Mail on Sunday

FEMAIL 53
March 27 • 2016 The Mail on Sunday
Is it a man’s shirt? A leotard? No, it’s a
‘kubbi’– bizarre result of TPT’s latest
reinvention... as a fashion designer
Katie Nicholl
S
he was one of Britain’s original
It Girls and has been a star of
the TV jungle, a celebrity columnist and a TV presenter. And
now Tara Palmer-Tomkinson
has found yet another way to
stay in the limelight – remodelling herself as a fashion designer.
And after years of hitting the headlines
for all the wrong reasons, such as turning
up to high-society parties clad only in a
bikini and a fur coat, the fact that the
­signature piece of her new collection is a
demure and practical garment may come
as something of a surprise.
Tara, 44, who is a goddaughter of Prince
Charles, has created an all-in-one bodysuit
called the Kubbi, which she hopes will
become a staple in women’s wardrobes
around the world.
Her brainchild is a twist on the ‘body’,
the leotard-like garment that became
a fashion trend in the 1980s.
Her big idea is to combine the stretchy
jersey fabric that made the body so comfortable to wear with the smart finish of
a crisp, tailored shirt front, complete with
oversize collar and cuffs.
While she is happy to show off her svelte
figure in the Kubbi for The Mail on Sunday, she concedes that most women will
feel more comfortable pairing it with
­trousers or skirts.
‘The Kubbi goes with everything,’ says
Tara. ‘I pair mine with trousers or jeans,
I ride in it and ski in it. It’s warm and snug
but what’s best is that it streamlines all
shapes and sizes and is very sexy.
‘I’ve had lots of testimonials from men
who just love the shape the Kubbi gives
their wives and girlfriends. It really does
suit every body type. Everyone should be
able to wear it.’
The Kubbi promises to ‘breathe new life
into your wardrobe’, she says.
Tara is the daughter of Charles PalmerTomkinson, a landowner and Olympiclevel skier who taught his close family
friend Prince Charles to ski, and AngloArgentine model mother Patty. She
acknowledges she had a privileged upbringing but is at pains to
point out that her latest
venture has been funded
with her own money.
‘This is not a trust
fund company,’ she
says. ‘Yes, I come from
a privileged family who
are loving, kind and
supportive but I started
my business myself
with my own cash.
‘I’ve worked very hard
since I was 19. I’ve
rarely taken a day off. This has been the
most rewarding thing I have done by far.
It’s been amazing to grow the business and
I’ve been involved with every stage. There’s
been a lot of blood sweat and tears.’
In her youth, Tara was seldom out of the
spotlight and her descent into cocaine
addiction was widely reported.
And she was back in the public eye
a year ago when she was arrested at
­Heathrow Airport for unruly behaviour
after being refused admission to a First
Class lounge, an incident she refers to
as ‘Heathrowgate’ and dismisses as
­‘absolute nonsense’.
Now, she says, life is calmer because
she is responsible for running her own
business, selling her designs through her
website Desiderata London.
‘Setting up the company has been a big
deal for me. Now I know about fabric books
and the costs of running a business. It has
been a steep learning curve, but I love
what I’m doing now.
‘I didn’t want to launch it as a celebrity
brand because I’d had enough of myself. I
want Desiderata to breathe on its own
Tara’s
shirty
secret
rather than be about me.’ And after
all, there has been a lot of talk about
her down the years, much of which is,
she says, mistaken.
She adds: ‘I’ve had a lot of horrid
things said and written about my body.
I am 44 and I don’t lie about my age. I
don’t do Botox, I barely wear make-up.
‘I know I’m not an oil painting but I’m
very content with who I am, although I
would say I’m a work in progress.
‘The truth is I’ve never struggled with
my body image. It’s been written that
I’m too thin when I’ve actually always
been the same weight. I’m a size eight
and always have been.’
Tara says she came up with the idea
for her first foray
into the world of
fashion designing
three years ago during a two-month stay
at a yoga retreat in
India. ‘I left London
because I was being
photographed everywhere I went and I
couldn’t stand another
camera in my face.
‘I had reached the
point where I knew I
had to change my life, so I took myself
off to India where I had time to think
about what I wanted to do with my life
and what I could do for others.
‘I have always dreamed of designing. As
a teenager I lived in my mother’s wardrobe and also nabbed pieces from my
father’s. He had beautiful shirts from
­Jermyn Street and I would cut off the
­collars and cuffs with the kitchen scissors
and tape them on to my cardigans and
jumpers. My father went mad, but all
my friends thought it was a cool look and
it is the inspiration for the Kubbi.
‘I have always loved the look of a ­tailored
white shirt – I think it’s very empowering.
When I got back to London, a friend helped
me draw some sketches which I sent off
to America. When the prototype arrived it
was brilliant, and exactly what I wanted.
All my Kubbis are made in England,
in Leicestershire actually, which is important for me.
And she adds: ‘For years I’ve been
known as TPT. Now I’m CEO and I like
it. I’m not a mother, but I feel as if the
Kubbi is my baby.’
I used to be
just TPT but
now I’m CEO
… and I like it
WARDROBE
ESSENTIAL:
Tara models
her classic
Kubbi. Left:
In a polkadot version
with shorts
IAN McILGORM
by