I first came across the fashion designer Alice Temperley in early 2000. I was working as the fashion editor of Hong Kong Tatler at that time and I was doing a style profile on a bright young thing who had just graduated from Cambridge University. She had moved back to Hong Kong and was in the midst of planning her wedding. I had asked her who was making her wedding dress and she told me that she went to Temperley London.
In those days, Temperley London was relatively unheard of, even for a supposed fashion insider like me. The BYT described her dress to me in sumptuous detail, from the delicate lace that looked like it was vintage to the soigné cap sleeves, from the precious embroidery to the form fitting bias cut. I was so intrigued by the Temperley London label and its designer Alice Temperley that after our interview and photo shoot, I found myself exhausting the internet for whatever I could on the brand.
Fast forward 17 years later and who hasn't heard of Alice Temperley. She of the sublime dresses favored by the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, Kate Hudson, Adele and The Duchess of Cambridge.
A new book entitled Alice Temperley: English Myths and Legends celebrates the world of the designer and her label with a strong focus on her work in the past decade. The book cover features the model Arizona Muse in a digital floral print dress with a low neckline and a full skirt. She stands in front of a background featuring an enlarged print of the dress she is wearing.
The book reminds of Miles Redd's incredible tome The Big Book of Chic in that it is filled with luscious photographs not only of Temperley's designs but of pictures and images that inspire and relate to her world — whether its a swatch of sequins, a derelict pink wall or vignettes of her own home and family life. The book has five chapters each focusing on different aspects of Temperley London - from the brand's origin and DNA to its bridal business and flights of fancy.
Flipping through the book, you see how much of the designer's British heritage makes it to her collection, how she spins and weaves British army detailing into her light confections and how she makes Victorian elements and silhouettes work for the contemporary woman.
For anyone who loves fashion and romance and escapism, this book will transport you to Alice Temperley's world and may make you buy a dress or two from her, if you haven't already.
