PowerWomen Speak with Emilia Wickstead

Established in 2008, the luxury womenswear label Emilia Wickstead has become known in the industry as the epitome of modern femininity. Born in New Zealand to a part-New Zealand part-Italian mother and a part-Samoan father, Emilia was raised in the suburbs of Pakaranga, Ellerslie and Parnel in Auckland. After her father, an artist, passed away when Emilia was four, her mother Angela Wickstead founded her own successful made-to-measure fashion line. Emilia spent her formative years observing her mother build her business, assisting in fittings after school. At the age of fourteen Emilia moved to Italy when her mother married an Italian, spending her teenage years studying in Milan. There, Emilia became mesmerized with the world of luxury fashion. At eighteen she moved to London to study Design and Marketing at world-renowned university Central Saint Martin's, graduating with Honours in 2007. After her studies Emilia worked at American Vogue and at fashion houses including Giorgio Armani and Narciso Rodriguez before returning to London to establish her eponymous label, opening her first store in Belgravia in 2009. Known for her fluent use of colour and exacting craftsmanship, Emilia Wickstead's designs effortlessly combine tradition and the romance of bygone eras with refined silhouettes and contemporary twists to create timeless, elegant clothing with a clear point of distinction. Originally founding her business with a unique made-to-measure model, Emilia's collections now comprise seasonal ready-to-wear, homeware and bridalwear, as well as bespoke and made-to-order services operated from her West London atelier. Her designs have been showcased at London Fashion Week since 2011. Emilia Wickstead collections are held by some of the most prestigious retailers in the world, including Net-A-Porter, MyTheresa, Nordstrom, Harrods, Harvey Nichols UK, Tuckernuck, and Simon James.