Designer Jenny Packham has dressed many Kates but there is one still on her bucket list and Stefano Pilati is in a happy place following his departure from Yves Saint Laurent.
The red carpet designer has bedecked the likes of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Beckinsale and Kate Winslet but it is Australian Oscar winner Cate Blanchett who she is desperate to dress.
When asked who she would like to work with, Jenny said, ”Cate Blanchett – she’s the one we haven’t dressed! The new collection is inspired by Film Noir – by the heroines in particular; the femme fatale – and she’d look perfect in it. Especially this silver backless dress.”
While her designs are worn by many Hollywood A-listers, Jenny wants to make her creations more accessible to others, which is why she’s teamed up with British high street chain Debenhams.
She told vogue.co.uk, ”Young girls – like friends of my daughter’s – always ask if we do prom dresses, and we do dresses that would be lovely but £2,000 isn’t realistic for most girls. The Debenhams collection will hopefully be great for that sort of event, because the price point is much lower. We often get brides asking about dresses for younger bridesmaids as well – although the collection has pieces for all ages. To be honest, I’m really excited to see how it sells when the launch comes. I’m working on my third collection for Debenhams now – for next summer – but nothing has gone on sale yet, so it will be great to see what’s popular; what people really like.”
The former creative director of YSL – who joined as design director in 2000 after stints at Giorgio Armani, Prada and Miu Miu, and took the reigns in 2004 from then-creative director Tom Ford – departed his post earlier this month and has been replaced by Hedi Slimane but says he is content with how things have panned out.
Speaking during his appearance at the French Institute Alliance Francaise’s annual ‘Fashion Talks’ series, he said, ”I am really good. I am really happy, which is something very unusual for me in a sense that I never believed that it could have been possible to feel happy, at least under these kinds of circumstances.
”It’s pretty beautiful what happened to me. I found myself working and being supported and encouraged by amazing people I always admired and still admire. I found myself at the end of this chapter and don’t regret one minute.
”I find myself with this amazing experience. I want to use it for something that makes me feel that I am part of this moment and that helps me to continue.”
Although he has not yet announced his future plans, Stefano insists he will return to fashion.
He said, ”Unless I decide to stay on vacation for the rest of my life, I am pretty sure I have the energy and the knowledge at least to try to do something relevant, something that is part of what people need.”
