Designer To Watch: William Tempest

06 January 2009

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We earmarked William Tempest as a talent to watch for the year ahead back in December, following the premiere of one of his pieces on the stylish young actress, Emma Watson and we're very pleased to see that he's planning to kick off 2009 with a bang too.

At only 22 years of age, Tempest already has a wealth of experience behind him, having worked for Giles Deacon and designed pieces for Madonna while he was in Paris working for Jean Charles de Castelbajac.

As part of our new designer's to watch for 2009 feature, we spoke to the talented young designer about his hopes and ambitions for the year ahead, his work for Giles Deacon and most importantly how he came up with THAT dress for Emma Watson...

Hi William, how are you?

I'm good thanks.

I've seen some of the collection on the Internet, it's great!

Thank you very much. Some of the pieces are on my website now, but the full collection is going to be on around mid-January, when everything comes to a head, I think.

What have you been up to recently?

Well, Emma Watson wore a dress as her premiere in LA, so I've been doing that and doing fittings with her and I've made her a few dresses for different things and hopefully she will wear some of them to other events.

The design of the dress is really nice, how did you come up with it?

That garment was for my Spring/Summer 09 collection and that was based on art deco, but I went to Mauritius because I kind of mix art deco with a tropical feeling, like the idea of going somewhere hot and exotic and so all the lines are based on art deco shapes and objects that I've seen. Emma's dress, well you know she's only 18, but she's quite classic isn't she? but still she wants to be young and edgy as well, so it's quite good the things I've chosen for her.

How did Emma Watson come to wear one of your designs?

Well, she was at the Fashion Fringe show and I just thought Oh My God, can't believe Emma Watson is here, and you know I just wanted to dress her and then she really liked me too. I actually got in touch with her, and spoke to her and her assistant and they were so glad because they wanted to get in touch with me anyway. So then she had loads of garments that she took to Paris with her, but the only one she's really been photographed in is that one. It's been in everything too, so I'm happy.

Who would be your dream to dress?

I guess I've already had the dream! I mean it was good to dress Emma because she's the kind of person I'd love my label to be worn by, but other people that I really like Dita Von Teese, actually, I think she might look really hot in my designs, because I really like that whole burlesque and glamour thing. 50s glamour is great, but I also really like Cate Blanchett, someone like that. But you know if someone wants to wear something then I'm going to make it. You know I read this thing that Karl Lagerfeld said and it was like 'Oh I'm not going to say who should wear my clothes, it's just inspired by the individual' and I kind of go along with that as well.

Which designers do you look up to within the industry?

Well, I worked for 18 months with Giles Deacon, so I learnt a lot from working in his studio, so I guess I'd say he has been one of the biggest influences in the things I do now. But in terms of other people I like, I love Lanvin and I also really like Gabrielle Chanel. I know she's not alive anymore, but she was so mysterious and she created this big image about and around her and I think that's what you need to do, to get your brand to grow as big as Chanel did.

More William Tempest on page 2