Sketch to couture in One day | BFC’S #LFW40 CITYWIDE CELEBRATIOn
19th February, 9:30-4:30pm | Halfpenny London, 9 Woburn Walk, WC1H 0JJ
I always say I could design a different gown every day, and with the British Fashion Council’s 40 years of London Fashion Week celebration, I’ve been challenged to not only design a couture dress, but to also make it in a day!
Couture gowns can take hundreds, sometimes thousands of hours to make but myself and my team have only a few hours to create a stunning piece using only deadstock, or off-cuts of our hero fabrics.
One day. One couture wedding gown. Using scraps.
And did I mention I’ll be doing this in full view of the public? For one day only, we will open our doors and allow the public full access to my creative process as I design and create this gown with the Halfpenny London team, from sketch to couture in a few hours.
On the surface, this is an impossible task. I should be terrified, but I’m incredibly excited! The way I design is so organic and, while it’s wonderful to have the luxury of time to play and experiment, there’s something thrilling about working within a specific set of limitations. There's no other option but to think outside the box, and I do love a challenge.
I’ll be creating the gown within the beautiful bay window of No.9 Woburn Walk, directly opposite our flagship boutique. Clients and fashion obsessives are welcome to come inside for a beverage and take the opportunity to gain a unique insight into the inner workings of our brand, observe myself and my incredible team of artisans, and take a closer look at the craft and couture techniques used to create our exquisite gowns. We’ve been repurposing off-cuts of fabric into embellishments for many years and I’m a huge advocate for seeking the beauty in even the tiniest piece of cloth. I love creating wonder from what would otherwise have been waste and this gown will be the ultimate way to transform these awkward pieces of cloth into something truly extraordinary.
“I love creating wonder from what would otherwise have been waste and this gown will be the ultimate way to transform these awkward pieces of cloth into something truly extraordinary.”
2024 represents 40 years of London Fashion Week, four decades of disruptive fashion creativity. The British Fashion Council’s LFW40 February City Wide Celebration is a wonderful way to honour London as a world leading Cultural Capital and creative community and I’m thrilled Halfpenny London will be a part of it.
Love,
Kate & the Halfpennys xxx
