It is not often that one of us mere mortals gets to meet one of the fashion industry’s elite, however, last week I had the great pleasure of meeting one of the UK’s most esteemed designers, Amanda Wakeley.
You always read about eccentric designers (did anyone see the photo of Karl on the fishing boat this week!?), but Amanda Wakeleywas friendly, easy to talk to, and completely down to earth, even though she has an OBE and a design empire.
You always read about eccentric designers (did anyone see the photo of Karl on the fishing boat this week!?), but Amanda Wakeleywas friendly, easy to talk to, and completely down to earth, even though she has an OBE and a design empire.
After a few casual glasses of champagne, she sat down and outlined her entire 22 year long career for us. She did not have it easy! She faced a landslide of manipulative business partners who tried to illegally liquidate her company, and was on the brink of losing the business forever until about 3 years ago when she was finally able to buy back full rights to her company. Despite the numerous obstacles that were thrown at her throughout her career she never gave up. She fought for her company and kept producing high quality collections that women everywhere worship.
During the Q&A session I asked her what the proudest moment of her career was, she gave a disarmingly honest answer, stating that whenever she sees a woman stand up a little straighter, smile a little wider and laugh a little louder when trying on one of her pieces she feels proud, to know that her clothes can enhance a woman’s confidence, whether that woman is Kate Middleton or a stressed out working mom of three, always makes her proud.
She then talked us through her latest collection: jewel toned silk cocktail dresses, beautifully structured leather jackets and sequin-embellished kaftans. My personal favorite thing about Amanda Wakeley’s clothes is that she understands a woman’s body. All of her dresses have built in corsetry (no bra/panties needed – it’s all built in) and all of them are incredibly forgiving. When you put on an Amanda Wakeley dress you’re not worried about how your thighs look, or if your stomach is poking out, the only thing you can think about is how many dresses you can buy before you max out your credit card!
Amanda Wakeley’s flagship is located at 175-177 Fulham Road, SW3 6JW.
