ABOUT HALFPENNY LONDON
Halfpenny London was created by Kate Halfpenny in 2005, originally as a bespoke bridal dress business born from private commissions, solely driven by word-of-mouth and Kate’s reputation for styling some of the world’s most coveted VIP’s, including Cate Blanchett, Emilia Fox, Kate Moss and Rhianna. From the very beginning, Kate’s contemporary designs and refreshing approach to bridal wear and accessories made an immediate impact within the luxury bridal category, appealing to fashion conscious, style savvy women with a desire to express their individuality and, put simply, look and feel incredible.
Today, Halfpenny London continues to be designed and handmade within the UK and Kate’s collections have been worn around the world by brides and style icons on the red carpet, attracting an enviable client list of industry influencers from film, music, fashion, art and beauty.
Halfpenny London is proud to design and make in London, England.
“At the beginning, bridalwear was fairly limited and traditional and the option to express your own sense of style by experimenting with shapes, fabrics and embellishments or by simply adding a cool jacket or cape was unheard of, yet always made complete sense to me. I understand that each bride is totally different and, by listening, I’m able to create something incredibly beautiful that’s special and unique to them. I want Halfpenny London to inspire and excite those brides who desire grown-up glamour, style and romance.”
Kate Halfpenny
KATE HALFPENNY, DESIGNER & FOUNDER
Kate Halfpenny has been described as ‘effortlessly bridging the gap between fashion and bridal’ and the woman responsible for changing the traditional landscape by creating something truly unique and heirloom worthy for every bride she dresses.
Growing up around her knitwear designer Mum, Kate’s love of clothes and early understanding of shape and textiles, meant a career in fashion was inevitable. In 1998, she graduated with a BA Honours in Fashion Design armed with a portfolio of corset style separates and billowing princess inspired skirts which, unbeknown to her, was to lay the foundations of things to come.
An internship at Vivienne Westwood, followed by further study time majoring in textiles at Central Saint Martins, and connections and collaborations with Royal College of Art graduates ‘The New Renaissance’, who at the time were cleverly disrupting the fashion and music scene, all hugely influenced what is now instantly recognisable as Kate’s signature style.
With her background in design and an inherent flair for customising, Kate started to create bespoke pieces for her black book of clients and, as word-of-mouth spread, private commissions came flooding in. Kate was styling big campaigns which saw her style some of the world’s most stylish women - Kate Moss, Cate Blanchett and Rihanna.
In 2005, actress Emilia Fox commissioned Kate to create her multiple wedding dresses, resulting in instant industry recognition and accolades, earning her an enviable reputation as the go-to bridal designer with a twist. Halfpenny London was born and it has been an incredible journey to date, with the ongoing expansion of both the business and team, continually creating covetable collections from the Halfpenny London atelier located at Woburn Walk in Bloomsbury.
In addition, Kate has a passion and love for interiors and homemaking, with an eclectic property portfolio. Her signature style is clearly visible both at home and within the warm and welcoming interiors of the Halfpenny London offices.
Kate is married to artist and designer James-Lee Duffy. They have one son, Sylvester, and the family thrives from their old vicarage in Kent.
