The Road to Hampden House

Behind the scenes of the Emma Jane Knight London x Halcyon lifestyle campaign

Some collaborations begin with a carefully constructed plan. Others begin with a conversation, a shared appreciation of beautiful things and the feeling that something rather special could come of it.

Our latest lifestyle campaign was very much the latter.

The ingredients were wonderfully simple: the Emma Jane Knight London cashmere collection, a magnificent vintage Rolls-Royce reimagined by Halcyon, and the historic surroundings of Hampden House in Buckinghamshire.

Three very different expressions of craftsmanship, brought together for one rather memorable October day.

Where it began

The idea developed through conversations with Charlie Metcalfe, co-founder of Halcyon, whose business is dedicated to restoring and reimagining exceptional vintage cars for contemporary life.

What interested me wasn't simply the beauty of the cars, but the philosophy behind them.

Halcyon takes extraordinary examples of automotive heritage and gives them a new lease of life, preserving their original character while introducing the technology and refinement expected by today's owners.

I saw a natural connection with the way I approach cashmere.

Since founding Emma Jane Knight London in 2001, I've always believed in exceptional materials, thoughtful design and pieces that transcend seasons. The finest cashmere, like a beautifully restored classic car, is something to treasure, enjoy and return to year after year.

It seemed an irresistible pairing.

Rather than photographing the collection in a conventional studio setting, I wanted to create something with a sense of place and personality. An editorial story in which the cashmere, the car and the surroundings belonged together naturally.

Not simply a model standing beside a Rolls-Royce, but a glimpse into a world where both felt entirely at home.

Finding Hampden House

Every good story needs the right setting.

Thanks to a wonderfully kind introduction from Nathalie Findlay, our model for the campaign and founder of The Inkwell Partnership, we were fortunate enough to secure Hampden House.

With its beautiful historic architecture, sweeping grounds and wonderfully atmospheric interiors, the house offered exactly the English country-house setting I had imagined.

James Oliver, whose family owns Hampden House, was incredibly generous in allowing us to use the property. His sister and her husband were equally welcoming on the day.

The contrast between the house's centuries-old architecture and Halcyon's striking purple Rolls-Royce was particularly appealing.

Add the softness of fine cashmere, and suddenly the picture began to take shape.

Building the look

Once the location was confirmed, the next challenge was bringing together the right people and creating a coherent visual story.

Nathalie was my choice to model the collection. An experienced former model whose work includes Hermès, she has a natural elegance and confidence that I felt would work beautifully with the understated character of Emma Jane Knight London.

Photographer Sam Chick, whose background includes Creative Director at Condé Nast, joined us to capture the still photography.

Nathalie also introduced me to Michelle Devits of 36 Productions, who came on board to create a cinematic film of the campaign.

And in a wonderfully spontaneous addition, Nathalie's partner Rob offered to capture aerial footage using his drone, giving us an entirely different perspective on the house, grounds and car.

My own focus was on styling the collection and ensuring that the cashmere remained central to the imagery.

I eventually narrowed the wardrobe down to eight principal looks, using simple skirts, trousers and jeans as the foundation for different combinations of cashmere jumpers, cardigans, cloaks, scarves and accessories.

The idea was to keep the styling fluid and natural.

I wanted to show how beautifully made cashmere can move effortlessly between different occasions — equally at home with trousers and boots or dressed up for something rather more special.

The final addition was eyewear from Renauld sunglasses, whose distinctive designs brought a contemporary finishing touch to several of the looks.

The week before

If anyone tells you that organising a lifestyle shoot is glamorous, they're probably leaving out the spreadsheets.

There were mood boards, location photographs, styling decisions, shot lists, weather forecasts and what felt like an endless exchange of emails.

How many outfits could we realistically photograph in one day?

Which locations would work best with the Rolls-Royce?

Would we have enough time to capture the collection properly?

And, most importantly, would the English weather behave itself?

With so many different people contributing their time and expertise, coordinating everything was rather like putting together a small production.

Charlie and I worked through the creative brief, photography, filming and logistics, while I concentrated on refining the looks and ensuring that everything needed for the collection was ready.

Sometimes knowing when to stop adding things is as important as knowing what to include.

A Saturday in October

On Saturday 3 October, after weeks of preparation, everything finally came together.

My friend Stephanie, who had very generously offered to help me throughout the day, and I left London at six in the morning.

The car was packed with cashmere, accessories, shoes, styling essentials and an assortment of things I was convinced we couldn't possibly manage without.

We arrived at Hampden House just before eight, as the team was beginning to assemble.

And there it was.

Halcyon's magnificent purple Rolls-Royce, standing against the historic architecture of Hampden House.

After weeks of looking at photographs, discussing locations and imagining how everything might work together, it was wonderful to see the scene in front of me.

Nathalie began preparing for the first looks, Sam organised his photography and checked lighting, Michelle considered her filming opportunities, and Charlie coordinated the car and the day's production.

As the morning progressed, we moved between different parts of the grounds, adapting the styling and locations as we went.

The weather was remarkably kind to us, apart from a little drizzle in the early afternoon.

Of course, no creative shoot unfolds entirely according to plan. There are always unexpected moments, changes of direction and occasions when everyone has to adapt.

But that's also part of the pleasure of working with a talented group of people. Each brings a different perspective, and sometimes the most interesting moments are the ones nobody anticipated.

For me, one of the greatest satisfactions was watching something that had existed for weeks in conversations, emails and mood boards finally come to life.

The textures of the cashmere, the rich purple of the Rolls-Royce, the beautiful proportions of Hampden House and Nathalie's effortless elegance all came together in a way that felt wonderfully natural.

By the end of the day, we were exhausted but delighted to have brought the campaign to life.

And now, the exciting part…

Sam Chick's photographs and Michelle Devits' film are currently in post-production.

I'm particularly looking forward to seeing how their different creative perspectives capture the same setting, collection and extraordinary car.

Over the coming weeks, I'll be sharing two further journal stories: the first revealing Sam's finished photographic campaign, followed by Michelle's cinematic interpretation of our day at Hampden House.

For now, I wanted to share a little of the story behind the images — the people, the planning and the pleasure of bringing together two brands with a shared appreciation of craftsmanship, individuality and enduring style.

My sincere thanks to Charlie and the Halcyon team, James Oliver and his family at Hampden House, Nathalie Findlay, Sam Chick, Michelle Devits, Rob and Stephanie for helping make it all happen.

I can't wait to share the results.

Emma Jane Knight
Founder & Creative Director
Emma Jane Knight London