How Emilia Wickstead Launched Her Brand

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Emilia Wickstead was destined to work in fashion from a young age. Growing up in New Zealand, Wickstead watched as her mother studied to become a pattern maker and eventually a designer. "Every day after school, I would go to her studio or her store and watch her fit in client after client," Wickstead said. "I would fill her pin cushions. I would get to understand from a very early age, sort of what women wanted, essentially."

After launching her eponymous label in 2008, Wickstead has gone on to design ready-to-wear, bridal, home, and more. On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Wickstead shares how her upbringing helped shape her relationship with fashion, the pieces she loves from her latest pre-fall collection, and more.

Scroll below for excerpts from their conversation.

I'd love to start out if you can share a bit about your upbringing and how you first formed your relationship with fashion.

Born and raised in New Zealand, and my mother, she was 24 at the time, she decided to go to tech to study to be a pattern maker and to sew clothing and essentially be a designer. That was the same year that I was born.

That's all I've really ever known. It was always just my mom and I in Auckland. I saw her business grow from its birth, and I got to understand and witness things that became incredibly inspiring without me even realizing it.

Every day after school, I would go to her studio or to her store and watch her fit in client after client. I would fill her pin cushions. I would get to understand from a very early age, sort of what women wanted, essentially.