Emilia Wickstead Unveils Kids’ Capsule With Jacinda Ardern, Former PM

FESTIVE REUNION: The London-based fashion designer Emilia Wickstead on Wednesday night hosted Jacinda Ardern, former prime minister of New Zealand, at her Sloane Street store for an intimate book reading to clients and their daughters for Ardern’s new book “Mum’s Busy Work,” published in September.

“This particular event is especially meaningful to me as a New Zealander. I’m incredibly proud to celebrate someone of such global significance, someone whose leadership, warmth and compassion have touched people across the globe. Beyond her public leadership, it feels very personal and special to honor her as a mother and author with her amazing new book,” said Wickstead, who has been friends with Ardern for years.

The designer said she is excited to celebrate Ardern in her new role as storyteller.

“The book captures the warmth, imagination, and heart that so many admire in her public life. It is an important message about the realities and challenges faced by working mothers and a reminder that love is shown in action, not just words. As a founder, creative director, and most importantly, mother, it resonates deeply with me,” she added.

The two first met after Ardern was appointed as the prime minister, and they have been supportive of each other’s endeavors since.

“Ardern has supported me through the years, having previously worn us for her Forces of Change Vogue cover story photographed by Peter Lindberg and for her United Nations speech in New York, to which she arrived carrying an orator’s comb, gifted to her by Ngati Rehia in New Zealand, and which was a very symbolic cultural moment in parliament,” added Wickstead.

The occasion marked the official launch of the Little Girls dresses capsule, in which the brand’s signature style, The Dorothy, got a miniature treatment for children and is available in six Emilia Wickstead archival prints.

The event is also a give-back to the community that’s been supporting her. The brand started as a made-to-measure business in 2008 before expanding into ready-to-wear and wholesale in 2012.

“I worked in the store myself, dressing customers six days a week for the first five years of the business, which not only gave me a great understanding of what women truly wanted, but also built a long-standing network of VIP clientele. These customers continue to return so much so that we have a dedicated team that nurtures and builds further these relationships,” said Wickstead.