Emilia Wickstead, the London-based designer of refined elegance, recently hosted a warm and intimate evening on Sloane Street that married fashion, friendship, and storytelling. The occasion was a book reading for her long-time friend Dame Jacinda Ardern – who was joined by her daughter Neve – and a select group of Wickstead’s clients and their children. Ardern read from her new picture book, Mum’s Busy Work, a soft yet profound reflection on the realities of being a working mother, based on the conversations she shared with Neve during her time as New Zealand‘s prime minister.
The evening also marked the launch of Emilia Wickstead’s festive kids’ capsule—a charming miniaturised version of her signature “Dorothy” dress. Available in six archival prints, these little-girl silhouettes capture the poised tailoring and lyrical simplicity that defines her adult collections. Wickstead, herself a mother, described the collaboration as deeply personal, celebrating womanhood and motherhood with grace, warmth and a timeless style.
For Wickstead, a New Zealander by birth, the event held extra meaning. Not only was Ardern celebrated as a leader, but she was also honoured as a mother and a storyteller. “This is especially meaningful to me as a New Zealander. I’m incredibly proud to celebrate someone of such global significance … but beyond her public leadership, it feels very personal and special to honour her as a mother and author,” she mused. In her book, Ardern draws on the reality of juggling big responsibilities and small people, showing that love is expressed not just in actions but in the everyday rhythm of life.
Ardern’s presence also brought a sense of ease and relatability to the room, reminding guests that even global figures navigate the same tender negotiations of parenthood as anyone else. Her interaction with the children reinforced the message of her book as she paused to answer curious questions, laughed at their interjections, and read with a warmth that softened the formality of the setting.
These capsule dresses are not some vanity projects; they really capture the essence of Emilia Wickstead’s design ethos, which is steeped in nuance, femininity, and sartorial discipline. She’s known for her polished silhouettes and subtle theatricality, long catching the attention of women who appreciate a refined sensibility, her motherhood deepening that understanding further. That sensitivity clearly infuses the mini-Dorothy dresses that feel so carefully considered, timeless, and even wearable for the youngest clients.
It was an event, too, that demonstrated Wickstead’s commitment to real relationships: she started her business serving clients one-on-one, piece by piece, bespoke; it was a model that has informed her growth into a globally respected luxury brand. The connection she has with Ardern, grounded as it is in parallel backgrounds and shared respect, took on a particularly poignant quality – as if she put together public life and private friendship in a way that both elevated the experience and felt genuine.
It also pointed to a larger shift underway in luxury fashion: one in which intimacy and emotional connectedness are as valuable as craftsmanship. Wickstead’s ability to create spaces that feel personal rather than performative seems to reflect a growing desire for brands to understand the human narrative behind their work. By hosting a reading centred on motherhood and creativity, she embraced the notion that luxury could still have an element of authenticity, a quality that is differentiated with increasing regularity by designers who are building communities versus collections.
In a world of trends that come and go and launches at breakneck speed, the collaboration between Wickstead and Ardern can feel strangely rooted in legacy, love, and collective identity. It’s a reminder that high-end fashion can be one avenue to connection, joy, and meaning—not just in what we wear but in what we read, in what we pass on, and in how we hold each other close.
