New Bridal Collection | Out Of This World

When we went into lockdown, the thought of completing a new collection couldn’t have been further from my mind.  The new designs I’d been so excited about only a few short weeks before were shelved, the tech drawings for the decadent beading we’d been working on for months were pushed to the side and the test swatches were pinned back on the moodboard as the entire team worked incredibly hard to look after our wonderful brides in a time of crisis.

As the time went on and we all got used to this ‘new normal’, I found myself alone with my thoughts for the first time in years.  The initial seed of inspiration was from a book of words by Katie Paterson, “A place that exists only in moonlight”, which my husband had brought me from the Turner exhibition.  I sought it out and opened it to find my son, Sylvester, had drawn on the pages.  I was horrified at first, but the more I looked, the more beautiful I found it.  I don’t know how many copies were printed but there will never be another like this.  Sylvester had made it completely, uniquely mine.  There and then, I knew exactly what to do.  Instead of looking out, I decided to look in and realised I had everything I needed right there in front of me.

More often than not, my designs start with a magnificent fabric and the shape grows in front of my eyes.  Out of This World was going to be a celebration of my love affair with textiles yet, suddenly, alone with my pencil and sketchbook, the designs which had been so detailed in my imagination began to change.  I took the silhouettes which had already been designed for Out of this World and married them with existing Halfpenny London hero fabrics.  Instead of beading we showcased the exquisite patterns and expert construction by adding piping, accentuating the seams. Opportunities to repurpose waste fabrics presented themselves in the form of decorative hearts, flowers and other embellishment.  As a result, Out of this World is a celebration of Halfpenny London past, present and future.

I’ve held onto many designs and will set them free when the time is right.  It looks very different to how I initially imagined it would but I’ve kept the name as a reminder that things don’t always turn out how you planned and beauty, like love, often looks quite different to how you imagined.  It can be right under your nose and all you have to do is stop for a moment and look for it.

Love,

Kate & the Halfpennys xxx