GENIUS BEHIND DIANA'S WEDDING DRESS ELIZABETH EMANUEL ON HER BIGGEST CELEBRITY CLIENTS AND FINDING A NEW LEASE OF LIFE AFTER 70

Hanging on the rails in Elizabeth Emanuel's treasure trove of a studio in London's Maida Vale are exquisite outfits worn by some of the world's most famous women.

- ROSALIND POWELL

Although the designer is best known for creating the world's most famous wedding dress, her influence on the wardrobes of certain high-profile celebrities has extended far and wide.

Elizabeth Taylor, Elizabeth Hurley, Joan Collins, Bianca Jagger, Charlize Theron and Cher are among the stars who have chosen her distinctive designs. Madonna, Rita Ora and Nicole Scherzinger have also worn her creations.

"This is more than my home," says Elizabeth, perched on a stool. "This is where I'm at my happiest. I never throw anything out and everything has a story behind it.

It's a living memory." The designer who, along with ex-husband David, created the ivory silk bridal gown worn by Lady Diana Spencer on her wedding to the then Prince of Wales – is by her own admission a hoarder. Her studio’s walls are covered with mood boards and fabric swatches, every inch filled with frothy dresses and tailored jackets, lace trim and sashes, beads, sequins and crystals.

MAJOR MILESTONES 

It is steeped in history but also hope for the future as Elizabeth, who recently turned 70, can once again use her name, having lost the right to do so in the early 1990s when a business deal went wrong, plunging her into years of financial insecurity.

“Hitting the big birthday is huge, but not as traumatic as it might have been,” she says, relieved that she can now properly promote herself and her work. “I’m really happy I’ve made it.”

In July 1981, Elizabeth became a household name overnight when Diana emerged from her carriage at St Paul’s Cathedral – “like a butterfly from a chrysalis” – in swathes of silk taffeta and lace, trailing a 25ft train.