Glastonbury Festival. Being one of Alice’s muses means being embraced and immersed into the Temperley way – and there’s always a creative Beaton-esque element to the parties with photographer friends on hand to document the insta-ready happenings. One of the most loyal members of Alice’s gang is Laura Bailey. ‘Laura is a muse, friend and collaborator,’ says Alice. ‘She perfectly embodies the Temperley style... Laura walked in my first ever show.’ For this Great British Brands cover, Alice called upon her beloved friend to model a unique dress. ‘When I first tried on this magical dress swanning around in a suite at The Beaumont,’ says Laura, ‘I had one of those rare old-fashioned fairytale epiphanies – “you shall go to the ball” kind of moments. The silhouette, the combination of strength and fragility, embellishment and simplicity. A fantasy gown for dancing and dreaming in.’
The gown is set to be auctioned for Women for Women International, a charity that, since 1993, has helped support 462,000 of the poorest women survivors of wars throughout the world, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Yezidi women refugees in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The charity aims to give women the job skills needed to earn a living – including tailoring or breadmaking as well as teaching women’s rights on key issues including voting, divorce and domestic abuse. ‘We’ve supported Women for Women for the last two years,’ says Alice. ‘And during that time we’ve sponsored two women through the global sisterhood programme – one from Afghanistan and the other from Kosovo. Knowing that my support has given these women the opportunity to learn new skills and break through the isolation caused by war and conflict is very meaningful.’ The magical dress would also sit elegantly within Alice’s bridal collection, another Temperley success story, with dresses sold in over 11 countries, for brides who aspire to a bohemian British wedding. The bridal flagship store is equally romantic and very British; hidden away in a quintessential Notting Hill mews, while the house’s entire façade is painted with the Union Jack flag. Once inside, Alice’s bridal world is delivered from the zebra skin rugs, to the velvet
FROM TOP LEFT: ‘It’s English fairytale,’ says Alice of the dream white dress. ‘Really romantic with artisancut mirror and crystals throughout the velvet.’
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