Clio Peppiatt is designing more than clothing: her brand is about making dreams come true.
Along with her team of skilled craftspeople and embroiderers, Clio’s been working overtime since she founded Clio Peppiatt in 2015 to make dreams happen, whether that’s saving the day with miracle dresses or dropping a bridal collection worthy of a fairytale, with the most ethereal campaign to match.
We sat down with designer Clio Peppiatt, who founded her brand out of her bedroom, originally sewing every piece herself, to find out about the story behind Clio Peppiatt’s Bridal Vol. III, “The Bride Who Walked Between Worlds” campaign, shot by legendary photographer Szilveszter Mako. Keep reading to find out what she had to say.
Can you tell me about the storytelling behind the new bridal campaign?
“For Bridal Vol. III, The Bride Who Walked Between Worlds, I wanted the campaign to feel less like traditional bridal imagery and more like stepping into a painted world creating a series that live between portraiture, theatre, and fairytale. A lot of the imagery is autobiographical. Early conversations weren’t really about fashion references, but family photographs, objects and memories from my own life. There are details throughout the campaign inspired by my grandmother’s lace handkerchiefs, my cats, little symbols and gestures that quietly reappear across the series. What I love most is that the groom almost becomes mythological. The focus stays entirely on the bride and her inner world. It’s romantic, but also playful, surreal and human.”
Why was working with this particular photographer important to you?
“Working with Szilveszter Makó felt very instinctive because his work already carries such emotion and intimacy. His images feel incredibly crafted, which mirrors the way we approach the process of creating collections. I think we both share a deep understanding of ornament not simply as decoration, but as storytelling. There is such a playfulness throughout his work, something instinctive and gently surreal that feels intrinsically aligned with the spirit of Clio Peppiatt.”
In designing the new bridal collection, what was on your moodboard?
“The starting point was this idea of a bride stepping out of a modern fairytale. There are a lot of references to nature throughout the collection, so the overall feeling is very ethereal; moonlit, romantic and slightly untamed. Artistically, I was looking a lot at Pre-Raphaelite paintings, alongside contemporary artists like Georgia O’Keeffe. I was also deeply inspired by the story of Ophelia, this sense of beauty, femininity and fragility intertwined with nature.”
What does the “Clio Peppiatt” girl look like in 2026?
“She’s instinctive and emotionally expressive. She dresses for feeling. There’s still glamour and fantasy to her, but she’s less interested in perfection now. I think the Clio girl in 2026 feels freer. She wants pieces that feel personal and collectible. She’s someone who values quality and individuality, but also individuality. She has fun with getting dress up.”
What type of a bride is she?
“One doing it on her own terms.”
It feels like every It-girl’s getting married right now, from Zendaya to Gabbriette to Taylor Swift. Who’s someone you’d love to see wear a piece from the new collection?
“Given the romantic, ethereal feel of the collection I’d have to say Lana Del Rey, maybe she’ll have a vow renewal coming up…”
You recently designed a range of looks for Olivia Dean, inspired by the likes of Tina Turner, Cher, and Diana Ross. What draws you to using this era for inspiration?
“I’m always drawn to the glamour and freedom of the seventies because there’s such a sense of liberation in the way women dressed. The clothes were emotional, expressive and designed for having a great time in.”
It feels like Clio Peppiatt’s pieces are more than fashion – they’re intimate, heirlooms, symbols of turning points in a girl’s life. Since Clio started, is there a story of a bride (or shopper in general) that has stuck with you?
“I think because everything is handmade, people naturally attach memory and meaning to the garments. They quickly become keepsakes to the wearer.I love the stories of clients framing their dresses after the wedding or planning to pass them down to a sister or future daughter. I love the idea of our pieces becoming family heirlooms.”
I read that you learnt to embroider from your grandmother, which feels deeply representative of the overall brand: relationships are at its core. Why has keeping Clio slow-fashion in the way its pieces are designed been so important?
“In a world that moves very quickly, I think people are craving objects that feel personal, thoughtful and made with care.”
Were you one of those girls that always dreamt of her wedding growing up? If so, what did it look like?
“Honestly, not really. I was always far more focused on what I wanted to build and do with my work than imagining my wedding growing up. We actually planned our wedding in about six months, and I think there was something really freeing about that. You don’t have time to overthink every detail or perform tradition for tradition’s sake, so it naturally becomes a much more honest extension of the two of you and your relationship. We got married at my parents’ garden in France, my brother held the ceremony. It was very intimate with about 16 of our closest friends and family. We then had a reception dinner at the ICA in London, of course I wore Clio Peppiatt.”
Lastly, can you share three essentials at any wedding, aside from a Clio Peppiatt dress?
“1. Pick your speech-givers carefully. Ideally they should be funny for the most part, emotionally devastating for about thirty seconds, and then sit back down. 2. Only invite people you genuinely see in your future for the long haul. Weddings are strangely clarifying like that. 3. A late-night carbohydrate situation. Nothing brings people together like collective survival.”
