alice's wonderland

The world of the incredibly sucessful British fashion designer Alice Temperley is really something else. Her little empire now encompasses a bridal wear line in addition to her ready-to-wear collection, and according to the Temperley website soon to come will be homeware, travel accessories, childrenswear and menswear. Though her garments are indeed lovely, the company seemingly owes a lot of its sucess to simply marketing itself on her own enviable lifestyle. A country girl at heart- her family home is in Somerset where her father owns and runs a sucessful cider making business, her life appears to be a social whirlwind of glamorous parties and friends in London, luxury safari's in Kenya and then escaping to the family farm to run through the orchard, camp under the stars and pick wild strawberries.

Alice's studio

Temperley is about selling a dream. If we all buy her fabulous, feminine dresses then maybe we too are in with a chance of snagging an invite to her legendary fancy dress parties held on the farm every year, full of beautiful, interesting people, where the dancing goes on until dawn . Her stunning 1920's themed wedding was also held at her family home, (her husband Lars manages the busines side of the label). Their home in London is a loft above her shop in Notting Hill- the top half of a nineteenth century converted barn, to be specific- and it is a glorious, luxe, mismatched Aladdin's cave of all things beautiful, sparkly, antique and quirky.

A scene from one of the annual summer parties in Somerset

Inside Alice & Lars' loft in Notting Hill

So great is the appeal of everything Alice, she has even designed an exclusive, uber tipi for a luxury resort in Mauritius which boasts a glass chandalier, custom wood flooring and golden fabric draped through the interior. There's no doubt that she works incredibly hard but it would seem she manages to play hard too. Her life must be even busier now due to the birth of her son Fox last year. Alice may have a pretty near-perfect life but one would presume she too still has bad hair days, and times where she feels like sitting down and crying for no reason at all (every womans right). Nevertheless, would I like a little slice of the Alice Temperley lifestyle? Heck yes! It's just a shame I can't even afford one of her dresses :)

Alice's collection of jewellery

The lady herself at home

The Temperley Tipi

Images via Elle, The Guardian and Weddingbells