Emilia Wickstead Retelling Story of Femininity

Emilia Wickstead is harnessing the strength of the powerful women in her world to reimagine the way we see beauty, Croft writes for ELLE magazine. Early experiences shaped the New Zealander’s successful label she grew up to launch. Wickstead prides herself in putting the desires of her customers at the heart of her brand.

“I’m not here just for it to be self-fulfilling and to design wonderful things that I like. My client, my woman, is at the forefront of my mind, and I want to see her in a room and feel proud of that,” Auckland-born Wickstead, 39, says.

Croft writes that Wickstead is proud of the diversity of her customers, women as disparate as activist Malala Yousafzai (who wore a white gown with matching headscarf for a pre- Oscars party) and Lady Gaga (who chose an elegant orange dress for a recent public appearance). “We can dress women in so many different ways,” Wickstead says.

The scope of her label can be seen in the AW23 collection, inspired by Audrey Horne, the Twin Peaks character played by Sherilyn Fenn. “I love her rebelliousness, and the way she would flit between sartorial codes.”

Original article by Claudia Croft, ELLE, August 1, 2023.

Photo by Brand.