When Pippa Middleton wore a deep green silk dress from Alice Temperley to the evening reception of her sister's wedding, the brand became a household name, and now that the designer has our attention, she's planning on keeping it. That message came through loud and clear at her pre-fall presentation today: "It's less of a bohemian look, more dreamlike and ethereal," said Temperley, citing Dante Gabriel Rossetti and the 19th-century aesthetic movement as inspirations. "There is more of an opulence, a femininity, and a flow to the collection."
Opulence came in the form of a gold brocade silk maxi dress teamed with a whiskey-colored silk mac, and a chunky wrap cardigan with leather plait collar details worn with a fuchsia and black hammered silk dress. A structured gown with diamanté detailing snaking down the bodice was downright regal. "Ms. Middleton walked into the shop and wanted a dress like any other customer," said Temperley. "I was flattered, excited to be chosen. And then of course, with the whole wedding fever, I felt very proud to be British."
The Britishness carried on with a look that evoked the Duchess of Windsor: a silk blouse with a wrap shawl collar paired with an elegant maxi skirt, complete with a cinched waist and long leather gloves. But the collection wasn't as stately as all that: A well-cut pair of leather trousers provided a youthful, casual antidote to some very grown-up embellished tunics, while sequins strewn all over an otherwise demure gold dress reminded us why Temperley was named Designer of the Year at the 2011 Hollywood Style Awards. See? It's not just the royals that like her.
