When I ask what's next she hints 'we won't be doing handbags but how about luggage?'
Wickstead has achieved this rise almost singlehandedly with none of the backing from sponsorship schemes which many young London designers so rely upon. 'I was working three jobs. My mother taught me that you should always be making money and be profitable' the Central Saint Martin's graduate says of the early days of the dressmaking business which she ran from her flat, ploughing back whatever she made from private commissions into further growth. The fact that Samantha Cameron and, later, the Duchess of Cambridge wore her dresses must have helped.
Caitlin Fitzgerald in Emilia Wickstead (via thenational.ae)
One of Wickstead's biggest achievements of late has been on the red carpet. It's a notable injection of glamour, bringing her aesthetic to a different audience. Suki Waterhouse wore a pale pink, pearl scattered gown to a BAFTA party in LA last November while 'Masters of Sex' actress Caitlin Fitzgerald made best-dressed lists in a similar turtle-necked, dipped hem powder blue creation at the Golden Globes in January. 'Caitlin just looked amazing with her short hair and red lips' recounts Wickstead as we discuss how these girls are giving the world a whole new spin on her work. 'Who doesn't love looking at the gossip websites and magazines to see what everyone's wearing?' she says, explaining that the thrill of seeing her dresses on the red carpet was multiplied by the fact that she had no idea it was going to happen. Something tells me that she'll be feeling many more of those thrills, especially if this autumn/ winter preview is anything to go by.
A tumble of pictures from Emilia Wickstead's studio...
With thanks to Swarovski
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