Kate Halfpenny

Kate Halfpenny has been described as 'effortlessly bridging the gap bet ween fashion and bridal' and the woman responsible for changing the traditional landscape by creating something truly unique and heirloom worthy for every bride she dresses. Growing up around her knit wear designer Mum, Kate’s love of clothes and early understanding of shape and textiles, meant a career in fashion was inevitable. In 1998, she graduated with a BA Honours in Fashion Design armed with a portfolio of corset style separates and billowing princess inspired skirts which, unbeknown to her, was to lay the foundations of things to come.

Having interned with Vivienne Westwood and further study time majoring in textiles at Central Saint Martins, Kate went on to meet Royal College of Art graduates The New Renaissance - a cutting edge group of creatives who cleverly disrupted the fashion and music scene with their bold, theatrical approach to cat walk shows, music videos and event installations for some of the industry’s biggest and brightest stars. Utterly inspired, Kate began supporting their projects and was soon styling for big campaigns and dressing some of world’s most stylish women including Cate Blanchett, Kate Moss and Rhianna.

With her background in design and an inherent flair for customising, Kate started to create bespoke pieces for her black book of clients and, as word-of-mouth spread, private commissions came flooding in. Kate was immersed in freelance styling and design when, in 2005, film and TV actress Emilia Fox asked her to create two of her three wedding dresses. The fashion media were impressed and Kate was instantly inundated with requests from brides all over the world. This, teamed with a mention in Vogue, marked a huge turning point in Kate’s career and the moment the Halfpenny London brand was born.

From that point on, Kate’s contemporary designs and refreshing approach to bridal wear and accessories made an immediate impact within the luxury bridal category and quickly earned her an enviable reputation. Her creativity and versatility stood out specifically designing for fashion conscious, style savvy women with a desire to express their individuality and feel truly themselves. Purely organically, the brand was growing at such a rapid rate that in 2013, Kate outgrew her studio and opened the Halfpenny London Atelier and Boutique at No.10 Woburn Walk.

Unlike traditional bridal boutiques, Kate wanted the space to feel instantly welcoming and for each bride to feel like they were walking into her home by displaying collections against a backdrop of slate grey and blush pink, accentuated by antique brass fittings, over-size mirrors and velvet rapes. In harmony with Kate’s own interior design aesthetic, the boutique perfectly complemented her confident and grown-up approach to gowns, which by now sat alongside a collection of separates that, for the first time, offered brides the option to mix and match to create something truly unique to them.