Temperley London . Spring 2014 London FW 2014

Again, how can the Duchess of Cambridge resist these clothes?  Actually it is clear to me that these clothes have a much wider appeal that just to royalty or women of a particular age.  They are just plainly said… beautiful clothes.

Feminine, soft, appealing, flattering colorful if that’s what you search for and just all around wonderfully wearable clothes for evening or to use an old expression… after 5.  For me, this is a collection that offers up everything from the bland in fashion to red carpet worthy gowns and everything in between including mothers of the bride.  Alice Temperley is indeed a force of nature and any retailer who turns up their nose at her is a retailer that is bent of NOT doing business.  Do not misunderstand my sentiments here, this is not a collection that sets the world on fire with innovation and ground breaking design but what it does I offer the opportunity to make cash registers sing and make women lust for dressy clothes.

At a time when designers are only lauded for the absurd and unwearable, Ms. Temperley steps up to the plate and delivers a hugely commercial, stylish and chic alternative to gimmicky overtly sexy and useless clothes that can only be worn by a size 0 to size 6.  From where I sit, this means she deserves any kudos or laudatory reviews that she might receive and certainly my thumbs up and more!

Temperley London resort 2014

Dear Alice,

The new resort collection is so beautiful. You always have a way of showing your clothes so that they have maximum appeal.  I couldn’t shake being reminded of Mrs. Herrera or Mr. de la Renta, even though I know they didn’t  invent that drop waist skirt, which by the way, you used quite deftly with maximum impact.

I am just loving the palette and fabrics except of course for the last pieces which were a bit too menopausal in coloration but appealing to so many… just not my cup of tea!  The new less is more rendering of the collection suits you but I miss some of the beautiful embroideries and embellishments that you have made part of your brand’s DNA.

My biggest gripe with you Alice is that roll neck loose turtleneck which I find so so unappealing... it always looks like the neckline that just could not make up its mind what it should be.  I really like the casualness of the collection, the ease of fit and just the general mien of the collection.

It wasn’t your most exciting collection but I think that the collection will absolutely resonate with your customers of every age and as we know, the client base is not all made of 20 and 30 somethings.  You keep doing what you are doing as it proves that you are much more than just a one shot wonder in the business of fashion.  I think Kate will be wearing a few of these pieces once the pregnancy is a memory and she is certainly a great “show piece” for your brand.

So Alice... a spot of tea some time would be lovely...hope to see you soon my dear... ta ta and cheerio and all that …caio ciao  and kiss kiss

Love

J

Temperley London .. London Collections fall 2013

Alice Temperley delivered an exquisite collection of beautifully made dresses that will keep her clients and the very Duchess of Cambridge very happy.  Kate will have delivered her heir and will be more than ready to jump into any number of these stunners as soon as possible.

As I have stated, time after time, there is an art or rather an innate talent that involves making clothes appear to be weightless no matter the material and Ms. Temperley has certainly mastered either the art or honed these abilities as the collection seems to float on the runway. 

Ms. Temperley seems to have made it her mission to  producing pitch perfect clothes for women of no particular age , that is to say, they must be very tasteful  as the clothes reflect a certain rarefied quality that would have been found in collections by Bill Blass, Galanos and perchance Norell.  The point I am trying to make is that these clothes require no back story and no blah blah blah... these clothes speak for themselves , in fact they just about SCREAM!  These are timeless beauties, classic, yet never boring, they ooze just the right amount of sex appeal and are never garish.

I don’t want you to think that the silk jacquard tie fabric pieces held the same fascination as the rest of the collection, but within this rare misstep of a group were a few beautiful pieces.  Most of these pieces were boxy stand away and somewhat clumsy and the collection could have done well  without most of it.  Was this a Thom Browne / Michelle Obama moment? 

I also found it very interesting that Ms. Temperley chose a what I call a King Tut print toward the end of the show.  The colors were almost identical to an Hermes scarf from the late 70’s that tied into the world tour of the King Tut exhibit.  Whether intentional or not, the “Egyptainesque” print worked flawlessly.

The take away here is simply that this young woman is in the fashion business.  She provides beautiful clothes for women of discerning taste.  She obviously follows her own drum beat and is to be commended for turning out a collection that is head and shoulder above so many, no matter where it might be shown!

TEMPERLEY LONDON ... pre-fall 2013

Me thinks that the model’s resemblance to Kate Middleton is no coincidence.  There is no question that there are a plethora of looks in this collection that one can see Kate wearing during her media frenzied life as the Duchess of Cambridge.  You might also consider that the model in question could be a combination of Kate and Keira!

Aside from the above, Alice  Temperley plies her craft with great panache and reminds us, yet again, as to why she is favored by so many including Kate.   These clothes are beautifully made and extremely appealing on so many levels.  They are young without being cutesy and sophisticated and chic without being dowdy or matronly.  There is a great degree of wear it now involved in the grouping which is great as the delivery is summertime, at least on the calendar.  I found the shortcomings to be mostly when Ms. Temperley used her prints which are already such a potential issue so in essence, it is a calculated risk at best.  The best of the prints was the all over feather print slit sleeved gown.

The collection is dress rich and with varying shapes and silhouettes that will delight lots of ladies from many different age groups and none will look foolish in these creations.  There are some incredible evening pieces which flatter and quietly scream of good taste and urbanity.  Stand outs were the  languid solid colored gowns at the end and the tuxedo striped jumpsuit.

Ms. Temperley treads that fine line between doing what she does best and chartering some new territories, all of which she manages to do with great apparent ease of hand.

Temperley London ... London Spring 2013 Collectionss

Well, here is another of the D of C’s faves and this time, the focus is on Alice Temperley of Temperley of London.  Ms. Temperley has made a reputation for herself designing beautiful dresses for woman of all ages.  Her collections usually feature embellished designs yet remain very tasteful and rarely if ever over the top.

This season, I am torn between thinking this is about the “bee keeper” or possibly an Asian influence due to the “coolie” hat which was so prevalent during this show.  Whichever and whatever the inspirations or references, the Spring grouping once again strikes a note for pretty beautiful clothes.  Many of the looks were of the more fitted top and full skirt variety, but saying that they were influenced by Dior’s new look seems to stretch the thread a tad thin.. Don’t you think?  There is so very little if anything that has a retro vibe to it since the collection is apparently very modern.

Standouts included the all-white day pieces and the long vibrant colored languid pieces.  One thing worth noting is that there is a distinct restraint in the lack of embellishments and embroideries which have become a part of the Temperley DNA.  The prevalence of white was welcomed here as was the wonderful ice blue with the occasional palest of grey.  There is an ageless quality here and for sure there are many styles that will find their way into the closet of said Duchess.

http://www.examiner.com/slideshow/international-style-london-fashion-week-temperley-london-spring-2013