SECRETS OF THE RED CARPET DESIGNER

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JENNY PACKHAM has dressed the world’s most famous women at crucial moments in their lives. She reveals how, with a sprinkling of sequins and the confidence to shine, can look this glamorous

elen Mirren, Reese Witherspoon, Uma Thurman, Cameron Diaz, Angelina Jolie, Emily Blunt… the list of designer Jenny Packham’s A-list clients is endless. Not least her most famous customer of all: the Duchess of Cambridge, who has worn Jenny’s designs on multiple occasions, most notably for every photo call following the birth of her three children. What higher accolade could there be than being the stars’ go-to designer – who makes women look, and feel, their best?

Even if you’re not familiar with the name Jenny Packham, you’ll know the dresses. Bond girl Caterina Murino dazzling in red in Die Another Day. Sandra Bullock wearing embellished pale-pink chiffon. Taylor Swift swathed in strapless yellow at the Golden Globes. Kate Hudson shimmering in sequins at a White House dinner. The Duchess of Cambridge sporting primrose yellow at Calgary Airport. Kate Winslet, pregnant and resplendent, in bespoke scarlet at the premiere of Labor Day. Adele wore Jenny Packham to collect her Oscar in 2013. Proof that her designs are effortlessly elegant and cut to flatter, not change, the female body

Hbecause, as she says, she likes it ‘the way it is’. Perhaps it’s why so many women, including Andy Murray’s wife Kim Sears, choose to wear Jenny Packham on their wedding day. But it’s not just the rich, famous or royalty who can benefit from Jenny’s expertise. In her new book How to Make a Dress, she draws on her decades in the fashion industry to share her insight into what makes great style. ‘Glamour,’ she writes, ‘can be created by all of us to enhance our own personal sense of style, and its empowering effect can boost our self-esteem. In lavishing ourselves with a touch of glitz we too can sparkle.’ Here’s what she’s learnt from 33 years in the industry…

BORROW THE QUEEN’S SAVVY COLOUR SENSE

The way we wear colour is a preoccupation for me. I enjoy women who wear colour well, those who can combine unexpected tones, artful prints and bold accessories. However, it is a skill, and it takes time to find your shades, match up flattering hues and have the willingness to experiment. A few years ago, I went to a tea party at Buckingham Palace. I had just nipped back for a second serving of cucumber sandwiches when I sensed a dip in the chatter. I turned to see Her Majesty appear on the horizon and found myself floundering behind a flock of feathered fascinators and straw trilbies. I didn’t make

JENNY IN HER LONDON DESIGN STUDIO