Top 50 Emilia Wickstead Quotes

From the age of 11, I was taught the importance of earning my own money. I would babysit, walk dogs, clean cars, and work at the local corner shop and the butcher’s. If I wanted to buy something, I always bought it myself.

I was very aware of the fact that I was a young designer, and I didn’t want to fall into the trap of ‘mother of the bride’ dressing and ‘occasion-wear.’ I wanted to make sure that girls my age were wearing it and that there was a cool factor to my clothes.

I love wearing interesting shoes that work well with my outfit.

My autumn/winter 2011-12 collection embodies the bold and beautiful while reflecting an innovative style and passion for immaculate design. I believe that this collection radiates modern femininity and beauty in its purest form.

As for design, I gravitate to traditional styles but mix it with an element of surprise. Whether it’s a big sash bow in the back or an unexpected fabric, it all needs to work together.

I would’ve loved to dress Diana Vreeland. I just loved her work as a creative woman and as a business woman – unpredictable, exciting, fun, and very, very clever.

I love the cleanness of Kaare Klint and Rud Rasmussen furniture, especially the wooden criss-cross under-bars of their sofas.

When I think of Bicester, I think of those beautiful pieces that you might not have been able to purchase before, but they’re pieces that you’ll keep forever.

The first wedding dress I ever made was for myself. It was at a time when I had my business up and running, but it was still very early days, and I thought, ‘This is my moment to do whatever I like.’

My wedding dress was featured by ‘Vogue’ and ‘American Town and Country,’ and from there, people started to come to us because they had seen that dress.

The Emilia Wickstead customer is a sophisticated, accomplished woman who expresses her femininity and style through the way she dresses. She appreciates classic with a twist, yet luxurious and high quality clothing that make her feel confident, elegant, and ultimately chic.

There’s a great niche in the market for what I do, which is effortless style.

I wore one of my own designs on my wedding day.

I strongly believe that many of the best decisions are made on gut instinct.

The minute that a celebrity wears your clothing, that gives you international exposure and the best advertising you can get.

Here in London, you can go for picnics and have a barbecue; you can go to a park and wear bare feet, much like New Zealand. But there’s just so much buzz going on; you can be inspired by anything and everything. There’s always something to do. Always.

I am a little obsessed with stripes.

I want to offer a wide range of classic and contemporary bridalwear to suit all personalities, readily available to try on.

I love doing fittings and seeing women look really confident in their clothes because they’re not wearing something too boxy but that really shows off their figures. Everybody has a different figure – it’s important to design for different shapes.

I was so young when I started, my taste has changed and developed, and I’ve gone from being a little bit safe to trying different things.

Old images and films are my main source of inspiration.

It’s about having that nice balance. I think that’s the answer to today’s modern girl who is on the run. She’s throwing on something before she goes out, but I still believe in the glitz and the glamour of everything and making that come to life.

I love the idea of a dress or a coatdress rather than a suit with a jacket.

I think that we cater for the woman that wants to be fashion-forward but also wants to purchase an investment piece that she’ll have in her wardrobe forever.

My father, Dennis Popham, was a very handsome, talented artist, and as my mother always reminds me, ‘someone who had wonderful style.’ He was half Samoan-German, half New Zealander, and their first date was to a Fleetwood Mac concert, which I love the thought of.

You can see that ladylike kind of dressing with a twist coming back at Dior, and I think that a lot of the fashion is following in those kinds of footsteps. It’s wearable. It sits in your wardrobe forever.

I don’t like the word ‘ladylike.’

I put myself into another world and another identity, and I design not for how my life is but for how my imaginary life is.

It’s a huge achievement to have anyone wearing your clothes, and when they are in the limelight, it’s the best advertisement for your brand.

We’re creating a brand image which didn’t exist in the beginning, and I want to grow that. And in the way that the clothes and services we offer are a luxurious niche, I want to be doing that with accessories.

It’s quite funny. I grew up with my mother: as a designer, she was always working, and I actually used to say to her, ‘Whatever you do, never leave me your business.’

I saw a niche in the market where made-to-measure wasn’t being done in a modern, fresh way or in a short period of time. Traditionally, bespoke orders take a very long time, but I thought, ‘Here we are with all these fashion-forward ideas – why not?’

There are many bespoke services in the U.K., but everything’s quite old-fashioned. There wasn’t anything young and modern and fresh. We’re this young service, where a 25-year-old might come and get some great skirts and her mum could come in for some linens.

I think that the typical Emilia Wickstead women is very effortless, very sophisticated: she’s got alluring style, and she’s always taking on fashion. I always describe her as ‘imaginative with her own taste’.

Prada Infusion d’Iris perfume – my mother wears it, so it feels like home away from home. It’s lovely to smell her scent at all times.

I attended speech and drama classes with a nun to help me gain confidence in speaking without my face turning red each time.

The majority of our clients are British. They want to wear things time and time again.

I have clients from 19 to 80 years old, and the way I work means that they can take the same dress and shorten, lengthen it, remove the sleeve, adjust details – and make it their own. They get a piece that is right for them. It’s a clever way of shopping in this economy.

To escape and sit quietly on the beach – that’s my idea of paradise.

We do have a lot of personal relationships with people who will come to our store or showroom.

Skincare is incredibly important. I try to look after my skin as much as possible because I’m always inspired by women who age gracefully and naturally.

There is nothing more beautiful than personality wrinkles.

Once, four friends and I cut all our hair off, like boys. A couple of them cried afterwards, but I thought we looked really good.

I feel like British designers are having a real moment; there’s a lot of freedom to be different, and I think that that’s what so unique. There’s no expectation of what you’re going to see at London Fashion Week, and I think that’s why you get such a mixed bag of sweets.

If I’d really known how hard I was going to have to work behind the scenes to have any kind of business, I think I would have stopped.

I would not dress Katie Price. Ever. It’s important to keep the right look, so it’s important to be dressing the right people.

I enjoy going for brunch at Granger & Co. in Notting Hill and having my all-time favourite: poached eggs and avocado on toast. I love the aesthetic of the space and the fresh, modern approach in the dishes.

I always think about my lifestyle when designing, so that’s being a mother, being a career woman, being a wife, and being a woman who loves to entertain.

Red lipstick aside, I firmly believe that less is more in terms of make-up.

I love everything I design.