18 Tatler Wedding Guide 2019 tatler.comPHOTOGRAPHS: LIFE STORIES; UNIKEYE PHOTOGRAPHY; CHARLIE DAILEY; ED PEERSIn more than 30 years of designing for the
great and the good of London (and further
afield), Phillipa Lepley has never created two
identical couture wedding dresses. Each is
hand-created in her chic atelier, which has, over
the years, made its way up the Fulham Road to
the heart of Chelsea. Serene and understated,
her shop is all French furnishings and seasonal
flowers, creating the perfect backdrop for
finding the dress of a lifetime.
Designing a wedding dress here is a joyous
affair, carried off with the meticulous, unhurried
service for which Phillipa Lepley is renowned.
Brides-to-be (and their fortunate companions)
are welcomed by an expert team for a private
90-minute appointment. With more than 70
styles to see, from full-skirted gowns to slinky
draped models, there is endless inspiration – but
each dress is created from scratch to create a cou-
ture piece that is absolutely unique to the bride.
Before the endless bespoke possibilities, each
dress begins with the couturier’s signature – a
custom-made corset, specially engineered to
reduce the waist by up to two inches and create
the most flattering silhouette possible. Once this
essential foundation is complete, the perfect
canvas is created for the bride to embellish.
Whether it’s delicate French lace overlaid with
hand-embroidered pearls or hand-draped silk-
tulle bodices adorned with crystal and intricate
embroidery, no detail is too fine for the talented
team of fitters, pattern-cutters, seamstresses,
embroiderers and finishers. As Lepley says, ‘It’s
the pursuit of perfection, the finest details and
the beautiful craftsmanship that really make me
tick. Each dress really is a work of art in its own
right. I adore the magic that happens when
working on one.’
With an ‘anything is possible’ policy, the
made-to-measure dresses encapsulate personali-
sation. ‘We can add a bride’s favourite flowers,
initials or a personal message in the bespoke
embroidery,’ the designer adds. And it doesn’t
stop there: among the team’s most memorable
embellishments are a grandmother’s handker-
chief sewn into a bride’s pocket and a belovedYour dream wedding dress is out
there – it just doesn’t exist yet.
The couturier poised to bring
it to life is Phillipa Lepleyqueen ofcouture07-19-Promo-Philippa-Lepley.indd 18 02/05/2019 04:26