Interview: Fashion Designer Alice Temperley MBE Hon DArts
THE WICK: What does a Monday typically look like for you?
Alice Temperley: I’m up by 6am to feed my son and get him off to school, at 16, he still loves eggs and soldiers. Then it’s time for the animals, our small menagerie, alpacas, donkeys, horses, etc – always demand plenty of attention, carrots, and nuts, which we share over my morning coffee. Like clockwork, Ali, my right hand, arrives and we go through the diary, the agenda, and the week ahead. There are always many moving parts, and I’m so grateful to have the support to help set priorities. No two Mondays look the same, but they all begin with a sense of purpose.
TW: You launched your namesake label just a year after graduating from the Royal College of Art – a bold move that has since led to milestones like receiving an Honorary Doctorate for your contribution to British design and culture. Looking back, what were the biggest challenges in those early years, and how have they shaped your definition of success today?
AT: Challenges have been constant. The world hasn’t been kind to independent businesses, especially in creative industries like fashion. Brexit, COVID, restructurings, new partners… every chapter has its price. But through it all, I’ve held on to my creativity, my family, my team, and the work itself. The turbulence makes you tougher, perhaps more than necessary, but it teaches you to fiercely protect the heart of what you do. For me, success today is staying true to my heart, whatever the landscape.
TW: As a designer rooted in British craftsmanship and storytelling, how do you see the future of fashion evolving with the push toward sustainability, technology, and new forms of expression? And how do you ensure your brand’s legacy stays relevant in this shifting landscape?
AT: It starts with staying rooted. For us, it’s about honouring heritage, not trying to force a new shape through the wrong mould. Every time someone has tried to change the brand’s direction, it’s ultimately been turned back. The real issues lie in operations, management, logistics, systems, that’s where expertise is needed so creatives can remain focused on vision and storytelling. Relevance doesn’t come from chasing trends; it comes from evolving your truth with confidence.
TW: What’s the one belief or principle that has carried you through the toughest moments in your career and that you’d pass on to every young woman daring to build something of her own?
AT: If you don’t love it, and it’s not stitched into your DNA, don’t even start. This is a beautiful journey, but it’s also brutal. You need fire in your belly and steel in your spine. This business isn’t for the faint-hearted, but if it’s yours to build, you’ll find a way.
“Relevance doesn’t come from chasing trends; it comes from evolving your truth with confidence.”
