Emilia Wickstead at Yale Law Society Talks Business and Craft

LONDON — Emilia Wickstead is going into education — sort of.

The London-based designer spoke to a group of students at the Yale Law Society in Connecticut last Friday, about building her brand, designing for women and craftsmanship.

Wickstead delved deep into the foundations that helped establish her label, speaking about starting with a bespoke made-to-measure model that focused on uplifting women through design.  

“I worked in my first store for the first five years working and serving every woman that came in the store, so that was a pure education for me,” Wickstead told the students.

The designer opened her first shop in London’s Belgravia in 2009, a year after starting the brand.

Wickstead’s label is known for its colorful designs across ready-to-wear, accessories and homeware.

During the talk with Yale students, the designer said that craft is a key part of her creations and she mastered it with the guidance of her mother.

“Yes, I learned a lot at university, but she really taught me. The beauty of a garment on the outside, and that it should be just as beautiful and well made on the inside,” she said.

Wickstead graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2007. 

Born and raised in New Zealand until the age of 14, Wickstead said she is living her “childhood dream” of designing menswear uniforms for pilots and crew members of Air New Zealand.  

She also touched on entrepreneurship, explaining that if fashion designers want their clothes to sell, it’s key to maintain a business mind alongside their creativity.

“My advice would be to keep your head down, focus on what you’re doing and do it extremely well, and everything will come to you. Everything will eventually come,” she added.