Alice Temperley's presentation was held in the basement bar of a friend's house in Notting Hill. And despite no champagne being served, for obvious reasons, the sumptuous surroundings set the tone for a collection that, ultimately, is about celebration. Its star print is cowrie shells, which trail in perfect lines down the dress worn by Temperley - and have immense sentimental value. 'When my friends had babies, I always used to make them a sheepskin rug with embroidered cowrie shells on them,' she says, adding. 'When I had time!'
Suzani embroideries, originating in Central Asia, were a source of inspiration for Temperley, who discovered that pieces would be embroidered by women and passed down from mother to daughter. That sense of something being precious has always been present in her occasionwear, although she also wanted to make things as simple as possible for her customer this season, with 'complete looks', whether that be a printed slip dress and kimono coat or a knitted suit. 'It’s just very easy but it makes you happy,' she says of the two-piece, which looks and feels infinitely more comfortable than traditional tailoring. 'You want to wear beautiful things but you just want to feel really comfortable. People don’t want to think too hard about what they’re doing.'
When it comes to the business, she has had to think very hard. Temperley is honest about what the past few years have been like for the industry. 'Really challenging. With everything, surviving Brexit, getting through the navigation of that, then Covid, then stopping all our shipments to Russia. And then having another week where basically it’s like going on silent and actually we all need to be going, ‘Our industry is here. We need supporting. We need to make as much noise as possible.’' It's been a difficult time - 'You worry about what’s going to happen next,' - but she's sticking to her guns when it comes to the business and remaining hopeful. 'We’re just trying to keep our focus and belief; reduce the size of our collections, buy deeper, focus more on direct-to-consumer, as well as the wholesale business, which has been so fluctuating in the pandemic. But everything is building back up. And they say that good things come to those that wait. It’s about perseverance. So just hoping that there’s a silver lining in the cloud of incredibly hard work.'
And what about the new Princess of Wales? When I ask what she thinks we can expect from her style - as someone who's dressed her a few times over several years - she offers a correction. 'We've dressed her about 15 times!' She's right, of course. Some of her most memorable looks have been Temperley’s, who received her MBE, from the Queen, in 2011. Remember Catherine’s long-sleeved and flowered-lace gown at the premiere of War Horse? Or what about the white pin-tucked blouse she wore with a white cowboy hat in Calgary? Both were by Temperley, who predicts more of the same winning formula she's finessed during her time as Duchess of Cambridge, which she characterises as 'regal and elegant.'
'She should stick to being very classic, which she’s been very good at,' she says, adding, 'She’s just very timeless.' British designers have always been at the forefront of her wardrobe - and, you imagine, will continue to be in this new era, especially those who manufacture in the UK, like Temperley. 'Let's hope so!'