Emilia Wickstead came up with a touching idea for her pre-fall shoot: getting her society of friends together to make this series of mother and baby portraits. The serene photos were inspired by Us and Them, the 1999 book by Helmut Newton and his wife, Alice Springs, in whose pages are black-and-white portraits of Princess Caroline of Monaco, Lucie de la Falaise, Brigitte Nielsen, and Donatella Versace with their babies and toddlers.
Wickstead’s study of modern motherhood in 2020 captures Charlotte Dellal, Sabine Getty, Emma Elwick-Bates, Sarah Harris, Kenya Hunt, and more. It’s a tender snapshot of the reality rarely seen: that the women who turn to Wickstead to abet their polished public and social personae are also adoring mothers.
“I wanted to show that there are childproof clothes!” Wickstead laughed. “Crease-free, robust, not too delicate, and always with a sense of ease.” Wickstead knows all about putting pragmatic glamour into everyday life; she has two children herself. Her complicity with her circle of customers is built into everything she designs. “I always think about it, but I really thought about it with this collection,” she said.
Sorting out a sisterly M.O. is the hidden strength of her brand, beyond its signature stamp of strong pastels, draped dresses, fluted details, fresh offerings of elegant jumpsuits, and versatile pairings of dresses over fluid pants. “I’ve always loved and enjoyed staying true to the idea of dressing up. For me as a designer, I’ve always been inspired by the past—the pictures we see of our mothers and grandmothers, always looking immaculate,” she said. “I think it’s part of my job to show that, even though, yes, we’re on the go, you can do this with clever clothes.”
