'I believe in making an effort': Emilia Wickstead makes the case for dressing up

An Emilia Wickstead collection will always be prim, pretty and proper, but for autumn 2018 the designer wants to encourage her woman to mix it up a little. In another’s hands, tartan, graphic stripes, teddy shearling and enormous pilgrim collars would be a sloppy combination to pull off, but in Wickstead’s it looked positively polished.

For her, femininity is always achieved with the emphasis on the waist (everything is precisely nipped) but in this collection she also allowed for other, finer details to shine. Taking inspiration from the 1970 film 'Love Story', she offered preppy knitwear, glossy leather trench coats and balloon-sleeved white shirts. Anything that came close to veering off her course and towards rebellion was immediately brought back with, say, pink leather driving gloves, or a pearl collar pin.

The sugar-hued crepe dresses on which she built her name are still present and correct in her collections - this time their collars, made from cross-stitched cotton, or clusters of pearls, looked detachable, a considerate detail that will appeal to clients wanting to pare down the pieces for day events.

Wickstead’s reliability on that front is what has won her some of the most poised women in the world as fans - the Duchess of Cambridge, Melania Trump and the Countess of Wessex have all worn dresses in the last few years, and her front row is always packed with socialites; Olivia Palermo, Alice Naylor-Leyland and Amber le Bon today. They know that, in going to her, they will get something that looks ladylike, but feels new and is a conversation starter.

“I believe in dressing up and making an effort, that’s what I get excited about,” Wickstead said backstage. “I like to think, ‘how would this woman, my woman, wear jeans or something relaxed, but still do it her way?’”

Many of Wickstead’s women may find themselves at the royal wedding in a few weeks time, an occasion which will call for them to put their most fashionable foot forward, whilst maintaining a sense of sophistication. For something sensible yet relevant, they could do far worse than to look to her line.