>> Gold lace, diamanté detailing, and more than a few sequins dotted Alice Temperley's Pre-Fall 2012 collection. "It's less of a bohemian look, more dreamlike and ethereal," said Temperley, noting that Dante Gabriel Rossetti and the 19th-century aesthetic movement served as inspirations. "There is more of an opulence, a femininity, and a flow to the collection."
Pippa Middleton was front and center at Temperley London's Spring 2012 show. No wonder, as the Middleton sister is responsible for starting one of the year's biggest gown crazes when she attended the royal wedding reception in an emerald green Temperley gown. The collection was an elegant, silky nod to the '70s, with slinky camisole-like gowns, high-waist tap pants, and head scarves.
Unlike Alice by Temperley, the fun-loving, slightly rebellious sister line, Temperley is a bit more polished, sophisticated, and unapologetically romantic. We have swooned over many a Temperley dress, and the bridal collection is fit for a princess. (Temperley was rumored to be one of the dress designers for Kate Middleton's bridal gown.) For resort, the designer was inspired by Botticelli paintings, so clothes reflect the soft palettes and dreaminess of works like "The Birth of Venus." We are particularly smitten with the ethereal dresses covered in appliqued flowers and leaves. After the slideshow of Resort 2012, be sure to check out our interview with Alice on her Summer essentials and inspirations.
Alice Temperley has been lighting up our radar so much we had to learn more about the British designer, who is riding a serious wave of worldwide popularity right now thanks in part to the loyalty of two rather well-known British sisters we know as Pippa and Kate Middleton. Kate has been spotted several times in Temperley, in pretty dresses and recently in a frilled shirt from Alice by Temperley on her North American tour, while Pippa wowed the world in the emerald green gown she wore to the royal wedding reception. The successful British designer has been creating her feminine line of clothing for a decade now, inciting romance via Temperley collection and channeling London's rock-n-roll heritage with a feminine twist within her contemporary line Alice by Temperley. With the release of her latest Resort 2012 collections, we are as obsessed as ever. Alice's delicate, detailed dresses and separates inspire the fun-loving romantic in us, and they also make us a little obsessed with Alice herself. We caught up with the designer to find out what's jazzing her up right now.
Read more to get the scoop on Alice.
>> Some are convinced that maid of honor Pippa Middleton upstaged her sister on her wedding day, and the emerald green dress she chose to wear to the evening reception festivities at Buckingham Palace isn't discouraging that school of thought. While Kate Middleton changed into another demure dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Pippa swapped her McQueen dress from this morning for a sleeveless gown with a plunging neckline designed by Alice Temperley.
Temperley, for her part, was happy to hear that she was Pippa's choice: "It was a wonderful opportunity and an honor to work with Ms. Pippa Middleton. She is a beautiful young woman, with such elegance and looked stunning at the reception."
>> Plenty of talk has been made of Kate Middleton's wedding dress, but what about her wedding guests? Victoria Beckham is said to be wearing one of her own designs — from the Fall 2011 Victoria Beckham collection — paired with custom Christian Louboutin shoes and a Philip Treacy hat.
Alexandra Shulman has gone with Christopher Kane for the big day (who Samantha Cameron is also rumored to have chosen), while Anya Hindmarch picked a "classic and chic" Emilia Wickstead look. Harper's Bazaar's Sara Parker Bowles will wear Osman, while her mother-in-law Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, will be dressed by Anna Valentine, the designer who created her wedding dress when she married Prince Charles in 2005. And former Armani muse Lady Helen Taylor is wearing Erdem.
>> Bruce Oldfield, who has been tipped as the frontrunner to design Kate Middleton's wedding dress for months now, has confirmed that he is not Middleton's choice: “It has been such a subject of rumor and speculation over the past months, but I am not designing it. We will all know [on Friday] — and I thought I’d duck out of the ‘possibles list’ to give everyone 24 hours to place their final bets!” He added: “Catherine will undoubtedly look spectacular. She has a fantastic figure and knows well what suits her. I shall be intrigued to see her choice of design.”
With Oldfield out of the race, speculation is honing in on the other likely candidates who have not yet issued denials: Catherine Walker, a favorite of Princess Diana; Alice Temperley, and Daniella Helayel from Issa. Also entering late in the game: Jenny Packham, whose spokesperson said yesterday is “not commenting at all on the wedding.”
Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, Sophie Cranston of Libelula, and Phillipa Lepley have all also been reported as frontrunners, but all have denied repeatedly that they're working on the dress.
And Vera Wang's name has surfaced as having some kind of role in the wedding, but WWD thinks "that seems highly unlikely" — particularly that Wang, an American, would be chosen to do the dress. Although: sources apparently indicated that the designer may be involved at another level. A Vera Wang spokeswoman denied the designer is involved with the wedding, however, last night.
A newly-released Mario Testino portrait of the Middleton and Prince William, above.
>> Alexander McQueen's Sarah Burton (and McQueen CEO Jonathan Akeroyd and a spokesperson from the label) have all categorically denied any involvement with Kate Middleton's wedding gown, although many still seem skeptical about believing them.
But McQueen aside, which other British or London-based designers have taken their names off the list of potentials? Marchesa, for one. “I’m excited to see what [Middleton]’s going to be wearing,” Keren Craig said. “I think she’s a very stylish woman, and I think she’ll probably choose something beautiful and classic. I don’t think she’s going to go for anything too trend-based or crazy edgy. She’ll look like a princess!”
Don't expect to see Middleton donning London labels Erdem or Vivienne Westwood, either — spokespeople from each label denied any involvement. And although wedding gown favorite Alice Temperley is making no comment on the matter, WWD cites sources saying that she's not doing Middleton's dress.
So who's remaining mum on whether they involved? Former favorite in the race, old school London couturier Bruce Oldfield; Issa's Danielle Helayel, who is a Middleton favorite (but Helayel is Brazilian and doesn't have much experience with gowns — honeymoon garb seems much more likely); and Catherine Walker, a brand which specializes in wedding gowns and made Princess Diana's burial gown.
