Rules of A-list elegance by Emilia Wickstead, the Duchess of Cambridge's dress designer

By Lisa Armstrong

Daily Telegraph UK·

4 Jun, 2022 12:00 AM7 mins to read

She's so good at what she does that Michelle Obama and Melania Trump, two First Ladies with distinctive approaches to dressing, both trust her to deliver. Photo / Getty Images

Unlike many of her peers, Emilia Wickstead doesn't shy away from the word elegance. "I love it," she says in her slightly husky, still markedly Kiwi accent. "I'm all about elegance. It's probably a throwback to growing up in my mother's workrooms in Auckland."

Angela Wickstead was a designer ("not a dressmaker," laughs Wickstead. She was quite miffed when a British fashion magazine described her as such. She had catwalk shows during New Zealand Fashion Week). A designer then, but one who could sew and who created bespoke outfits for her clients, fitting them all personally – just as her daughter does today. It's this insistence on rolling up her sleeves (both literally and metaphorically – she loves a bracelet length) that makes Wickstead stand out. She's really studied what shapes and fabrics work on women. "Fabrics are a huge consideration," she says. "When I started out they were heavier. But now I know how to get structure from lighter fabrics."

While she used to avoid patterns, using texture such as cloque and volume to create impact, recently she's fallen in love with florals. "I think they look fresh when they're against a white background, and good in the evening because they're more unexpected." She is testimony that a structured dress that might look formal and serious on the hanger can be a breeze to wear because it requires very little else to make an impact.

Now 38, Wickstead has flirted with many looks in her time, from rockabilly and skateboard queen to a spell, when the family moved from her native New Zealand to Milan, as an Italian preppie. "New Zealand is a very casual society – some Kiwis still walk around barefoot," says Wickstead. "But in Auckland, there was also a circle of women who really liked to dress up. So I had all that influence going on too."

By the time Wickstead turned up in London to begin her fashion career at Central Saint Martins, she had landed on a demure, feminine, updated Audrey Hepburn vibe, perfect for her body and strong, beautiful face. She says she's a pear-shaped size 12-14. But you'd never know about the pear bit from the way she dresses – be it shirt dresses or capri pants, she accentuates her small waist and fine ankles and wrists. In her book, there's almost nothing you can't wear, provided you pay attention to the proportions.

A pencil skirt looks wonderful on the tall, slender Sabine Getty it's photographed on, in her latest campaign for her new collection (Wickstead likes to shoot her clothes on "real" women). But it's not one for pear or apple shapes, is it? Wickstead disagrees.

"I'm living in them at the moment. It depends what you wear them with. The conventional way is to tuck your top in and wear heels, which I do a lot, but I wanted to try it with a longer, looser blouse because women tend to think they must have a fitted waist to look smart, but with the right fabric weights that's not always the case." Wickstead wears her pencil skirts with heels and flats – she loves black pointed shoes with just about everything: "A point makes legs look longer and if it's in satin it looks softer."

When the Duchess of Cambridge and Countess of Wessex want to look their most polished, they turn to Wickstead. Photo / Getty Images

If dressing to suit your body is still viewed as something of a dark art in the UK, it was practically infra dig among her fellow 20-somethings at Saint Martins, which is famous for turning out avant-garde designers such as Alexander McQueen and Christopher Kane. Looking edgy and rebellious was the name of the game. Wickstead, who supplemented her studies by working three days a week in fashion boutiques, spotted a gap for a fresh take on femininity. Not long after graduating, she had her first shop on Pont Street, making clothes to order, "partly because I couldn't afford to produce big collections upfront. Everything I made had to find a customer." When she phoned Vogue to invite its editors over to see what she was doing, she'd pretend to be her own assistant.

Fifteen years later, pared-back ladylike silhouettes (think Hubert de Givenchy meets 2022) have become an aspiration for thousands of women who admire the way her clothes make the likes of Amal Clooney, Lady Gaga, the Duchess of Sussex, Saoirse Ronan and Alexa Chung look almost regal but still contemporary. Often that comes down to strong silhouettes, minimal embellishment and one dramatic flourish, be it colour, a structured bow or a stand-up collar. But she thinks first and foremost about how to flatter. Consequently, there's an element of sexiness to her brand of elegance. Her clothes are refined without being retro.

Wickstead learnt early on to make neat matching cropped jackets for her bestselling sleeveless dresses but is not keen on cluttering up outfits with accessories – she never carries a bag, for instance, preferring to incorporate pockets into almost everything she designs.

Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, wearing Emilia Wickstead at the service of thanksgiving today. Photo / AP

When the Duchess of Cambridge and Countess of Wessex want to look their most polished, they turn to Wickstead. She's too discreet to share their style tricks (I think she has probably signed NDAs) but one can see that with the Duchess, Wickstead opts for slightly raised waists to make her legs look longer and favours coat dresses because, as she says, "they don't need anything else".

She's so good at what she does that Michelle Obama and Melania Trump, two First Ladies with distinctive approaches to dressing, both trust her to deliver a hit of fashion with unruffled poise.

Here, she shares how she makes women of all shapes, sizes and ages look their best:

Gwyneth Paltrow

"Silky blouses instantly dress up everything. I love round neck ones that fasten at the back – they never date"

The Duchess of Cambridge

This pale blue coat dress is an example of why it's one of Wickstead's favourite stand-bys. The slightly raised waist elongates the legs. "Coat-dresses are so easy because they can look formal with no extra work."

Michelle Obama

"I love Michelle Obama in this – it's such a contemporary take on tailoring. The fitted V-neck torso and wide trousers play to her height and strong physique."

Elle Fanning

A classic case of the perfect colour and a simple but strong silhouette not requiring anything else. "The shirt dress is ageless and for everyone. This one's cotton but can still be dressed up with jewellery and heels."

Lily James

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, spotted wearing Emilia Wickstead in Dublin. Photo / Getty Images

"Off the shoulder is such an elegant way to show some skin, even though the arms are covered. I have fallen in love with florals after years of avoiding patterns. I like them against a white background – it looks fresh on this taffeta faille and it's quite unusual on the red carpet. I generally incorporate some black into our prints so that you can easily wear them with a pair of black shoes."

The Duchess of Sussex

"The Duchess is wearing our Petra dress, which we've done in so many fabrics. It illustrates what I mean about finding a shape that works and doing it in different fabrications. Here it's wool-crepe, which is quite soft and flowy on a smaller body. Midi length is my favourite as you can wear it for even the most formal occasions – or for work."