She’s the designer of choice of countless prestigious stars such as Emma Watson, Kate Middleton and Keira Knightley- amongst others- and she has made quite the name for herself in the British fashion industry. But most of all, the British fashion designer Alice Temperley is one of the most whimsical faces in fashion and her unique aesthetic has translated into luxurious fabrics and dreamy-like looks.

We caught up with the designer to hear about her newest collection and of course, her Bridal focus.

You have always been known for your unique modern-meets-bohemian style. Can you tell us more about your most recent collection? What was the angle you worked on?

Our most recent collection stems from a need to be more and more fantasy-focused, with a little twist or rather an unfolding picture. This is why we tried to call it “Painted Dreams”, as it was inspired from a pleated fan we stumbled upon at an exhibition. After photographing it, we fell in love with the filigree, the flowers and the color. It actually told a surrealist story with a beautiful heart, one that we turned into the lips. Taking simply the colors and the filigree patterns, we then created the jacquards and then reinterpreted the hand holding the fan by painting it into a print. The result was very colorful! We developed new fabrics, conceived fifties-like silhouettes and created embellished evening-wear. Instilling the collection with clean and tailored cocktail shapes was extremely important to me to fight preconceptions about my brand. I myself, wear a lot of trousers and of course, black and white colors!

Do you consider this ‘new side’ as a market-oriented endeavor or is it something you just wanted to create?

It was something I absolutely wanted to create, although I really love the staple fluid and feminine dresses. But it just seemed right to cover a much more modern and sleeker version of the designs. Granted, you can’t really get that bohemian look with this new endeavor, but it will always have a bohemian flare to it. I just wanted to show the bigger picture of it, the one that unveils much more elevated pieces, Italian prints, a European fabrication, structured tailored pieces and a Boho-chic quality.

Is there a specific color that you always integrate in your collections?

I wouldn’t say there’s a specific color, but I do always integrate black and white tones. Sometimes, I find myself using too much pink, so much so that I can’t even look at that color anymore, so I shift to blue hues and so on. In fact, my favorite color is deep Aubergine, which I frequently use to decorate my house with, but I do not use it in my designs as it is quite hard to translate it into certain fabrics.

Can you tell us more about your timeless bridal collection? How did it all start, and is it something you have always wanted to do?

As a child, I used to go for walks into forests and ruins, and I used to fantasize about making all these beautiful dresses and imagining people wearing ridiculous theatrical wedding gowns. I used to collect fabrics since I was about 11 years old and when I eventually made my dresses, I found myself using a lot of lace. Ultimately, a lot of friends asked for wedding dresses, so I just ended up very frequently designing them, which pushed me to concentrate solely on a bridal collection. It is roughly about 10 percent of the business, but it is something that is quite essential and we are going to be focusing much more on it!

Do you accept personalized tailor-made services?

Yes, of course! And I have previously come to Abu Dhabi to cater to some clients, and others have even come to me for this service.

Temperley has been in the London fashion market for 17 years. So, what are the most memorable milestones?

In 2002 we had our first fashion show and in 2005 we opened a store in LA. 2006 was truly remarkable as we got a big four page feature in Vogue America, which was a turning point in our careers since it put the brand’s name on the map. And then in 2008 we opened the first store in the Middle East!

Is there a specific year or date when you said to yourself “I made it”?         

It doesn’t necessarily happen like that in this industry because you are always sort of working on four things. You are really only as good as your last collection and you are always somehow working on 3 collections at the same time. The trick is to be able to edit and simplify. Creating is actually not the problem, the only challenge is to make sure that these four seasons are very, very clear. And right now, we have the best team and it is stronger than it has ever been for many, many years… ever actually! We are actually about to embark on quite an exciting journey. Once we get that button pressed, it is going to be really, really exciting.

So what’s next for you? Is there something specific you are working on now?

Well the next plan is to focus a little bit more on retail, on our web platform and on building our daywear, eveningwear and bridal gowns. And once we basically execute that plan, I would like to become more of a lifestyle brand; everything that surrounds you, your home, the extra things… I would like to be the British version of bringing this whole book to life. It takes a lot of time to build a brand and to make it stable enough to let go. We’ve actually reached the point where a lot of opportunities are coming our way and it’s very exciting!

Do you have any plans to visit the Middle East this year?

We actually do! We went there in November since we won an international award and we visited Abu Dhabi and Doha. And we will try to go to Dubai as well. We are also opening a new store in Qatar this year and refurbishing the store in Dubai.

And how do you feel about the region?

It is just so different…there is something different about every city!

There is also an upcoming shoot in the Middle East desert too, which is a fascinating moment as well.

Travelling is very much part of our collections for spring and summer because we always get our inspiration from the desert and hotter and more arid climates.  

Cindy Menassa