Alice Temperley is a young and very promising fashion designer from the UK. First showing her creations in 2000 at London Fashion Week, in 2002 Alice, with the support of her husband, opened her first Temperley London boutique. Recently, Temperley London's flagship boutique also appeared on Fashion Avenue in Dubai Mall. What is in it? What is a mod? Why do brides need frivolous, at first glance, dresses? And what role do accessories and precious stones play in our lives? We’ll ask Alice herself, who specially arrived in Dubai to take part in the opening ceremony of her own Middle Eastern boutique. Alice, your Temperley London brand made a big statement in 2002. Perhaps this was a rather risky step into the world of haute couture, where, according to tradition, the French rule the ball. What motivated you when you chose this profession for yourself?
My first steps into the world of fashion began as a teenager. Already at the age of 10-11 I was engaged in the manufacture of jewelry, and the first clothes I sewed appeared at the age of 14. My mother sold these things to neighbors in order to at least return the money spent on fabrics and accessories. In fact, I always liked to sew and invent something. I made my first collection at the age of 23 and gave it to stores for sale. To my surprise, the entire collection was quickly sold out.
The profession of fashion designer is atypical for a girl from England, and yet - you ventured to do this craft. Tell me, which fabrics do you prefer to work with?
I really like to work with knitwear, which is a lot in my collections. I love lace and various embroideries. This is for finishes. I like unusual combinations of textures and volumes, due to which very expressive products are obtained. My clothes contain a lot of jacquard, cashmere and silk fabrics, stretch satin and crepe jersey. For the autumn-winter collection, I chose different types of soft leather with prints and without. And if we talk about wedding collections, then this is usually chiffon, silk, crepe and many frills and embroidery.
Where do you get your inspiration from? You probably travel a lot?
To date, my collections are represented in 37 countries. In order to be successful, I must be sure that my products are equally well received in America, and in Europe, and in Japan, and in the Middle East. Therefore, I slightly adapt each of my collections to a particular country. And I am happy when I manage to please my clients. I really like ethnic ornaments. My house has a whole library with a wide variety of embroidery patterns, where there are hundreds of them. And I continue to collect them around the world, so that later I can use many elements in my collections. Embroidery is a whole world, my own Wonderland, which gives me inspiration and ideas for many new creations.
How would you describe your Middle Eastern customers, and what collection is on display at the Temperley London boutique in Dubai?
In my Dubai boutique, I present a cruise collection - very bright, eye-catching, with lots of jewelry and accessories. It seems to me that our Middle Eastern customers who are not indifferent to the original and colorful outfits will like miniature cocktail dresses and multi-colored caftans that remind of the sun, sea and relaxation. Also in the collection are warm and soft knitwear with ethnic patterns, funny pom-poms as additions. In any case, this collection is similar to everything that I offer in other countries, only the colors in it are a little brighter and the dresses, compared to trousers, are slightly larger.
Many designers today speak of a global trend - buyers prefer a more informal wardrobe to strict business office clothes. What do you think about that? And what can you offer as office clothes in such a hot country like the UAE?
More recently, women in the office environment wanted to imitate men in everything. They wore formal suits, masculine shirts and even ties. In my opinion, this was not the most successful decision of the women's wardrobe. Today, women began to realize that their natural femininity is an additional advantage, both in the eyes of managers and in the eyes of work colleagues, and finally, they began to pay attention to this in their clothes.
I propose, as a good solution for the office, not a strict blouse, but a light shirt-tunic on buttons with lace trim. This is a much more feminine option that goes well with tight trousers or a straight skirt. When working on the collection, I always set as my goal the creation of the most comfortable clothes in which a person would feel comfortable from morning to evening. In general, casual clothes should be distinguished by a simple cut, but spectacular details.
It is known that many Hollywood stars are fans of Temperley London. Are there any celebrities from Russia among your customers?
It seems to me that there is, but I have a terrible memory for names. So right away I won’t name them.
Temperley London stores are in New York, London, Dubai. How well is the brand represented in Russia?
We have five or six points of sale in Russia. But I want to note that after the financial crisis broke out in the world last year, there were much more Russian buyers in our Paris boutique. And it made me very happy.
Do you like Russian customers? How do they differ from the rest?
Russians are cool, I really like them. They love to dress beautifully. Elegant and fashionable clothes for them are a holiday. I like the unquenchable energy of Russian buyers.
Whose opinion do you take into account when creating a new collection?
Perhaps, to the opinion of his sister. She leads the sales team at Temperley London, and is better than me in the market situation. She can tell me what exactly will be better sold in a given season. Then I discuss my ideas with her so that they are consistent with the commercial side of the matter, without prejudice to the collection. And when we come to a balance between creativity and the market, this is happiness.
How would you describe the style of Temperley London?
It is eclecticism, individuality and timeless classic.
The Temperley London brand is well known for its wedding dresses. What do you want to give brides on the happiest day of their life?
You know, it’s always fun to hear when, after many years, women looking at their wedding photos say: “Oh God, what a terrible dress I was wearing!” I believe that the chosen one of the girl and her future husband will marry her, and not her dress. Of course, the dress should be beautiful, but not to such an extent as to overshadow the bride. In January, a new wedding collection will be presented in our Dubai boutique, in my opinion, very light, feminine and, at the same time, lively. It seems to me that it is not necessary that the wedding dress be too pretentious, it should have sensuality, and not rigor. Therefore, I am against dresses that turn brides into monuments, thanks to their tight corsets and fixed cut lines. My collections allow girls to feel like princesses, and perceive the wedding day as the first ball. I want the brides in my dresses to look the most seductive, so that the grooms can be proud of them.
Do all Temperley London boutiques look the same across the globe?
Yes, the design of all our boutiques is about the same. Each store has original mosaic mirrored walls and patterns in the form of tree branches and flowers. Each boutique has a special corner for wedding collections, with classic English furniture, huge mirrors and plenty of light, more like a boudoir. This creates an additional atmosphere of festivity. In general, I want people going to Temperley London stores to get a good mood charge.
Alice, if we are already talking about a good mood, what would you recommend to our readers as a gift for the New Year, Christmas or Valentine's Day?
Let me see. My new cruise collection will feature unique necklaces made of sea shells and mother of pearl plates. They are very beautiful. In my accessories and jewelry I often use leather, various types of metals, precious and semiprecious stones - turquoise, aquamarine, corals, garnets. By the way, aquamarine is very suitable for winter evening toilets. I also want to advise you to pay attention to dresses with embroideries. I think they will look great at the New Year's party. Cozy knitwear will add warmth and comfort. It seems to me that in Temperley London you can find many lovely things that could very well become an interesting gift for any holiday.
What do you like to do in your free time, if of course you still have it?
I love spending free time at home. I like to play with my son, go for long walks with him, take pictures. I also like to mess around with anything in the house. When a little more time - I paint. In addition, I really enjoy going to flea markets. There I get great pleasure looking at old furniture, household items, accessories for the home and garden. Another passion of mine is opening days and art exhibitions.
Not planning to organize your own art exhibition?
I plan. And already in the near future. My dream is to organize one exhibition of paintings and one - photographs. But this will probably happen next year.
Thanks for the conversation, Alice. Let me wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and wish you good luck. See you.
