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ATTIRE
MARCH/APRIL 2015 ISSUE 46
The London
Bridal Show
In-depth preview
Bridal
TRACK THE
TRENDS
Style guide for
the coming season
We’ve got male
Fabulous formalwear
Hot
steppe
rs
Fas
hion for
w
footwea ard
r
Plus
Business
tips
News and events
Retail technology
London Bridal
Fashion Week
We announce the big
name exhibitors
WWW.ATTIREBRIDAL.COM
N’T
DO
T
OU
S
S
MI
UR
K YO
BOO
ARY
MENT
I
L
P
N
COM LUNCH O
AY
SUND
5123
75
0182
The Gibson Hotel
Point Village, Dublin 1, Eire
Sunday 22nd - Monday 23rd March 2015
Doors open 10am both days
All Companies listed are confirmed and will display their latest range of beautiful bridal
gowns and accessories. We look forward to seeing you.
Call 01827 55123 or Email us for more information: [email protected]
Tel: 01424 439165
/Victoria Kay Gowns | www.victoriakaygowns.co.uk
Contents
Regulars
20
Industry news
Discover the latest bridal collections
and trade events
58
Hine Insurance
Rachael Carrington explains why it’s
important for legal expenses to be
included as part of your overall
insurance protection
62
Shop window
We show you how to create a
stunning spring window display
using the softest shades of pink,
blue, yellow and green
64
Retailer round-up
We speak to six boutique owners
about their marketing plans
for the coming year
91
112
115
PR & marketing
Joanne Childs reveals her top 10 tips
for increasing productivity
ACID
Dids Macdonald, CEO of Anti
Copying in Design, discusses recent
changes in copyright law
Slim pickings
68
The Fashion Files
Columns
68
Slim pickings
Barely-there spaghetti straps add an
effortless elegance to any bridal gown
84
Xedo Software
Raymond O’Hare discusses how
retailers are meeting a bride’s
online needs
75
The collections
The perfect accessories to match our two
key bridal themes
100
Heidi Thompson
Heidi Thompson of Evolve Your
Wedding Business reveals how any
bridal retailer can employ the services
of a virtual assistant
106
David Fairhurst
The Head of Creative Online
marketing at Intelligent
Retail discusses how to protect and
get the most out of your website
108
Retail Bridalwear Association
Bridal shop owner and Chair of
the RBA, Nicola Garton, examines
the future of UK bridal trade shows
110
Richards Designs
Louise Dicks looks for the positive in
the Uk Bridal market
122
The White Closet
Eve Broadhurst, Creative Director
and Co-Owner of The White Closet,
extols the virtues of online marketing
77
Feeling good
From pretty pleats to striking corded
laces, brides will be spoilt for choice with
this season’s tactile textured fabrics
Twitter update
We bring you all the hottest news,
stats and facts from our followers
Shop window
62
77
Feeling good
ATTIRE 15 ·
Profiles
103
Nilah
Retailer
interview
60
88
Victoria Kay
We find out more about this
stunning bridal label that’s now
celebrating its 10-year anniversary
103
Nilah & Company
We speak to Nilah Petschelt to find
out what the future holds
for this sophisticated veil brand
Features
31
Bridal trends
We speak to leading designers and
manufacturers to find out what brides
will be wearing next season
36
Hot steppers
Footwear for style-conscious brides
53
You’ve got male
Fabulous formalwear to suit the
groom and his attendants
60
Retailer interview
Anna McDonald talks about the
challenges of launching her second
bridal boutique
82
Up and coming
Emma Victoria Payne talks about
her new collection, and why her
great-great-grandfather has been such
a huge inspiration
87
Buying sense
Richard Edwards asks, what factors
lead a potential customer to a
purchase decision?
94
Collection focus
Kelly Scully, Designer and Director
at Tantrums and Tiaras, unveils her
glamorous new accessories line
28
London Bridal
Fashion Week
82
Up and coming
Collection
focus
16 ATTIRE
94
96
Retailer profile
Find out about the first two years’
trading for Toni Bridal in Surrey
98
Turn back time
Rachael and Vanessa Hand reveal
how to style the bride according to
past fashions
Shows
28
London Bridal Fashion Week
We announce the latest exhibitors to
announce their attendance at this new
trade show
41
The London Bridal Show
Our independent preview of this
spring event
For further details please contact Nick or Katia
www.thehouseofnicholas.co.uk
[email protected]
0208 802 1399
letter
Editor’s letter
MARCH/APRIL 2015
Image courtesy of
MiaMia Bridal
www.miamiabridal.co.uk
MANAGING EDITOR
Jo Fletcher-Cross
TRADE EDITOR
Demelza Rayner
+44 (0)1376 535 609
[email protected]
SUB EDITOR
Stephen Ducker
SALES MANAGER
Robert Clark
+44 (0)1376 514 000
[email protected]
SALES EXECUTIVE
Jan Griffin
+44 (0)1376 535 612
[email protected]
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Scott Brothwell
[email protected]
+44 (0)1376 535 616
DEPUTY PRODUCTION
MANAGER
Sarah Young
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Alex Bolton, Stephanie Hodder,
Charlotte Potter
WEB DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Stuart Weatherley
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Kay Tilbury, Cherie Love
+44 (0)1376 514 000
KD Media Publishing Limited
Pantile House Newlands Drive
Witham, Essex CM8 2AP
www.attirebridal.com
ATTIRE
Bridal
Editor’s pick
This gorgeous hair
comb from Tantrums
and Tiaras’ Maharaja
collection is decadent
and delicate.
Capital gains
Fashion file
on page 68
Where Harrogate once reigned supreme as the
destination of choice for UK bridal trade events,
it seems that London is now putting up a firm
fight. Indeed, The London Bridal Show, taking
place from 8th - 10th March at Olympia, is fast
approaching. Turn to page 41 for information
on the exhibitors and the collections they’ll be
presenting to retailers at this annual event.
Just 10 weeks later, from 17th-19th May, the
capital plays host to the newest trade event on
the block – London Bridal Fashion Week. Headed up by Alejandra
Campos, former Event Director at White Gallery, it promises to bring
the best international and local talent to the attention of UK buyers.
In this issue, we speak to leading designers and manufacturers to
determine the hottest trends for the coming season. It seems that
illusion necklines, sleeves and panels are here to stay, while colour
continues to filter through many of the new collections.
If you started the year resolving to work more effectively, but
are simply too busy to put those plans into action, then you’re not
alone. Luckily, Heidi Thompson of Evolve Your Wedding Business
and Joanne Childs of Sprae PR are on hand with some top timesaving tips.
Enjoy reading
Demelza
Demelza Rayner
Editor
PS – Follow us on Pinterest at
www.pinterest.co.uk/attirebridal or on
Twitter at www.twitter.com/AttireBridal
ISSN 1758-0072
Attire Bridal is solely owned, published
and designed by KD Media Publishing
Limited. Whilst every effort was
made to ensure the information in
this magazine was correct at the
time of going to press, the publishers
cannot accept legal responsibility for
any errors or omissions, nor can they
accept responsibility of the standing
of advertisers nor by the editorial
contributions. The views expressed
do not necessarily reflect those of the
publisher. Attire Bridal is published
six times a year. Subscription rates for
overseas readers are £75 per annum
(incl. p+p), Cheques should be made
out to KD Media Publishing Limited
and sent to Attire Bridal @ Pantile
House, Newlands Drive, Witham,
Essex CM8 2AP.
Window dressing
on page 62
Average Net
Circulation: 3,236
Up and coming
on page 82
01/07/2013 - 30/06/2014
ATTIRE 19
Industry news
Read on for our roundup of
the bridal industry’s movers
and shakers.
Winners announced at
You & Your Wedding
bridal retail awards
You & Your Wedding, one of the
UK’s leading bridal publications,
recently announced the winners of
its bridal retail awards at a glitzy event
held at London’s Rosewood Hotel.
Bridal retailers, designers and
suppliers across the UK were
recognised for their creativity and
effort when helping to plan a bride’s
big day.
Split into 13 categories, criteria are
determined by the views of readers
on what they want from their bridal
shopping experience. All entrants were
also put forward for the prestigious
Editor’s Choice Award, which
recognises one exceptional retailer’s
service in delivering that once-in-alifetime experience.
The awards were decided by a panel
of industry experts. These included
celebrity hairdresser Daniel Galvin
Jnr, interior designer Sophie Conran and fashion designer Pierce Fionda.
Emma Tindley won the accolade for Bridal Designer Retailer, Isabella Grace
received the award for Independent Bridal Retailer and Miss Bush won Small
Independent Bridal Retailer.
For more information on the awards, including a full list of all the shortlisted
retailers, visit www.youandyourwedding.co.uk.
New collection from Rosie
Willett Designs
Rosie Willett Designs has launched
a stunning wedding headpiece and
jewellery collection.
Rosie says, “The new range
includes a total of nine headpieces
– a collection of delicate vines,
combs and headbands made with
sparkling Swarovski crystal.” She continues, “Crystal embellished wedding dresses
are extremely popular this season and we’ve created a collection of headpieces and
jewellery that will complement embellished gowns and add some sparkle to plainer
dresses. The delicate nature of our designs is also perfect for pretty lace dresses and
illusion necklines.”
Prices in this collection range from £72 to £266. To find out more, visit the
website at www.rosiewillettdesigns.co.uk.
20 ATTIRE
Pongees
Stock up on colour at Textile Forum
Textile Forum, taking place from 4th and 5th March, 2015
at One Marylebone, London will be a riot of colour with
more choice than ever for designers sourcing top end,
luxury fabrics for their autumn/winter 2015/16 and
spring/summer 2016 collections.
“Many of our exhibitors have increased the colour
options within their staple collections so that buyers can
rely on continuity of shade across many seasons, as well as
introducing the new season’s must-have tones such as bright
blues, pinks and lilacs,” explains Linda Laderman,
Co-founder and Organiser at Textile Forum. Among the exhibitors offering expanded colour ranges
is Pongees. It now has 160 shades in one of its of douppion
collections and there are also enhanced colour selections in
its crepe, organza, velvet and taffeta collections.
At Alan Litman, navy and red have been added to the
black, white and ivory options available in many of its
staple collections. In addition to its extensive collection of
laces, there are now plain fabrics, comprising a seersucker
and a range of 60 trimmings, including beaded and
sequined designs for the bridal market.
For a full list of exhibitors, visit www.textileforum.org.uk.
News & events
News in brief
• Victoria Kay will be launching a new label at The Harrogate
Bridal Show in September. For further details, visit the website at
www.victoriakaygowns.co.uk.
• Linzi Jay has given its fleet of vehicles a facelift, with new images
featuring Miss Wales. Visit www.linzijay.com to find out more.
• Alterego is the new UK and Ireland distributor for Shirley of
Hollywood. Log onto www.alterego-lingerie.com for details.
MGNY
Immediate Media acquires
Hitched.co.uk
Immediate Media Co, the special interest content and platform
company, recently announced its acquisition of Hitched.co.uk, a
leading UK wedding planning brand.
Immediate Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tom Bureau says,
“Hitched is a great brand and business – and a perfect fit with our
existing wedding portfolio. The acquisition is completely aligned with
our digital strategy, focusing on developing special interest verticals
and driving innovative digital business models. We’re excited to have
the talented Hitched team join the Immediate family.”
Hitched founder and Managing Director Dean Yardley adds,
“We’ve been helping brides plan their perfect day for the last 17 years
by focusing on inspirational content and providing innovative online
planning tools. Immediate Media is the perfect home for Hitched to
continue to grow in the next 17 years.”
The brand will be overseen by Julie Harris, who joined Immediate
in January as Group Managing Director. Prior to Immediate, Julie was
formerly CEO of WGSN Group, the global digital fashion and retail
intelligence service.
Find out more at www.immediate.co.uk.
Register to attend London Bridal
Fashion Week
Retailers interested in viewing the 2016 bridal collections from some
of the finest designers and leading brands can sign up now to attend
London Bridal Fashion Week. This new international trade event has
already generated incredible support from the industry and will take
place from 17th - 19th May at the iconic Old Billingsgate building on
the River Thames between London Bridge and Tower Bridge.
Charlie Brear, YolanCris, Madeline Isaac-James, Özlem Süer,
Lambert Creations and Annasul Y are among the designer labels
hosted in the exclusive Designer Showrooms. The Bridal Hall will
feature premium brands such as Watters, Ellis Bridal, Demetrios,
Kelsey Rose, Madeline Gardner New York and Amanda Wyatt. The
Accessories Gallery will present an array of veils, headpieces, jewellery,
tiaras and lingerie collections by top accessories brands including
Rachel Simpson, Linzi Jay, Nymphi Design and Yarwood White.
Retailers can keep up to date with emerging trends at the fashion
shows, or network with friends and colleagues in the industry at the
Champagne bar and the Riviera restaurant.
Apply online for an invitation to attend this prestigious trade event
at www.londonbridalfashionweek.com.
ATTIRE 21 ·
News & events
Glitzy Secrets launches new website
Glitzy Secrets, the multi-award-winning accessories company, has a brand new look and a
website to match.
The new site – www.glitzysecrets.com – focuses on beautiful imagery and inspiring content.
As well as a blog featuring articles on bridal style and wedding planning, there are insights into
each collection, a gallery showcasing real Glitzy brides and easy, secure shopping options.
Victoria Swan, Managing Director, says: “I’m absolutely thrilled with the new Glitzy Secrets
website. For me, it was key to strike a balance between quick, easy shopping and providing
inspirational browsing with a wealth of style and collection features. Understanding and
interacting with our customers has also been a priority and I feel we’ve created an engaging
website to inspire, encourage interaction and really take our customers on a journey.”
View the new site at www.glitzysecrets.com.
New appointment
Helen Cooper, founder of Well Connected Bridal, has
been appointed UK representative for Euro Mode Donner.
Speaking about her new role, Helen says, “I have 20
years’ experience in the UK bridal industry working with
international and UK-based brands. I’m delighted to be
working with Euro Mode Donner to help promote and
develop its Diane Legrand and Lisa Donetti collections in the
UK and Ireland. We’ve an exciting year ahead of us and we’ll
soon be exhibiting at The London Bridal Show.”
For further information, visit www.euro-mode.com.
Hermione Harbutt and Harriet Wilde
collaborate on new collection
Two talented British bridal accessory designers, Hermione Harbutt and Harriet
Wilde, have recently collaborated on a new footwear range.
This joint venture has produced four styles that combine luxurious
handcrafted floral embellishment on boots and shoes crafted in the finest
French Chantilly lace, delicate tulle net and soft kid leather.
The new designs include Honey Blossom, featuring cherry blossom flowers made
from fresh water pearls, to Marina Blossom, a dusky pink lace peep toe platform
with a 4.5 inch stiletto heel.
Find out more at www.harrietwilde.com.
Deadline fast approaching for Interbride’s
young designer initiative
The organiser of Interbride, the international trade show for bridal
fashion and occasion wear, is giving up-and-coming designers
the opportunity to present their creations to manufacturers and
industry professionals for the first time.
Speaking about the initiative, Ulrich Wendel, Interbride
Chief Executive Officer, said: “In 2015, we intend to promote
young designers by allowing them to showcase their talent on an
international stage.”
Interested young designers can apply free of charge, using the
contact form on the official website, www.interbride.eu, as long as
their creations focus on wedding and bridal fashion and occasion
wear and they are not under contract to one of the international
brand manufacturers. The deadline for entries is fast approaching
and submissions must be made by 30th March, 2015.
For further information about Interbride, which takes place from
6th to 9th June, 2015 in Düsseldorf, please visit www.interbride.eu.
ATTIRE 23 ·
Barcelona Bridal Week 2015
celebrates its silver anniversary
The 25th edition of Barcelona Bridal Week, taking place from 5th-10th
May, 2015, will once again turn the Spanish city into the world
capital of bridal fashion.
This key event will become the global showcase for bridal design,
with more than 20 prestigious international labels set to take part
on the catwalk and more than 200 at the show to present their
collections for the upcoming season.
Speaking about the event, Director Miquel Serrano says, “Our
commitment to the industry can be seen in our initiatives to promote
and draw in large buyers, not only in the United States but also
in Italy, France, Germany, the UK, Portugal, Russia, Brazil, Latin
America and the Middle East.”
Find out more at www.barcelonabridalweek.com.
DEBBIE CARLISLE UNVEILS TWO
NEW COLLECTIONS
Girls Love Pearls in
demand by leading
bridal designer
Accessories from Girls Love Pearls
have been used in the latest Sassi
Holford photo shoot. Ruth Morton,
Designer and founder at Girls Love
Pearls, says, “We were delighted when
royal wedding dress designer Sassi
Holford approached us last year to use
our jewellery to accessorise her 2015
collection in the label’s photoshoot.
We’ve worked with wedding dress
designer Tracey Salt at Chanticleer for
a number of years, and have recently been approached by a number of other
designers to use our timeless jewellery to accessorise their collections.” Find
out more at www.girls-love-pearls.co.uk.
24 ATTIRE
British bridal accessories designer Debbie Carlisle has launched two
collections for 2015, giving retailers the opportunity to choose from
romantic bohemian hair vines and combs and vintage-style highshine crystal headpieces.
Brides planning boho weddings will opt for Debbie’s Enchanted
collection, made up of delicate hand-wired beaded hair vines, circlets
and combs inspired by natural florals and botanicals. Every design is
available in silver or a warm antique gold tone with a subtle shimmer,
perfect for brides looking for delicate and natural hair accessories with
a touch of elegant sparkle.
The Limelight collection is all about old Hollywood style glitz and
glamour and will appeal to vintage-loving brides looking for serious
red carpet sparkle.
Debbie says, “When I’m designing I try to create bridal hair
accessories that can be worn in lots of different ways, and the
Enchanted collection contains my most versatile pieces yet.
“The wired wedding headpieces are designed to be worn as hair vines
which will twist and turn around the head and nestle into, around
and through the hair almost like real trailing florals. They can be worn
in so many different ways.”
In the Limelight collection, Debbie’s designs were inspired by
vintage jewellery and Hollywood starlets from the ’20s to the ’50s.
She says, “This collection is all about glitz and sparkle so I used highshine clear crystals to create red-carpet-worthy headbands, cuffs and
belts as well as other hair accessories which were inspired by ’20s Art
Deco brooches and dress clips.”
To enquire about stocking Debbie Carlisle accessories, email
[email protected].
News & events
Dajana Basic
unveils Peony
Collection
International Jewellery London
launches Market Focus
International Jewellery
London (IJL) 2015 has
announced the launch of a
major new initiative – the
IJL Market Focus – aimed
at creating global jewellery
trade commercial and cultural
partnerships. Italy has been
chosen as the first Market
Focus for 2015 with In Stile
Italiano a IJL showcasing a
collection of inspirational
Italian exhibitors at Olympia
this September. The launch of an annual
Market Focus at IJL
consolidates the show’s
international commercial
and networking reputation
within the industry. Each
year a new country or region will be showcased as a conduit to strengthen
opportunities for business worldwide.
Event Director, Sam Willoughby, comments, “The new Market Focus
promises to be a really powerful annual event at IJL. We’re hopeful
this feature will open doors to strengthen international trade as well
as increase awareness about the showcased market’s design set. Italy is
a world leader in jeweller and goldsmithing and IJL at Olympia will
be a stunning backdrop for this colourful and inspiring collective.”
International Jewellery London takes place at Olympia, London from
6th-8th September, 2015. For further information visit the website at www.
jewellerylondon.com.
Fresh from up and coming
bridal label Dajana Basic is
its new Peony Collection,
comprising pretty pastel
shades in this season’s key
styles. Retailers can view the
range at White Gallery this
May, where Dajana Basic will
be exhibiting in the ‘New
Talents’ section.
Find out more at
www.dajanabasic.com.
Award winners announced at
Jewellery & Watch Birmingham
The Houlden Group has named Siobhan Maher of Domino and
Rachel Galley of Rachel Galley Jewellery Design the winners of
the 2015 Bridal Design of the Year awards, topping an impressive
shortlist of exquisite wedding and engagement ring designs.
Speaking about her award win, Siobhan Maher says, “I’m
absolutely thrilled to be a Bridal Design of the Year award winner.
It’s great to be involved in a competition that specifically recognises
innovative yet commercial bridal design.”
Equally delighted with her win was Rachel Galley, who said,
“I’m so excited to have had the design recognised by Houlden and
look forward to working with the members with the new bridal
collection.”
To view the full shortlist and winning designs, visit the website
at www.jewelleryandwatchbirmingham.com.
ATTIRE 27
London Calling
We speak to some of the exhibitors at
London Bridal Fashion Week to find out why
the capital is such a big draw for designers,
manufacturers and retailers.
In Brief
London Bridal Fashion Week
Location: Old Billingsgate, 16 Lower Thames Street,
London. EC3R 6DZ
Nearest tube stops: Monument, Tower Hill, London Bridge
Date: 17th-19th May, 2015
Exhibitors: See full list online
Website: www.londonbridalfashionweek.com
Rachel Simpson
“We’re truly excited to be a part of the debut London Bridal Fashion
Week (LBfw). Having always prided our brand in crossing the bridge
between designer and premium, LBfw provides the perfect platform
to showcase the collection to buyers from both markets. The fact that
it’s taking place in such a stunning location is the icing on the cake.”
Emmanuela Silvestridis, Nymphi Design
“LBfw is an exhibition that brings together the best of bridal design and
we’re happy to be a part of its launch. We’ll be showing a new range of
luxury veils, destination wedding accessories and showstopping headwear.”
Amanda Wyatt
“The concept and beliefs
for the LBfw mirror ours at
Amanda Wyatt – one show
that’s beautiful, well organised,
central and is open to both
designers and manufactures.
With London being the capital
city, it attracts a wide footfall of
UK and international retailers
as well as all the leading press.”
Fiona Cooper, Felicity
Cooper Bridal
“We’ve been looking for the right
event to launch Felicity Cooper
Bridal and LBfw was the perfect
platform. An iconic and quirky
venue like Old Billingsgate
matches our brand style and
we’re really looking forward to
launching the label there.” 28 ATTIRE
Retailer interview
LBfw
Neil Flatley, Linzi Jay
and Arianna Tiaras
“I felt that LBfw was a
good opportunity for our
brands to be more exposed
to international markets
and understandably the
capital city is the place to
be. The timing of May is
good, and I reflected on
the type of suppliers and
designers who will be
attending and just felt that
it was definitely worth us
being there.” Barry Waterman, Ellis Bridals
“We’re excited to be a part of the first London Bridal Fashion Week 2015.
It’s set to be a stylish exhibition set in iconic surroundings. We believe in
one collection a year and this May event serves as the perfect backdrop to
launch our 2016 designs, ready to start delivering from September.”
Anne Kathrine Rantzau, Lilly
Mandi Visser Markham, Charlie Brear
“We chose to participate at the LBfw because the May timing is perfect
for orders and subsequent deliveries for next season. London is easy for
our overseas buyers to visit, both logistically and if time is sparse – you
can easily make a ‘hit and run’ for LBfw and have all the most important
labels covered. We’re looking forward to visiting London in the spring and
spending a lovely time with customers and friends, showing all our new
2016 bridal collections, as well as flowergirls and bridesmaids collections.”
“We were keen to join LBfw, not only because it’s an exciting new event
gaining global attention but it’s also in our favourite city. We proudly design
and make our products in London and feel that the show will educate new
international clients about British brands.”
Joanna Florczak, Özlem Süer
“We think that LBfw is a great opportunity to present our latest
collection in a beautiful location in one of the world’s greatest cities. We
firmly believe that it’s going be a successful trade show, which means it’s
a great opportunity for us to establish new contacts. At Özlem Süer we’re
happy to embrace something new and fresh and LBfw seems like the
perfect forum to connect with UK retailers. London is the centre of the
UK’s fashion industry.”
Register online at www.lbfw.org/invitation for your free invitation to
LBfw and take advantage of special hotel rates.
ATTIRE 29
Market leader in Germany for
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Bridal
trends
Bridal trends
STYLE GUIDE
We take a look at the key bridal trends for autumn/winter 2015 and beyond.
Tracey Salt, Chanticleer
www.chanticleerbrides.co.uk
“Brides are definitely moving away from structured fabrics, favouring
fluid, draped fabrics like crepe satins, silk chiffons, soft tulles and of
course lace is still a big feature. Illusion backs and necklines, including
off the shoulder, with detailed embellishments and textured fabrics are
becoming increasingly popular. I also think full-length, wispy or sheer
sleeves are going to sell well. In fact, we’ve already produced several
hand-made bespoke gowns with this design feature.”
Hilary Silvester, Sacha James
www.sacha-james.com
“For the coming season we’ve played with flirty silhouettes and soft
textures to create a chic, timeless and classic look. We’ve also used the
palest of colours to warm the skin tone. Illusion necklines and sexy low
backs feature strongly, as does rich guipure lace. These design details are
reflected in our Curvy range, but with added structure to show off our
brides’ curves.”
ATTIRE 31 ·
Ben Speed, Mia Solano
www.miasolano.com
“There are two bridal shapes in demand at present – fit and flare, and a
more form-fitting A-line shape. Lace is still very much in demand and
we’re seeing delicate beading making a big come back. “Ivory is the colour of the moment but don’t count out richer colours
and multi-tone variations like ivory over champagne and ivory over light
gold. Check out the glow on M1546Z. You just can’t get softness like this
with white.”
M1546Z
Naomi Neoh
www.naomineoh.com
Laura Biggs, Phoenix Gowns
www.phoenixgowns.co.uk
“Our stockists are currently experiencing great success with plain
full satin skirts and demure lace necklines. The ’50s-inspired gown
shown here – from the 2015 Baroque collection – is currently our
best-selling gown of all time.”
32 ATTIRE
“I anticipate that brides will get bolder in their choice of non-traditional
wedding dresses as coloured gowns are becoming incredibly popular. For
the new season, alongside the signature blush pink gowns I’ve developed
more soft peach hues, which are proving popular in the 2015 collection.
I’ve also introduced oyster and silver grey into our colour palette.
“Lace remains popular with brides but with a move towards lace
detailing, such as illusion backs, lace straps and intricate details rather than
full lace gowns.”
Celebrating
years
Designed and manufactured in the UK
If you would like to become a stockist of this exclusive collection
please call Chanticleer on +44 (0)1242 226501
or email me direct: [email protected]
@chanti_brides
/Chanticleerbrides
Bridal trends
Lydia Sayles, True Bride
www.truebride.co.uk
“For autumn/winter 2015 I predict an inspiring palette of colours
– think beautiful blushes, soft greys and dreamy antiques, worked
into feminine silhouettes with detailed necklines. The sheer illusion
will be here to stay, but reintroduced using corded laces and threedimensional embellishments to create a dramatic neckline. That said,
there’s a definite move toward a more minimalist look too, where
it’s all about the cut and finish. Expect to see slinky figure-flattering
silhouettes with clean lines and low backs, adorned with crystal
jewellery-like beadworks. Slim and sparkly is a look we’ll be offering
for next season, inspired by the glamorous ’30s trend that brides are
loving right now. Expect to find soft and floaty gowns in delicate
fabrics. It’s all about the glam.”
Vatana Watters, Watters
www.watters.com
“We’re excited about the 2015 autumn/winter trends. We love
that more is happening on the shoulders than simply strapless and
sweetheart necklines. Yes, that look is classic, but we adore playing
with off-the-shoulder designs and interesting straps. We’re also excited
about light-as-air skirts and blending fabrics to create the larger-thanlife look. And then, of course, there’s illusion. It’s one of the most
creative ways to play with a design.”
Wendy Peddlesden, Qiana Bridal
www.qianabridal.co.uk
“Shades of ivory will still dominate the bridal market, while soft nudes
and chalky pastels will be in evidence. Skirts will be full and frothy or
sleek and slim. Soft tulles, luxurious satins and organza will be used
to create these very feminine shapes. Sexy low plunging necklines will
feature strongly in the new season’s collection, together with cut-out
necklines and illusion backs. Delicate laces, beading, embroideries and
soft ruffles will create elegant embellishments.”
ATTIRE 35
Shoes
Hot
steppers
Footwear designers reveal the top
trends for style-conscious brides
Rachel Simpson
36 ATTIRE
Bridal shoes
Rachel Simpson
www.rachelsimpsonshoes.co.uk
“There’s a beautifully soft, ethereal feeling coming through at the
moment, with the emphasis on luxurious materials, subtly contrasting
textures and a delicate, tonal colour palette. This is a dream to work
with for shoes and sits naturally with our signature look. The new
collection combines all these elements on brand new silhouettes to
create something truly striking for 2015.”
Sonia Brown, Le Soulier
www.lesoulier.co.uk
“This year will be all about romance. Brides are seeking a fairy tale wedding
with a strong element of personalisation.
“Wedding shoes in 2015 will play a more significant part in the bride’s big
day than ever with the couple’s love and personality shining though.
“Metallics – including copper – will be on the rise, adding a touch of
sophisticated glamour. This fits perfectly with the new season’s trend for
antique embellishment.
“2015 is all about adding a splash of colour on the big day with palettes
including caramel, pale gold, powder blue, lilac and blush. The look is
enhanced with exquisite rhinestones, lace and brooch detailing on heels and
flat shoes alike.”
Joshua Sewell, Irregular Choice
www.irregularchoice.com
“Brides are looking for a special pair of shoes that will create their very own Cinderella moment. We’ve
incorporated bows and trims in blue on certain footwear styles this season, as well as creating matching
clutch bags. From stitched flower designs to delicate suede rosettes and even clustered pearl detailing, our
shoes have a distinctive style.
“This season we’ve introduced our first ever ‘Bride and Groom’ character heels, so we really cater to
every bride, taste and theme.”
AATTIRE 37 ·
Simon Ashworth, Glamour n Glitz
www.glitzshoes.com
“Our current sales show that the long reign of lace in bridal footwear
may be behind us. In fact, satin is now just as popular, and is likely to
take the lead in the coming year.
“We’ve had excellent early year sales with our latest designs. These
include pretty peep toes and pointed courts, as well as stylish flats in
our most popular fabrics.”
Ruth Shaw, Harriet Wilde
www.harrietwilde.com
“Floral embellishment is an important
influence on current bridal trends,
created with three-dimensional fabric
flowers, embroidery, beading and floral
fabrics. We’ve recently introduced a
laser sandal with flowers intricately cut
by laser.
“The colour palette features soft
shades of ivory, pale grey, blue, mint
and blush, with accents of metallic.
We’ve introduced a new handmade lace
fabric and are layering tulle and lace to
create delicate, feminine and romantic
styles. Sheer panels with tulle net and lace are another important trend for
bridal this year.
“The pointed toe shape is definitely getting more popular and is trickling
through to bridal. Heel heights have seen a definite shift to a lower and mid
heel height.
“The bespoke service we offer in the London showroom is more
in demand, so upscale is a definite trend. Clients love adding extra
embellishment and being able to create exactly what they want, including
making styles on different heel heights or making a shoe in a particular
colour and material.”
Charlotte Mills
www.charlottemillsbridal.co.uk
“Red is one of the big colours for 2015, which lends itself perfectly to wedding shoes as it’s traditionally associated with romance and love. Coloured wedding
shoes are proving really popular for us, and brides can wear them again after the big day. Our Alexis design is available in red and pink, our Anabel design can be
ordered in blue, red and pink, while Ana is available in blue.
“Block heels and point toe courts are the freshest silhouettes of the season. As w
well as the popular single sole sandal, we’re seeing platforms start to re-emerge.
ankl straps are becoming key after strong appearances on the catwalks.We’re adding
“Simple single strap sandals are as popular as ever, while T-bars and skinny ankle
more of this style in April.”
April.” 38 ATTIRE
Le Soulier Bespoke Hand Painted Wedding Shoes
www.lesoulier.co.uk
Tel: 07884 053156
Wear your heart on your heels
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Beautiful Dresses, Affordable Prices
www.verisebridal.com | [email protected] | 0208 573 0914
verise.bridal
London Bridal Show
Allure
Spring
sourcing
Read on to find out about the hottest new
collections on display at The London Bridal
Show this March…
IN BRIEF
Event: The London Bridal Show
Date: 8th-10th March, 2015
Location: Olympia, London
Website: www.thelondonbridalshow.com
ATTIRE 41 ·
Ti Adora
JLM EUROPE LTD
Nicki Flynn
TRUE BRIDE
Stand B21
www.truebride.co.uk
True Bride will be
showing its latest
collections at The
London Bridal Show.
Speaking about the new
lines, designer Lydia
Sayles, said, “True
Bridesmaids continues
to go from strength to
strength. We’ve worked
beautiful new laces and
decadent beadworks
onto our signature
figure flattering cuts,
to create a range of
dresses that are fashionforward, original and
affordable.” Lydia
continues, “Our Luna
Collection by Nicki
Flynn has had an
exceptional reaction
from retailers. Think
True Bridemaids
slinky silhouettes and
‘Gatsby’ inspired beadworks.” Also on display will be the firm’s two bridal collections – True Bride,
which offers some glitz and glam with a vintage edge, and Nicki Flynn,
which is directional and effortlessly elegant.
42 ATTIRE
Stand C10
www.jlmcouture.com
JLM Couture is a New York-based multi-label design house and
manufacturer with internationally renowned labels such as Tara Keely by
Lazaro, Jim Hjelm Occasions and Blush by Hayley Paige. Retailers can
view all its collections at The London Bridal Show, including the two
newest to the portfolio – Ti Adora and Lovelle by Lazaro.
Lovelle by Lazaro
TanyaGrig
www.tanyagrig.com
To become a stockist:
Sara - 07706 300886
[email protected]
No minimum order
Diane Legrand
London Bridal Show
LILY BELLA AND YARWOOD WHITE
Stand A1
www.lilybella.co.uk and www.yarwood-white.com
Don’t miss the new hair vine collection from Yarwood-White. Featuring a
mix of delicate pearls, crystals, rhinestones and flowers, each piece comes
with a detachable ribbon to match the bride’s hair colour. The vines can
be worn towards the back of the head or nearer the front, and are perfect
for a bohemian or festival-inspired look.
Also on display will be the new range of belts from Lily Bella. Offering
the utmost in glamour and sparkle, they’re created using a mixture of
rhinestones placed on satin or tulle ribbon.
EURO MODE DONNER GMBH
Stand B10
www.lisadonetti.com and www.dianelegrand.eu
Euro Mode Donner will be showcasing its two signature bridal
collections at the London Bridal Show.
Diane Legrand launched in 2011 and is now competing with top
European brands thanks to top quality fabrics and excellent fit.
Lisa Donetti offers a range from trendy short dresses and elegant
silhouettes with clean lines to bridal gowns with voluminous skirts.
Stunning colourful accents such as belts and sashes add to the character
of the collection.
ATTIRE 45 ·
Cristiano Lucci
IMPRESSION BRIDAL
Stand D14
www.impressionbridal.com
Impression Bridal will be showcasing its latest collections at Olympia.
Chic silhouettes and classic A-lines sit alongside more flamboyant
creations featuring feathers and dramatic ruching.
For the fashion-conscious bride to be, the Cristiano Lucci collection
offers the latest styles at an affordable price, with the brand’s classic
semi-couture range. It promises to keep up with the latest trends of the
glitterati, minus the exorbitant price tags.
Impression Bridal
CRYSTAL BREEZE
Stand E27
www.crystalbreeze.net
Crystal Breeze kicks off
the prom season with
a collection of new
styles including floaty
chiffon and tulle dresses
decorated with sequins,
lace and crystals. Pastels
and nudes continue to
flourish as the season’s
hottest colours, while
open backs and a peep
at the midriff add a
little adventure to the
collection. Retailers can
also choose from soft,
flowing silhouettes, fish
tails and fluffy short
skirts, all at highly
commercial prices.
46 ATTIRE
JLMCOUTURE.COM
London Bridal Show
Madison James – style MJ09
LILLY
Stand E22
www.lilly.eu
Danish house of bridal fashion, Lilly, has a large portfolio of brands,
designed to complement each other and offer a full service to retailers.
Each collection is supplemented by a wide collection of matching
accessories such as jewellery, veils, shoes, purses, jackets and headwear
such as tiaras or floral hairpieces. Alongside bridalwear, Lilly also has an
eveningwear and a bridesmaid collection as well as fashion for flower girls
and pageboys, communion dresses and christening-gowns.
ALLURE BRIDALS
Stand A30/B29
www.allurebridals.com
The latest collection from Allure Bridals boasts original embroidery and
beading, along with pared-down silhouettes designed to emphasise the
detail and lines of the gown. Allure Bridals is known for its patented
corset construction, providing brides with a fabulous fit.
The Allure Women plus size collection offers an extensive selection of
gowns that flatter the curvy figure. The structured bodices are built with
an internal support system within the gown itself. It’s easy, incredibly
comfortable and flattering, all in one.
Finally, don’t miss the exquisite Madison James spring bridal line,
which borrows inspiration from international textile patterns, striking
floral embroidery and vintage design. Whimsical and delicate, it’s a
collection for true romantics.
MICHAEL’S BRIDAL FABRICS
Stand E20
www.michaelsbridalfabrics.co.uk
Michael’s Bridal Fabrics will be showing some new laces this year, some
with re-embroidery for an antique look. In plain fabrics, the firm has
added a soft shell pink colour to its best-selling duchesse satin and
chiffon. It’s also seen a demand for heavy crepe and in the past year has
doubled the number of colours it offers in this popular fabric.
Retailers can also expect to see many more motifs, suitable for bridal
belts, along with grosgrain and satin ribbon. Finally, Michael’s Bridal
Fabrics has introduced 10 new magnetic brooch designs for 2015.
Allure Couture – style C323
ATTIRE 49 ·
TWILIGHT DESIGNS
Stand E21
www.twilightdesigns.co.uk
From bridal jewellery sets to sparkling hair combs and veils, Twilight
Designs will be presenting plenty of new accessory designs to retailers
visiting the show. It offers competitive prices and fresh ideas, and only
supplies to the bridal trade.
Twilight Designs will also be presenting its latest styles from Utopia
Prom, its popular new prom and evening wear collection.
Kenneth Winston
PRIVATE LABEL BY G
Stand B11
www.plbgbridal.com
Private Label by G offers high quality bridal gowns at commercial prices.
The latest Kenneth Winston collection comprises elegant gowns with
eye-catching embellishment. Retailers can expect to see sleek silhouettes,
illusion necklines and fashion-forward design.
Ella Rosa
50 ATTIRE
Formalwear
Lingerie
You’ve got MALE
Formalwear to suit the groom and his attendants
ANDY ROBERTS, UK AGENT,
WILVORST
blue and more French blue in the wool/
mohair fabric styles already mentioned.
www.wilvorst.de
What were your best-selling pieces in
2014 and why do you think they were
so popular?
We had a fantastic year with French blue.
It’s very much the colour of the day for our
three-piece suits and tail coats. We’ve had
this colour in stock for four or five years but
it took off with a vengeance in 2014. As a
result of its success, we’re now running it from
stock service in slimline tailcoats, waistcoats
and trousers with a slim 16inch leg, as well
as a very trendy single button drop 8 jacket,
which is shorter in length with a slim drain pipe
sleeving. The reaction from stockists and the
general public has been incredible. What do you predict the key formalwear
trends will be for the coming year
with regards to style, inspiration,colour
and fabric?
Very much the same – French blue, French
Have you launched any new designs
for 2015?
We’re constantly upgrading our styles and
fabrics. At present I can’t see past the success
of our current styling in the drop 8 three-piece
suit, slimmer trouser and slimline tail coat for
2015. Going forward, Wilvorst anticipates
adding to these styles with a slightly longer
jacket. In our high fashion brand Tziacco we’re
seeing a lot of brocades coming to the fore.
8IBUTVQQPSUBSFZPVBCMFUPPĈFSUPZPVS
retail stockists?
We offer a very good stock service, along with
a quick production time of as little as four
weeks. All our accounts are able to go online to
look at production, dispatch dates and so forth,
for their current orders. Customers can also
look at our stock service or choose from many
images available for advertising or websites.
All can be downloaded in high-resolution for
marketing purposes.
ATTIRE 53 ·
RUPERT BOWLING,
RUPERT THE TAILOR
to warmer climates, our linen suit proves very
popular and colour can add an individual twist.
www.rupertthetailor.co.uk
What were your best-selling pieces in 2014
and why do you think they were so popular?
This year’s certainly going to be an interesting
one and we believe it’ll be a colourful year for
weddings. In terms of best-selling pieces from
the past year, we’d say that blue was the colour of
choice – from bright azure blue to a much softer
pale blue. Gentian blue was hugely popular with
its rich and sophisticated colour.
What do you predict the key formalwear
trends will be for 2015 with regards to style,
inspiration,colour and fabric?
Colour is a theme that continues into 2015,
whether across the entire suit or simply as
an accent in the lining, waistcoat or bow
tie. Increasingly, the groom is seeking to show his
personality in his wedding suit and this becomes
evident through use of colour. For 2015, I think
our deep aubergine purple and pale linen are going
to be the colours of choice.
From our Pinterest site – www.pinterest.com/
suitsmen – the most pinned image is of a grey
suit offset by a purple waistcoat and tie, with
the look being completed by a matching purple
boutonnière. It’s the interesting colours, the eye
for detail and the statement image that makes this
pin so popular. Another popular look is tweed – for the more
down-to-earth, folksy wedding, where the band
plays, the sun shines and the tables are awash
with flowers and fairy lights. For those travelling
54 ATTIRE
Have you launched any new designs or
collections for 2015?
For 2015 we’re extremely excited about the
forthcoming launch of our website. The online
‘outfit builder’ enables a groom to see his suit
materialise before his eyes, based on the design
decisions he’s made. The groom can choose from
an array of colours, plus numerous materials
and jacket, waistcoat and trouser designs. He
can choose the lining, the buttons and the
stitching. The resulting suit can be viewed online
– this includes tablets – and choices can be easily
changed before the final submission. Rupert the
Tailor lets its customers mix the traditional with
the modern, the plain with the funky and the
serious with the outrageous. 8IBUTVQQPSUBSFZPVBCMFUPPĈFSUPZPVS
retail stockists?
We offer our stockists a package of support, from
the forthcoming website, to national advertising
and commission on local sales via the website.
We will direct customers to our retailers either
through online listings or by telephone and
can provide sample stock for wedding fairs
when required. We’ve recently been awarded
Feefo Gold Trusted Merchant accreditation in
recognition of our excellent customer service
throughout 2014. The accreditation is awarded
based on feedback received directly from our
customers. We aim to achieve Gold standard with
all our business contacts, and that would certainly
apply to our retail stockists.
Formalwear
Lingerie
NEILL COTTON, LLOYD
ATTREE AND SMITH
www.lloydattreeandsmith.com
What were your bestselling pieces in 2014 and
why do you think they were so popular?
We’re well-known for our ties, cravats and
wedding waistcoats. In 2014, however, the
balance of styles shifted towards a less overtly
‘weddings-only’ interpretation of formal. So, in
neckwear, we’ve seen more men choose a regular,
traditional tie rather than a wedding cravat, and
we’ve seen more bow ties being worn as well. In
waistcoats, our tweed and other wool/wool-rich
styles have been popular, bringing a softer and
more on-trend look to formal weddings.
What do you predict the key formalwear
trends will be for 2015 with regards to style,
inspiration,colour and fabric?
We see formal cues from the worlds of television
and celebrity continuing to influence wedding
formalwear during 2015. Tweed and warmerhandle fabrics will continue to feature well –
which we’re preparing for with six new styles and
several colours in our waistcoat range, together
with tweed/wool ties and tweed/wool bow
ties. Within formal wedding waistcoats, we’re
seeing a trend towards simpler and more classic
designs but often in brighter colours, which we’ve
also reflected in our new range. Have you launched any new designs for 2015?
As ever, we’ve literally hundreds of new tie
styles – many of which make beautiful wedding
ties. Within that, specifically with the wedding
customer in mind, we’ve a range of bright new
satins. In waistcoats, we’ve a whole new range
of very bright, very bold polyester and viscose
styles that look superb whilst being priced keenly
enough for either the rental or sale wedding
markets. Some of these are made from beautiful
jacquard fabrics originally designed for traditional
Chinese ‘cheongsam’ dresses.
We also have some much more subtle, tonal
wedding waistcoats that add depth and texture to
a traditional wedding outfit without looking like
statement pieces. And new this year we have four
designs of luxurious pure silk wedding waistcoats.
8IBUTVQQPSUBSFZPVBCMFUPPĈFSUPZPVS
retail stockists?
Rather than spending too long theorising about
the PoS or promotional ideas that we could
develop centrally only to find it’s a struggle to
crow-bar them into any particular retailer’s space
or plans, we prefer to work individually with our
best customers – who tend anyway to have the
best ideas – on any opportunities where we can
merchandise or promote our range better. This
has included bundling ties and pocket squares
together with the sale of waistcoats; showing
how colour-keyed and radically contrasting ties
can work with different waistcoats; and working
closely with our very best retailers on colours
and designs. A
ATTIRE 57
Legal disputes
Rachael Carrington, an experienced Commercial Account Executive with Hine Chartered
Insurance Brokers, explains why it’s important for legal expenses to be included as part of your
overall insurance protection.
A lengthy legal dispute is a far
cry from the idyllic picture
most bridal shop owners or
managers paint for themselves
when opening their doors,
but legal expenses cover can at
least help them to stay open.
With an industry worth
£10 billion a year in the UK, it’s no surprise
that the 718 couples who get married every day
want their celebration to be perfect. And bridal
retailers and suppliers nationwide spend a lot of
time, effort and money on their part in delivering
the dream.
Despite such aspirations, things can get in the
way, whether one of your brides won’t pay the
balance, your supplier has provided a substandard
gown or your retail customer is holding back a
payment. And with the high costs and emotions
that can scupper the best laid wedding plans,
these issues can soon escalate.
No small business wants to become embroiled
in a full blown legal dispute, be it with customers
or suppliers, not least for the sake of your hardearned reputation, something that’s invaluable in
an industry that often relies on word-of-mouth
recommendations. But a legal dispute doesn’t
need to become the costly, time-consuming and
stressful scenario it first appears to be with the
help of adequate insurance cover.
LEGAL PROTECTION
A legal expenses policy will pay for solicitors’ and
barristers’ fees, court costs, expenses for expert
witnesses, attendance expenses, accountants’ fees
and employment compensation awards. It will
also pay the costs of appealing or defending an
appeal. The main elements of a legal expenses
policy are:
• Defence of employment disputes
(including compensation awards)
• Tax protection – policyholders costs in
connection with a tax investigation
• Defence costs following alleged non-
58 ATTIRE
compliance with laws or regulation
• Employees extra protection – defence against
unlawful discrimination
For SMEs who don’t have the luxury of a
dedicated human resources or legal department,
financial defence and the legal advice that comes
with it through most legal expense policies can
prove invaluable.
With the relatively low cost of cover, you could
save your business thousands of pounds – a deal
which makes financial sense by any business’
standards, let alone one which deals with tight
supplier to customer margins.
With specialist knowledge of the bridal sector,
Hine Chartered Insurance Brokers can give
you expert advice on all of these areas, as well
as additional popular covers in the industry
including:
• Contract disputes – negotiating for your legal
rights in a contractual dispute arising from an
agreement or alleged agreement entered into by
you or on your behalf, for the purchase or hire or
sale or provision of goods or services
• Debt recovery – negotiating for your legal
rights including enforcement of judgment to
recover money and interest due from the sale or
provision of goods or services. A
Contact
Hine Insurance
+44 (0)161 438 0000
www.hine.co.uk
@hineinsurance
facebook.com/hineinsurance
GROWING
the business
Bridal shop owner, Anna McDonald, talks to Attire Bridal about the
challenges of launching her second bridal boutique, Curve Couture,
into a new sector of the market.
When did you open your first boutique and
what prompted you to do so?
I opened Anna McDonald Bridal Gallery in
July 2008. Having taken 10 years out of my
career to bring up my children, I wanted to set
up my own business. I saw a gap in the local
market for an exclusive bridal shop that offered
leading designer and a service-driven approach.
One of my close friends had been through the
same start-up process in the bridal industry
two years previously so I was able to check my
business plan against her own experience.
How has the business evolved and what have
been the key milestones in its development?
The business has evolved considerably and
it’s now one of the leading bridal shops in
Oxfordshire. Initially I had to promote the shop
to local brides which required considerable
investment in marketing. With several
successful years of trading, I’m now able to hire
more staff, and am investing more money in my
leading designers, especially Justin Alexander
with whom I became a premium stockist
in 2014. Our social networking presence is
highly visible, with the ripple effect of six years
of investment and loyalty from hundreds of
brides that tell their friends about their positive
experience at the boutique.
What factors influenced your decision to
open a second shop?
My husband was trying to persuade me to
extend the brand to another location and I
was initially reluctant as I’ve seen many bridal
shop owners struggle when taking on a second
premises. However, we were inspired by a
conversation we had with a shop in East Anglia
that had seen a trend towards plus size dresses.
Thame seemed the ideal location for such a
venture as our overheads are shared across
two shops only 100 yards apart. Within the
60 ATTIRE
opening month we’ve seen orders far exceed
those experienced in the early days of our very
first boutique.
Is there anything you did differently when
opening your second store compared to first
time around?
We’ve learnt so much from the Bridal Gallery
that we could apply to Curve Couture. We were
able to replicate the interior fit out and bespoke
design and select designers based on experience
and market presence. The first shop took three
months to open, whereas Curve Couture was
opened within seven weeks.
What criteria do you have when sourcing and
selecting your designers?
Our suppliers are crucial to the success of
our business so we selected designers that we
believed would support our business plan.
Obviously they have to supply a range of luxury
gowns that our staff are happy to sell, but it’s
vital that our designers respond quickly to
market demands, have regular designer days
and heavily promote their gowns through active
marketing strategies.
What do you enjoy most about your role and
the bridal business in general?
Being a retailer in the historic market town of
Thame is a privilege and I find it hard to believe
that we have two boutiques here. I was born in
this beautiful location and live here with my
family, so having my business so close to home
is a dream come true. I love my staff and the
fact that they’re passionate about what they do
Retailer interview
other business to consumer market in that the
internet has transformed how we do business.
Even brides that are client referrals will visit our
website and social media pages to check our
credibility and range of dresses. Content is key
and communication is now daily but it has to
be informative and exciting. With more than
1,000 Facebook followers we’ve a great platform
for future sales through referrals and goodwill.
Without this electronic platform we wouldn’t
be open to the new type of bridal customer.
gives me great pleasure. Knowing we’re helping
a bride’s dream come true is a massive bonus
and we’ve developed so many friendships with
our customers during the past six years.
What’s been the highlight of your time in
bridal retail to-date?
The main highlight of my time in the bridal
industry was unquestionably opening Curve
Couture on 23rd November, 2014. I lost my
father last year and he designed and installed so
much of the bespoke build of the Bridal Gallery
in 2008. I was able to recreate the look by using
his ex-colleague to install like-for-like cabinets
in Curve Couture. I know he would have been
so proud.
How do you ensure that the service your
boutiques provide is second to none?
Everything we’ve ever done in our business
focuses on service. We offer exclusive
appointments to our customers so they feel
comfortable, special and have the time and
space they deserve to choose their dream dress.
My staff are never pushy – they help and advise.
On the odd occasion when customers have
found a dress elsewhere, we regularly receive
thanks for our service.
What are your plans for Anna McDonald
Bridal Gallery and Curve Couture over the
next few years?
With two shops now open, we’ve an energy and
enthusiasm that sets us up for some great years
ahead. Innovation is vital to our business so
we’ll be introducing a new website in early 2015
providing a door to Anna McDonald Bridal
Gallery or Curve Couture through one access
point. We’ll be welcoming a larger percentage
of brides from outside Oxfordshire into Curve
Couture due to the originality of this offering in
the market, and we predict sales to exceed the
core business within two years.
We’ll continue to invest in both boutiques
and we’re already thinking about the next
venture to be launched from the Anna
McDonald Bridal Group. A
What do you believe is the key to running a
successful bridal retail business?
In my opinion you have to provide honest
advice and impeccable service to every single
customer. You have to stay true to your
principles as building a successful bridal
business takes time and most of your future
sales will come from customer referrals.
What are the main challenges you face as a
bridal shop owner?
There are many challenges such as stock
selection and turnover, marketing spend
and prioritisation, shop refurbishment and
refresh, new entrants to the market and so on.
Maintaining a brand where customer service
and quality underpins the business’ success
requires every single issue to be dealt with
quickly and professionally, even things that are
out of your control. It’s how you deal with them
that’s important.
How important is your website and
interacting with brides on social media?
The bridal market is no different from any
CONTACT
Anna McDonald Bridal Gallery
+44 (0)1844 214 190
www.anna-mcdonald.com
ATTIRE 61
Light green floral design
cushion, £32, In Spaces
+44 (0)20 7580 1990
www.in-spaces.com
Lustre tea light, £4.50 each,
The Contemporary Home
+44 (0)2392 469 400
www.tch.net
B
Bombe
bedside unit with butterfly
design, £375, Out There Interiors
+44 (0)20 8099 7443
www.outthereinteriors.com
E
Easter egg and twig wreath, £21,
Th
The Contemporary Home
+4
+44 (0)2392 469 400
w
www.tch.net
L
Lime green bud vase,
££14.95, Annabel James
+4
+44 (0)845 548 0210
w
www.annabeljames.co.uk
Pretty pastels
We show you how to create a stunning
spring window display using the softest
shades of pink, blue, yellow and green.
Grid storage box set, £26,
Quince Living
+44 (0)1738 449 098
www.quinceliving.co.uk
H
Honeycomb
balls, £6.99,
H
Hampton
Blue
+4 (0)7989 573 171
+44
w
www.hamptonblue.co.uk
Tony Bowls by
Dom Bridals
+44 (0)1954 232 102
www.mon-cheri.co.uk
Julianne chartreuse velvet
armchair, £349, Tesco
+44 (0)800 323 4050
www.tesco.com
62 ATTIRE
Many HAPPY returns
We speak to six retailers to find out which marketing activities generate the best response
from brides.
Kate Allen, Katherine
Allen Bridal
www.katherine
allenbridal.co.uk
How do you promote
your boutique to brides?
We’ve a healthy
online presence, we
interact with potential customers through
social media platforms and we gain
many new customers via word of mouth
recommendations. We use our customers
as our primary marketing tool. They’re the
best promotional vehicle we have, as long
Emma Phillips,
Emma Phillips Bridal
www.emmaphillips
bridal.com
How do you promote
your boutique to brides?
We’ve been open for
nearly five years and
we’re lucky that a lot of our brides now come
from personal recommendation. I’m addicted
Melanie Storer,
Wedding Belles of Four Oaks
www.weddingbellesbridal.co.uk
64 ATTIRE
as we keep providing them with excellent
customer service. We work hard to keep our
website current and visually attractive as we
understand that it’s the first time people meet
us, albeit virtually. It looks like an extension
of the shop so when people visit us online,
they’ll have a good idea of what to expect
when they come to the boutique for their
very first appointment.
Social media is hugely important to our
customers so we use Twitter, Facebook,
Instagram, Pinterest and Google+, and try to
update our pages as much as possible.
Which marketing activity are you planning to
increase this year and why?
We’re expanding our designer weekends.
We’ve previously just promoted one designer
but as they’re so popular we’re opening it up
to the rest of the in-store collection.
We’re also planning to hold more
accessories events in the spring, when brides
are keen to complete their outfits.
reduce this year and why?
We’ll only be exhibiting at a couple of
wedding fairs this year at venues we really
enjoy visiting, and crucially where we seem to
attract the best customers.
to social media so I use our website, Facebook,
Instagram and Twitter feeds to gradually build
brand awareness.
seeing great returns. It was a worthwhile
exercise nonetheless as we now know the ones
that bring new custom to the boutique.
We’re definitely going to use paid promotions
on Facebook again this year and we’ll try to
attend a few more wedding fairs. We found that
in the first year we wasted a lot of time, energy
and money on attending wedding fairs, without
We’re probably going to reduce our advertising
spend in freebie local wedding magazines. It’s
not the cheapest marketing strategy and we
found we were regularly listed alongside all our
local competitors.
How do you promote your boutique to brides?
Facebook plays an important role in our
business. We also blog almost every day
to reveal new collections, the day to day
excitement of running a boutique or topics of
interest to the bridal industry.
We like to provide brides with plenty of
inspiration, whether on new trends, cake
design or bouquet ideas.
Our website is very important and we work
extremely hard to keep the information upto-date and relevant.
Instagram has recently proved invaluable
to showcase dresses and we often advertise in
national wedding magazines.
We also connect with brides at local
wedding fairs and exhibit at the National
Wedding Show at the NEC in Birmingham.
We plan to enhance our presence on
Instagram and intend to set up a Twitter
account to network with other British
bridal businesses.
Our boutique now has a great reputation
locally. As a result, we’ll put more energy into
exhibiting at the National Wedding Show
rather than the smaller regional wedding fairs.
Retail
Retailer
roundup
round-up
Rachael Scott, The
Bridal Lounge Highgate
www.thebridal
loungehighgate.co.uk
How do you promote your
boutique to brides?
During the past
18 months we’ve
experimented with a
variety of marketing
techniques. They’ve all brought brides into the
boutique but some have been more successful
than others. Facebook and our website are our
biggest promotional tools. We advertise on
Deborah
Griffiths,
Lola Bridal
www.lola
bridal.co.uk
How do you
promote your
boutique to brides?
At Lola Bridal we try to use as many of the
different marketing channels we can. We
constantly track and monitor our marketing
and react to the results. We always refer to
our yearly marketing plan, but aren’t afraid
to drop anything that isn’t working or to add
Odette Lister,
Brides by Solo
www.bridesby
solo.co.uk
How do you
promote your
boutique to brides?
We exhibit at Sunday
wedding fairs and are firm believers in on-line
marketing, search engine optimisation (SEO)
and pay per click (PPC). We send out monthly
newsletters using Mailchimp, have an active
presence on all the social media sites and even
Facebook and spend at least three hours a week
updating statuses, answering questions and
booking appointments. We ensure our website
is always up-to-date and brides can make an
appointment online.
We also advertise in several regional
magazines. Even though they’re not specifically
targeted at brides, we want the local
community to know where to find us.
In addition, we attend wedding fairs
throughout the year and now know which ones
generate the best response from brides.
something that’s new. As Albert Einstein said,
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and
over again and expecting different results.”
We need to constantly adapt and change as
different marketing opportunities are always
presenting themselves.
Our window display is the most costeffective visual marketing tool we have,
but we also use social media as this can
be targeted to our key market and has an
extensive reach. Word of mouth is very
powerful – our brides are the greatest form of
marketing we could have.
employ a professional blogger.
We ask all new brides how they heard
about us so we can review our marketing and
advertising efforts.
We regularly update social media sites but
Pinterest is something I need to spend more
time on this year. We continually monitor,
review and invest time and money into our
SEO, making sure we’re up in the Google
rankings. This requires a lot of time but I feel
it’s the worth the effort.
We already use Pinterest and Twitter but this
year I’d like to build upon our existing presence
as well as pushing forward with Facebook.
We’re attending three wedding fairs this spring
as well as a pop-up shop at a lovely local
wedding venue.
We’ve also formed close working relationships
with some other wedding businesses and
promote each other to our brides.
This year we’ll keep our print advertising to
a minimum. It’s usually more costly than our
other marketing activities and isn’t so effective.
We’re keen to increase our social media
marketing as we’ve found this most effective
in targeting our audience and allowing a
greater source of interaction and feedback.
We’ll also have a bigger presence at wedding
events, as we’ve taken on extra staff which
enables us greater flexibility at weekends.
Print advertising will be reduced as it can
be expensive. Cost per bride/appointment
has shown us it’s not as effective as other
marketing practices.
We’re also doing more in-house bridal events,
from designer weekends, to a bridesmaid or
accessories month.
After years of exhibiting at wedding fairs, we’re
now more selective about the ones we attend.
Indeed, we’ll only be exhibiting at the main
events. We’ve stopped all newspaper advertising
and have cut back on magazine advertising,
choosing to support bridal magazines
rather than general magazines with a bridal
supplement. A
ATTIRE 65
Fashion files
ATTIRE BRIDAL
Naomi Neoh
Fashion Files
FILE
1
Slim
True Bride
pickings
Barely-there spaghetti
straps add an
effortless elegance to
any bridal gown.
2
FILE
The
Collections
Gorgeous accessories
to match our two
key fashion trends.
FILE
FILE
4
Up and
Coming
Emma Victoria Payne
unveils her new 2015
collection and reveals
why her great-greatgrandfather has been
such a huge inspiration.
Feeling
good
3
Tactile textured fabrics
are one of this seas
on’s top design accents.
ATTIRE 67 ·
Naomi Neoh
+44 (0)20 8670 7070
www.naomineoh.com
SLIM
Pickings
Barely-there spaghetti straps
add an effortless elegance to
any bridal gown.
68 ATTIRE
File 1
1
2
4
3
1. Emma Hunt
+44 (0)20 8879 7871
www.emmahunt.co.uk
2. Sacha James
+44 (0)1245 690 035
www.sacha-james.com
3. Cristiano Lucci
+44 (0)1727 851 452
www.cristianolucci.com
4. Love by Bonny Bridal
+44 (0)1279 418 555
www.bonnybridaluk.co.uk
ATTIRE 69 ·
Elizabeth Dickens
DESIGNERS & MANUFACTURERS OF BRIDAL VEILS. CREATING THE PERSONAL TOUCH
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+44 1353 723675 email: [email protected] web: elizabethdickensveils.co.uk
File 1
Galia Lahav
[email protected]
www.galialahav.com
ATTIRE 71 ·
1
2
3
4
1. Jesús Peiró
+34 902 200 490
www.jesuspeiro.com
72 ATTIRE
2. Isabelle Montagu
+44 (0)1392 274 694
www.decorumbride.com
3. Elbeth Gillis
[email protected]
www.elbethgillis.co.za
4. D’Zage
+44 (0)20 8502 2257
www.veromia.co.uk
New
E
£22vie belt
View our new Belt collection at The London Bridal
Show - Stand A1
50 + wholesale bridal belts from £16
[email protected]
www.lilybella.co.uk
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8SQEOIEHEXIERHXMQIZMWMXXLI[IFWMXISVGEPP
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to become a stockist, please call +44 (0)1245 690035
File 2
The Collections
We showcase a collection of fabulous accessories
to match our two key fashion features.
Lily Bella
[email protected]
www.lilybella.co.uk
Charlotte Mills
+44 (0)161 943 2584
www.charlottemillsbridal.co.uk
Debbie Carlisle
www.dcbouquets.co.uk
Slim pickings
Rosie Willett
+44 (0)845 838 1869
www.rosiewillettdesigns.co.uk
Delicate, ethereal accessories are
perfect for complementing gowns
with barely-there spaghetti straps.
Camilla Carrington
www.camillacarrington.co.uk
FEELING GOOD
For this season’s tactile textured fabrics, mix and
match embellishments for the perfect finishing touch.
Irregular Choice
+44 (0)1273 733 869
www.irregularchoice.com
Samantha Wills
+61 2 9690 2122
www.samanthawills.com
Nymphi
www.nymphidesign.com
Freya Rose
+44 (0)845 371 4466
www.freyarose.com
Klaire Van Elton
+44 (0)116 318 3100
www.klairevanelton.com
ATTIRE 75
File 3
Feeling
GOOD
From pretty pleats to striking corded laces,
brides will be spoilt for choice with this season’s
tactile textured fabrics.
Chanticleer
+44 (0)1242 226 501
77 ATTIRE
Chanticleer
+44 (0)1242 226 501
ATTIRE 77 ·
1
2
3
4
1 House of Nicholas
+44 (0)20 8802 1399
www.thehouseofnicholas.co.uk
78 ATTIRE
2 Complice
+357 22 381 856
www.complice-st.com
3 Decorum Bride
+44 (0)1392 274 694
www.decorumbride.com
4 Hollywood Dreams
www.hollywooddreams.co.uk
File 3
True Bride
+44 (0)1273 728 637
www.truebride.co.uk
ATTIRE 79 ·
1
2
3
4
1 Hayley Paige
+44 (0)1423 873 320
www.jlmcouture.com
80 ATTIRE
2 Claire Pettibone
+44 (0)7733 884 501
www.clairepettibone.com
3 Venus Bridal
+44 (0)113 256 9627
www.venusbridal.co.uk
4 Catherine Parry
+44 (0)845 094 4775
www.catherineparrybridal.com
BLOSSOM
designed in the uk since 1986
Creating Exclusive Luxury
Bridal Gowns
For stockist enquiries or private
viewing contact us 01323 741419
E-mail – [email protected]
www.qianabridal.co.uk
01202 477873 | www.blossom.co.uk | [email protected]
LACE and
luxury
Emma Victoria Payne talks to Attire Bridal about her new
2015 collection, and why her great-great-grandfather has
been such a huge inspiration.
Can you tell us a little bit about your
design background?
I was given my first sewing machine at the age
of eight and I’ve always loved making things.
I graduated in Fashion Print from Central St
Martins and then designed for several haute
couture houses in London and Paris, which
inspired me to launch my own boutique in
Knightsbridge, London.
Cressida
When did you set up your bridal brand and
I opened my bridal boutique in Beauchamp
Place in 2010. It’s such a special street and it’s
a privilege to be based here. It’s always been
my dream to have my own label offering a
bespoke service. I absolutely love designing
with luxurious silks and intricate lace and tulles.
Aspen
Aurelie
What inspires you about bridal design?
I adore creating dresses that mean so much to
my clients and it’s an honour to be part of their
special day. Lace has such a romantic, timeless
quality and my 2015 collection features full
lace overlays as well as delicate trimmings. My
great-great-grandfather was a lace designer in
Nottingham and I’m so inspired by his work.
How would you describe your debut bridal
collection and how often will you be releasing
new designs?
While working in Paris I was influenced by
the elegance of vintage silhouettes and bias cut
styles. I wanted to create dresses that combine
elegant simplicity with natural cuts and defined
silhouettes while capturing a romantic and
82 ATTIRE
feminine feel. I’m continually designing and I
keep adding to my collection throughout the
year, so my clients always have something new
to discover.
Which era of design is the most interesting
to you?
I’m fascinated by the ’20s and ’30s, as the
gowns were so elegant and sleek.
How would you describe your signature style?
The Emma Victoria Payne bridal collection
captures the essence of sophisticated luxury
with beautiful silhouettes that emphasise
femininity, style and romance. Each gown retains
an individual character and original charm,
designed with meticulous attention to detail.
Up and coming
Hattie
Celeste
Contact
Emma Victoria Payne
+44 (0)20 7584 8322
www.emmavictoria
payne.com
Where are your bridal gowns designed, and
for what reason?
All of the dresses are designed and developed by
myself at the boutique in Beauchamp Place to
provide the most personal service.
How does running your own boutique inform
your designs?
I ensure that I meet all of our clients and this
enables me to gain an invaluable insight into
emerging trends.
What is your favourite dress from the
collection and why?
Delphine is one of my favourites, as I absolutely
love the delicacy of French Chantilly lace, the
subtle silhouette and the striking pearl button
detailing at the back.
Which other fashion designers do you admire
and why?
I have a great respect for Dior, particularly
its timeless vintage designs as they were so
beautifully crafted.
What type of retailer is your collection most
suited to?
It’s most suited to a luxury high-end boutique
for discerning clients who will receive the
highest levels of personal service. We currently
supply The Pantiles Bride in Tunbridge Wells
with our gowns and are interested to hear from
other potential stockists.
If you could design a bridal gown for anyone
in the public eye, who would it be and why?
I’d love to dress a member of the British Royal
Family. It would be an absolute honour.
What do you hope to achieve in the next
five years?
I hope to continue to grow the brand while
offering a truly personal service. A
Delphine
ATTIRE 83
Vision of the future
Raymond O’Hare, Director at Xedo Software, speaks to leading names in the
industry to find out how they’re meeting a bride’s online needs.
Today, more than ever before, the wedding
industry needs to pay close attention to
what’s happening in the world of technology.
Thankfully, this isn’t just my opinion, but a
view shared by many of the industry’s leading
designers and suppliers.
In view of this, I thought it would be helpful
if I asked bridal designers and suppliers about
their view of technology, and what role they see
it playing in the future of their companies and
the industry as a whole. You may be surprised
by their opinions, and their expectations that
all of us will make better use of technology over
the coming seasons.
I spoke to some of the industry’s leading and
most well respected players. These included
Steve Lang, Chief Executive Office of Mon
Cheri; Justin Warshaw, his counterpart at
Justin Alexander; and Kelly Crum, President of
Allure Bridals. I also caught up with Richard
Freedman, CEO of Xedo Software. He’s
working with all three of these industry giants
and his technology vision for the industry is
gathering support fast. The thinking of all four
individuals makes fascinating reading.
“Today’s bridal customers are
used to incredibly high standards
of service and flexibility from both
traditional and online retailers.”
Setting high standards
I started by asking Richard Freedman what
major changes will take place in the next year in
the bridal sector. His response was enlightening
and potentially disruptive. “Today’s bridal
84 ATTIRE
customers are used to incredibly high standards
of service and flexibility from both traditional
and online retailers. John Lewis, Next and
many others have set the bar very high in
terms of integrating the consumer experience
across all platforms. Research, browse, click
and collect whenever you want from whatever
device you happen to be using. We mustn’t
think that our bridal customers will expect
anything less from us.”
Picking up on this point, Steve Lang added,
“Today’s brides are constantly browsing on their
mobiles and tablets. We, as well as our retailers,
need to be able to engage with our customers
on their terms, ensuring availability of and
access to our stockists and our dresses 24/7 via
any device.”
“The most important role to play
is providing brides with universal
access to our products and then
channelling those opportunities
as quickly as possible to
our retailers.”
they can offer their exceptional personal service
and the added value of the in-store experience.”
Allure Bridal President, Kelly Crum was
equally emphatic when asked about the role
of technology in his business and across the
bridal industry in general. He said, “The most
important role to play is providing brides
with universal access to our products and then
channelling those opportunities as quickly as
possible to our retailers.”
Online generation
In conclusion, I would highlight a Forbes
magazine article, which reported that in a
recent Google survey, 60 per cent of customers
surveyed stated that they were at least 60 per
cent of the way through the sales process before
they engaged with a company or a person.
Closer to home, a recent survey by the UK
Alliance of Wedding Planners suggested 80 per
cent of couples spend up to 10 hours a week
on wedding-related websites. While it’s great
to see some individual designers and retailers
embracing technology, we need to see a much
closer collaboration and use of technology to
ultimately deliver a better experience for the
bride. After all, she’s worth it! A
Open all hours
I appreciate bridal stores cannot be open 24/7.
However, by embracing technology, surely they
can extend their engagement with brides during
the online research phase and look to capture
them in that purchasing mode, securing a faceto-face appointment there and then?
Justin Warshaw was keen to stress that, “We
value the high levels of service our retailers
provide and we need to support them in driving
more opportunities direct to their stores where
CONTACT
Xedo Software
+44 (0)141 781 6545
www.xedosoftware.com
If you would like to become a stockist,
please contact Mark & Sam Everard
07711 208586 or 01202 424477
[email protected]
www.miasolano.com
Column
Buying sense
Richard Edwards, Director of Quatreus asks, what factors lead a potential
customer to a purchase decision?
That’s the key question that we, as marketers,
need to answer to help the clients and companies
we work with. Whether you’re a marketing
professional, or an owner looking to build your
business, knowing the factors involved is essential.
It means you can create a complete marketing
strategy and direct the marketing budget to
activities that support it.
Importance of value
Value is a subjective perception created through
a blend of need, price and the belief that one
product is better than another. A product or
service described as good value is seen as a highquality solution, which meets all a customer’s
needs at a reasonable price. But let’s stop and
break down how need, price and belief are really
constructed, and how they play into a perception
of value.
Need
I may see a pair of hiking boots on special offer,
and I may recognise the brand as a market leader,
but the fact that I don’t go hiking or have any
other need for the boots means that I won’t value
them highly.
Some modern marketing works to convince
the consumer they need a product where perhaps
they wouldn’t have thought so before. Let’s use
the hiking boots again. If, before I had seen them,
I had also read an article explaining how hiking
boots improved posture, helped stimulate blood
flow and were good for your feet, then by the time
I saw the boots, I may have developed a ‘need’
for them.
Priming potential customers by providing
this kind of information is an excellent way of
enhancing the perceived value for your product or
service and can help you break into new markets.
but does the difference in production cost really
justify doubling the price? Probably not.
A big mistake that I see companies make all the
time is to slash their prices or offer tremendous
discounts on their low-volume products.
This can work, particularly when it comes to more
exclusive discounts, such as a voucher for loyal
customers or an introductory offer. However,
offering a huge discount lowers the perceived
value of the product. I mean, who is going to pay
the full price for a sofa at DFS when most of the
year it’s offering 50 per cent off ?
Belief in product
This factor overlaps somewhat with price. The
price point will often lead customers to believe
one product is much better than another.
However, people won’t be willing to pay a higher
price point if they don’t believe in the product.
It may sound a bit circular, but in reality the two
factors work in tandem.
However, the belief factor goes much further.
It’s about your brand, your marketing of the
features of your product, and their knowledge of
the range. It is what 80 per cent of your marketing
budget goes in to creating. And it’s also the area in
which you have the most control.
Creating a belief in your product
So how do you go about creating this belief in
your product or service? Is there a single best
method, or does it depend on the item or service
you are selling? Does it really matter whether
you are selling business-to-consumer or businessto-business?
While there may not be a single method of
developing belief in your product, there is a core
concept. It rests on the old Chinese proverb, “Tell
me and I’ll forget, show me and I’ll remember,
involve me and I’ll understand.”
Price
The first rule of starting a new business is to set
your price point as high as you can – assuming you
aren’t targeting the budget end, of course. This
won’t help you on your way to buying a yacht, but
will enhance the perceived value of your product.
Why do people buy branded products over
supermarkets’ own brands, despite a huge price
jump? Because they reason that superior products
cost more to create. This is often a fair justification,
Tell me
Let me be clear, telling is still an extremely
important step. Yes, people will likely forget the
specifics, they may even forget your brand, but
they’ll be primed to receive your brand, product
and service, and this priming can be important in
establishing credibility.
For example, you may conduct a PR campaign
where you write thought-provoking articles
relating to your product or service. In the article,
you can describe the problem (establish a need),
drop some hints as to a solution (brand priming)
and get it featured in an established trade
magazine (credibility).
Show me
The visual memory is more powerful for most
people than the purely verbal memory, particularly
when ‘show me’ still involves some verbal
explanation. Show and tell, if you will.
The efficacy of showing off your product or
service is demonstrable by the growing popularity
of exhibitions and trade shows. You’d have
thought that with the digital revolution live events
would all but die out, yet almost the opposite
has happened.
Involve me
‘Involving’ your prospect creates an experience
that uses all three types of memory/learning:
verbal, visual and kinesthetic (touching and
using) to create an almost unbreakable belief in
your product. If you’re there to tell the prospect
the benefits of the product or service, you can
create a need for certain features. At the same time
you show how the product or service meets those
needs visually. Then, the final step, you let the
prospect have a play with the product or service,
and get them involved in using it.
Creating a complete and immersive experience
of your product or service increases recall,
generates belief in the product and, in the
end, turns prospective customers into brand
ambassadors. You aren’t as likely to share the fact
that you saw some new product, but you will want
to tell people what you just tried out. Experiences
are made to be shared! A
Richard Edwards is the Director of Quatreus. The
company specialises in creating face-to-face
experiences that strengthen relationships and
improve communication for both internal and
external audiences. Activities include customer
facing events and activities, exhibitions, trade
shows, roadshows and interactive experience
centres, as well as conferences, AGMs, and staff
and stakeholder engagement programmes.
For more information see: www.quatreus.com.
ATTIRE 87
RETAILER
turned
distributor
In celebration of its 10th anniversary,
Victoria Kay is launching a new collection.
We speak to Lisa Al-Amoodi, who set up
the business with her husband Khalid, to
find out more…
88 ATTIRE
Profile
When did you launch Victoria Kay and
We launched Victoria Kay in 2005 from
a small office in Hastings. We were
determined to create a successful UK label
and are delighted that we’re still designing
new collections, 10 years on.
How has your business evolved and
what have been the most memorable
moments in its development?
It’s grown steadily during the past decade.
We’re always thrilled when customers
praise us for our excellent customer
service and high quality gowns.
This year is the 10th anniversary of the
business – how are you planning to mark
the occasion?
We’ll be marking the occasion at The
Harrogate Bridal Show in September,
where we’ll be launching a new label. It’s
an incredibly exciting year for the business.
Why do you think your label has stood
the test of time, where some other labels
have struggled?
We believe that our business is still trading
today because we focus on giving our
customers the best service possible.
Khalid and I are very hands on in our
business and we really think it shows.
In addition, our prices are always
extremely commercial.
What inspired the 2015 bridal collection
and what fabrics and embellishments
have been used in the designs?
In our 2015 collection we’ve used lots of
vintage lace and satin. We’re thrilled with
our new designs, and hope they’ll appeal
to a wide variety of brides.
Which gown from this collection do you
predict will be the best-seller and why?
Our blush pink lace style 1503 has already
been a massive hit with our customers and
brides, and we expect it to continue to sell
well during the months ahead.
How would you describe the past year’s
trading for Victoria Kay?
Our past year’s trading has been very
encouraging. Sales were up by 50 per cent
on the previous year and we anticipate
2015 will prove even better.
How often do you release new
bridal collections?
We always release one big bridal collection
a year. This works well for us and for our
retailers, as they’re not constantly being
asked to take on new gowns.
Can retailers expect to see you at any
bridal trade shows this year? If so, which
ones and why?
Yes, we’ll be attending several shows
this year, starting with The Cairn Hotel in
Harrogate on 1st and 2nd March. We’re also
exhibiting at The London Bridal Show, the
Gibson Hotel in Dublin, the Taunton Show,
the Stirling Show and The Harrogate
Bridal Show.
How would you like to see the brand
grow over the coming years?
We’d like our brand to continue to grow
steadily, just as it has done in the past
decade. We absolutely love our job and
designing gowns for our brides. A
Contact
Victoria Kay
+44 (0)1424 439 165
www.victoriakaygowns.co.uk
ATTIRE 89
PR & marketing
Time for change
Joanne Childs, Owner and PR Director at Sprae PR, offers 10 top tips for
boosting productivity.
It’s the end of a busy day, but before you leave
your bridal shop there’s still a mountain of
outstanding work. This scenario is common to
most retailers, many of whom would love an
extra hour in the day to tie up all those loose
ends – providing it doesn’t cut into personal or
family time.
So, what can you do about it? How can you
change the way you set out your schedule and
plan your daily tasks so you don’t lock up the
shop each day knowing there’s a huge workload
waiting for you in the morning?
Below are my 10 top tips for boosting
productivity. You don’t need to use them all,
but if you determine which ones help you
streamline your day, then you’ll achieve your
goals more effectively.
1
Map out your week
First thing on a Monday morning,
map out the week’s meetings and
appointments, making sure you include travel
time if these take place outside the boutique.
Then look at your task list and allocate a day to
each of the items. The key is to create structure
and discipline for your week ahead.
2
Create a realistic ‘to do’ list
Who doesn’t love a ‘to do’ list? If you’ve
mapped out your week, this can assist
with keeping you on the ‘straight and narrow’,
instead of being easily distracted by less
important tasks.
Sometimes when you write everything
down, these lists can make your day look
daunting, potentially resulting in a reduction
in productivity. There’s nothing more souldestroying than transferring items on your ‘to
do’ list across to the next day, and then the one
after, so be realistic about your plans.
3
Prioritise your work
Sometimes you have so much to do that
you feel like you can’t have a productive
day because you don’t know where to start.
What’s more, the thought of prioritising your
tasks can take a lot of mental effort. To make
your day productive, I find the most simple
solution is to have everything accessible and
in one place. That way, a simple glance at
the weekly plan can help you refocus your
attentions and keep on track.
4
Block out task times
If you have a job that needs doing and
requires your full attention, it’s well
worth blocking out time in your calendar to
complete the task in question. If you don’t
proactively block out time for these tasks, they
can drag on and you might lose focus, meaning
that your jobs won’t get done when you
originally planned and it can have a knock on
effect for the rest of that week.
5
Timing your meetings
and appointments
Aside from a bride’s first appointment,
which generally takes 90 minutes to two hours,
try to keep all other meetings short and to the
point. Indeed, when you are time restricted,
ATTIRE 91 ·
most subjects can be handled in 30 minutes
and some can even be handled in 15 especially
if everyone who’s attending the meeting in
person or on the phone knows how long it’s
going to last.
6
Get social
Social media is one of the most beneficial
and effective ways to network but it
can also be one of the most time-consuming
tasks. It’s a great way to network but it’s also
important to schedule some time to simply
add posts and news. If you set aside five to 10
minutes every day – ideally first thing in the
morning – you’ll be able to schedule your posts
on all your social media, freeing up the rest of
the day for other tasks. Remember, some social
media sites link in with one another and it saves
a great deal of time if one post can appear on
multiple platforms.
7
Emails be gone
Try to address your email inbox first
thing in the morning. That way it will
set you up for the day ahead and you’ll feel
like you can achieve anything. Try to prioritise
your emails in the same way as your to do list.
Start by opening a message, respond if you
can and then file it away and repeat until you
have actioned all your high priority emails. If
you receive a message that needs a bit of work,
schedule it into your working day.
8
Stop multitasking
It’s tempting to try to do two things at
once, like emptying your email inbox
while you’re on a phone call, or making notes
on your marketing plans during a meeting with
a supplier. The problem with this is that split
focus can make the meeting or phone call far
less productive. When you’re distracted, you’re
not fully concentrating on either of the tasks
you’re undertaking.
9
Take breaks and fuel up
Remember to take regular breaks. I
know this can be hard but even if you
just get up to make a coffee, this can often
clear your head so you’re ready to start working
again. Sometimes you’ll find yourself at your
computer looking for inspiration and it never
comes – if you move away for five minutes,
it can often spark creative ideas. Professionals
recommend taking five minutes’ break every
hour when you’re sitting in front of a computer
screen, but I know as well as anyone that this
isn’t always practical. Coffee, breakfast, lunch
and snacks all form part of a productive day
because it’s been scientifically proven that
low blood sugar and hunger can disturb your
working day and make you lethargic, uncreative
and unproductive.
10
Protect your personal or
family time
As hard as it is, especially if you
run your own business or you work from home,
switching off in the evening is key when it
comes to being productive. Spending time just
for yourself or with your family is important, so
try to set aside time when there’s no phone and
no email. I know no one can completely shut
down but if you proactively free up time every
day to spend time with your family or loved
ones it will help you become more productive
in the long run. A
Contact
Joanne Childs
Owner and PR Director
at Sprae PR
www.sprae.co.uk
[email protected]
+44 (0)7720 893 867
Twitter: @SpraePR
92 ATTIRE
EAST MEETS WEST
Kelly Scully, designer and director at Tantrums and Tiaras, chats to Attire Bridal
about her glamorous new accessories collection.
Keegan
Sweetpea
Henrietta
Can you tell us a little about your background
in bridal accessory design?
I’ve been making bridal accessories for 10 years.
I’m entirely self-taught, so I’m always looking
for new ways to do things and coming up with
fresh ideas.
When did you set up your bridal accessories
label and what prompted you to do so?
In 2005 I fell ill and wasn’t able to do anything
except sit on the sofa. A neighbour suggested
I return to making jewellery and – despite not
having made anything since childhood – I was
soon creating and selling beautiful pieces to
94 ATTIRE
everyone that came to visit. I didn’t create the
brand name of Tantrums and Tiaras until a few
years later, when it was clear the business was
going to be a success.
How has the company grown and evolved
since that time?
Back in the early days, it was all about creating
traditional tiaras using pearls and crystals. As
time went on, I found a great passion and
enjoyment for exploring other eras of design
along with dress trends of the period. As a
result, I began making pieces that were very
different to anything I’d made previously.
Would you say you had a ‘signature style’?
I like to set trends rather than follow them,
and strive to create versatile designs for my
customers. I love the idea of brides being able
to wear the same piece in several ways to create
different styles, especially if they can also wear
the design after their big day.
How would you describe your latest
accessories collection and where did you find
inspiration for these designs?
I was inspired by the ongoing trend for lace
along with colours seen in the classic ’20s
fashion. I wanted to combine these two
Collection focus
Jasmine
Coco
concepts to create an original range that was
still commercial enough to appeal to both
brides and stockists. The new collection is
called Maharaja, a collection of glamorous East
meets West headpieces. The new range features
big jewels, delicate mehndi-inspired details and
pretty metallic tones.
How many stockists do you have?
I have 19 stockists in the UK and two overseas,
and I’m always on the lookout for new retail
partners. At the moment I do really well in
Yorkshire and the Thames Valley but I’m keen
to secure additional stockists in London, the
Midlands, Scotland and the West of England.
What components have you used in these
designs, and where did you source them?
I’ve used exclusively British suppliers for this
collection. I design with Swarovski pearls and
crystals, Preciosa diamantés and a few secret
ingredients to help bring the magic alive.
What do you think sets you apart from other
bridal accessories designers?
Everything that we supply is hand-made from
basic components. As such, brides can be
assured of a quality product that’s been lovingly
crafted using materials that are sourced solely
from British suppliers. This personal touch
means that every piece is fully customisable,
which is ideal if the bride wants to be fully
involved in the design process.
I believe this mix of quality, originality
and firm support of British-made goods sets
Tantrums and Tiaras apart from others in the
sector. All too often companies supply massproduced, high-profit pieces to the market by
utilising pre-made components from overseas.
What’s your favourite piece from the
Maharaja collection?
I’m passionate about so many of my designs.
I love the delicate nature of Emma and Coco,
but I also like the versatility of Kathleen. I
adore the simplicity and clear lines of Keegan,
while being drawn to the dramatic nature of
Jasmine. I’m also incredibly proud of Caitlyn –
it’s a completely new design to the industry and
it’s my ‘wild card’ this year.
What type of customer would these designs
appeal to?
The collection truly has something for
everyone, whether the bride desires a relaxed
bohemian vibe or a design for an exotic
destination wedding.
What’s your marketing strategy for growing
your brand and raising its profile?
I’ve been waiting in the wings for the past few
years and now have a lovely seven-month-old
baby and a challenging but hilarious threeyear-old to show for it. I intend to get back to
exhibiting and doing designer events with my
stockists. I’ve already attended one trade fair
this year and the Maharaja collection was very
well received.
I’ve redesigned the website too. I wanted
more of an editorial style of home page,
improved navigation and something that
better reflected my brand and its unique selling
points. I’ve more amendments planned and I’m
really excited about seeing the completed site.
I’ll also be adding to the Maharaja collection
throughout the year, which will keep the line
fresh and dynamic. I can’t wait to get to work
on the new pieces although it will be time to
work on next year’s collection before I know it.
I already have an idea as to what it may look
like so watch this space.
five years?
My main aim is to keep going! It’s a hard
industry and you have to put a lot of yourself
into your brand to keep it on track. Too many
established brands have gone by the wayside
and I’m so proud that I’ve been producing
desirable and sought-after accessories for the
past decade.
I do have plans for the next five years which
include a myriad of activity. I have a range
planned which will be new to the bridal
market, I’ll continue to launch fresh collections
each year and I plan to exhibit at the larger
bridal trade shows again. A
Caitlyn
Contact
Tantrums and Tiaras
+44 (0)7740 341 747
www.tantrumsandtiaras.org
ATTIRE 95
Building a business
Angela Sin-Yue Wong, owner of Toni Bridal in Surrey, reveals the highs
and lows of her boutique’s first two years of trading.
What inspired you to set up a bridal boutique
and how long did it take you from the initial
idea to opening?
I’ve always been interested in the fashion industry,
but my creative skills were somewhat limited so I
pursued other options. During my maternity leave
I researched the UK bridal industry, and decided
to open a boutique so I could work closer to home
and get away from the rat race.
8IPBSFUIFLFZNFNCFSTPGTUBĚBOEXIBUBSF
your respective roles?
I have two ladies working for me – Charlotte
and Sarah. They help me to run the shop and are
wonderful with our customers.
Where are you based and how did you go about
ÎOEJOHUIFSJHIUQSFNJTFT
We’re based in a small town called Hackbridge
in Surrey. The premises are perfect as we have
several huge windows in which to display our
latest gowns.
)PXIBWFZPVDSFBUFEBQPJOUPGEJĚFSFODFJO
your boutique, compared to others in the area?
We have a small section of traditional Chinese
bridal wear for a very niche market. We also try to
stock some unusual designs for brides looking for
something original and distinctive.
)PXIBWFZPVGPVOEUIFÎSTUDPVQMFPGZFBSTPG
trading? What have been the highs and lows?
It’s been a very steep learning curve. Being
Chinese – although British-born – I encountered
96 ATTIRE
Retailer profile
photos of our brides on their big day.
We were delighted to be a finalist in the 2015
You & Your Wedding Bridal Retail Awards
recently in the category for New Bridal Retailer.
What are the most challenging aspects of
running your bridal shop?
Choosing the right stock is key. Since opening
we’ve constantly listened to our brides to find
out how well we’re meeting their needs. It’s tricky
dealing with demanding brides but we pride
ourselves on our customer service.
What are your future plans for Toni Bridal?
I’d love to be able to open a second shop, but
those plans are a long distance into the future.
In the short term, I simply want to build up my
existing business. A
some hostility from suppliers when I first
attended the trade shows in Harrogate. I soon
realised that there’s a huge problem in the industry
with copycat dresses being made in China and
sold on the internet at knock-down prices. I’m
proud that Toni Bridal is an authorised stockist
of many leading bridal labels. We opened the
boutique during the recession which made for a
difficult trading environment at first, but we’re
gradually seeing an improvement.
Which bridal designers are currently stocked at
Toni Bridal and why? Will you be welcoming
any more names over the coming months?
We currently stock Disney Fairy Tale Weddings
by Alfred Angelo, Wtoo by Watters, Private Label
by G, Pure Bridal, Nicki Flynn, Art Couture and
Eternity Bride. We will assess how the collections
are performing at the end of this year and then
decide on whether we need to introduce any
more labels.
"TJEFGSPNHPXOTXIBUFMTFEPZPVPĚFSUIF
bridal party? Are there any plans to introduce
new lines?
We stock a good range of bridesmaid dresses and
accessories. We’re still finding our feet so we have
no plans to introduce new lines at this stage.
What do you enjoy most about running your
bridal shop?
We’re genuinely happy when a bride finds her
dream dress. It’s wonderful when we receive thank
you letters, emails and cards and are able to see
CONTACT
Toni Bridal
+44 (0)20 7998 3431
www.tonibridal.co.uk
ATTIRE 97
Turn back time
Rachael and Vanessa Hand of Heirlooms Ever After reveal how to style the bride according to
past fashions.
When brides ask us where we get our inspiration for our designs, we love
telling them how our grandmother’s dress and other headdresses from times
gone by set off our creative spark. We put an original twist on designs from
the past to bring modern brides a taste of the stunning pieces that Victorian
and Edwardian artists produced.
Throughout the ages, bridal accessory design has come full circle. Read
on for our take on each era so that when a bride chooses her dress, you’ll be
able to match them with complementing accessories.
CENTURY STYLE
The pre-classical period continued into the 1900s and bridal accessories
were rather lavish, statement pieces. Brides often wore veils and
their headdresses were more like headpieces due to their size and
ornateness. Many were encrusted with crystals, pearls and silk flowers to
create a beautiful tableau. After the wedding of Queen Victoria to Prince
Albert, in 1840, her real orange blossom hair vine was replicated using
wax flowers, a design that we’ve reproduced with modern sophistication
98 ATTIRE
and charm.
Moving into the ’20s, Flapper-inspired pieces were worn with cropped
hair styles and the dramatic designs would set a fashion that would appear
decades later. Headpieces were often worn low over the forehead with lace,
feathers, diamantés and crystals. Drop waist dresses would still play an
important fashion role during the following decade.
Indeed, the ’30s saw a traditional revival with veils playing an important
role in bridal attire. They’d often cover the entire head creating a laced veiled
cap effect known as the Juliet Cap. Sometimes the brides chose circlets
of lace, ribbon and flowers to create a soft and feminine look for their
bridal headdress.
BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL
Not all ’40s brides had the same choice of bridal headdresses as Princess
Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II), who married in 1947. In the austere
years during and immediately after the Second World War, brides wanted
traditional, princess tiaras with crystal and shine. With long flowing
Hair decorations
cathedral length veils being the order of the day and, at times, a full
headpiece being chosen, brides of the ’40s looked stunning.
The actresses of the roaring ’50s created a new wave of glamour that filtered
its way through to the everyday bride. With short, crisp and sassy veils
teamed with sophisticated bridal headdresses,’50s brides wanted glitz
and glamour.
The ’60s saw a few styles vying for attention. The hippy movement
embraced daisy chains, flowery, blousy, natural and simple creations,
whereas ladies sporting big bouffant hair styles often wanted the traditional
crystal tiara and long flowing veil. Larger styles of headdress seemed to
appear again in the ’60s with some brides wanting fuller circlets to create a
statement against the simpler waist-cinching dresses.
FLOWER POWER
In the ’70s, our favourite era for bridal dresses and accessories, there was a
huge surge in bohemian brides with flower circlets and flowing locks. Just
as popular were full tiaras, bonnets, headpieces and – in some cases – large
blousy hats. These were becoming a popular choice, along with the more
demure and alluring pill box hats with birdcage veils.
As for the ’80s – wow. There were bows everywhere, along with satin,
ribbon, flowers and hoops. The ’80s saw big hair, big veils, ruffles and bows
and long wedding dress trains, although not many brides chose to emulate
the 25ft beauty worn by Princess Diana.
In the ’90s there was an eclectic mix of accessory styles. Some brides chose
traditional tiaras full of crystal and bling, while others were experimenting
with dresses that leaned towards a pre-classical style with full-length capes
or watteau, full sleeves, embroidered lace and a Maid Marian-inspired
innocence. Towards the end of the ’90s and into the ’00s vintage pieces
were starting to emerge, with beautiful designs being made from antique
and vintage jewellery. These are the heirlooms of tomorrow. A
Heirlooms Ever After can offer a full restoration service or provide
stunning antique and vintage-inspired accessories.
CONTACT
Heirlooms Ever After
+44 (0)1629 732 745
www.heirloomseverafter.co.uk
ATTIRE 99
Work smart
Heidi Thompson of Evolve Your Wedding Business reveals how any bridal
retailer can implement systems to work more efficiently.
If you feel like you’re too busy all the time,
you’re not alone. Being busy is like a badge
of honour in our society but it doesn’t always
mean you’re making money or you’re doing
something that matters. If you want to stop
being needlessly busy and start making better
use of your time, you’ll love this article.
There’s a big difference between actually
being busy and being needlessly busy. I did
an experiment when I was employed to see if
I could go an entire day looking really busy
but doing absolutely nothing. In case you’re
wondering, I was successful. The point being,
it’s very easy to be busy doing nothing.
‘I’m busy’ is quite possibly the single most
overused phrase among small business owners
and it’s not because they’re actually busy doing
things that matter. In case you haven’t heard,
busy is the new lazy. Not creating, learning and
implementing systems to make your life and
work easier and more efficient is lazy.
So it’s not a being-too-busy problem, it’s an
organisation problem. I hear people tell me all
the time how hard it is to keep up with their
email or social media or about a million other
things, but it’s not difficult if you use the right
tools and approach it strategically. My natural
approach to solving problems is to ask myself,
“Is there an easier way to do this?” and that’s
how I manage to get so much done. We have
access to all the information in the world and
the answer to that question is a simple Google
search away.
I want you to look at the things that suck
your time. Is there an easier, more efficient way
to do them? The idea of setting up systems in
your business can sound daunting and abstract,
so let’s look at how your life would change if
you didn’t have systems in place.
Do you do all of your grocery shopping at
one time? That’s a system. Without that system,
you’d be going to the store every time you
ran out of something and you’d probably do
nothing else in life but grocery shop.
Do you wash your clothes in loads? Of course
you do. Washing them one at a time would be a
100 ATTIRE
waste of energy and would take too long.
When running errands, do you go to several
places in one trip? That’s a lot more efficient
than going home between each stop isn’t it?
You see, you already have systems in your life.
You just have to take this idea and apply it to
your business.
Here’s how I use systems in my business:
• I do all my bookkeeping and accounting in
one sitting on a set day of the month.
• I check in with my monthly goals in one
sitting on a set day of the month.
• I schedule as many social media updates as
I can at one time so I don’t have to search for
something to say on social media – which will
inevitably lead to getting lost in something
interesting I find – and it only takes me about
30 minutes a week at most.
• I plan my topics for my blog ahead of time so
I’m not left with nothing to write about at the
last minute.
• I do my content creation in blocks so I can
use that momentum to get lot done at once.
• I have a very specific process I go through
after I publish a blog post to promote it.
Column
• I always schedule things in Google Calendar,
even if it’s just something for me. My content
creation blocks are in there as appointments
with myself and I take them just as seriously as
appointments with anyone else.
• I use a fantastic tool called Unroll.me to
manage my email from lists I’ve subscribed to
and I check that folder only once a day. This
helps keep my focus and prevents me from
getting distracted by emails.
• This is the most important one: I have a
system set up to generate leads consistently,
nurture them and convert them into customers.
My Book More Weddings Academy programme
teaches you exactly how to do that in your
own business so you never have to chase after
potential clients again.
I want you to become more productive today.
Here are some action steps to help you make
the most of your time.
1
Schedule your day ahead of time. That
way, when you wake up you know exactly
what you need to do. In fact, you know
the night before so you can be prepared. As
you’re scheduling your day, make sure that all
these tasks you’re setting yourself are actually
important to your business. Will they move you
closer to your goals?
2
Separate your business time and your client
time. You have to work on your business
to make it grow and you have to work in your
business with your clients. Those two areas
should remain separate because they require
two totally different mindsets. When you’re
working on your business, you have your CEO
hat on, and when you’re working with clients
it’s your worker bee hat. Make time for both
these types of activity.
3
Set yourself up for success by eliminating
distractions. When you’re working on your
business you shouldn’t have your email or social
media sites open because they’ll distract you.
Eliminate everything that could distract you
and you’ll be able to focus much better.
4
Remember, email is not an urgent form of
communication. You don’t need to keep
your email inbox front and centre all day, every
day. I’m willing to bet that not one person
who’s emailed you is expecting an answer in five
minutes and they wouldn’t suffer from waiting
for you to respond at a time you’ve allocated
to do so. Check your email at specific times of
the day and keep it closed at all other times so
you can focus on the task at hand without any
other interruption.
5
Schedule everything – even your social
media time. There’s no need for you to
spend your precious time sitting on social
media sites thinking of what to say when you
can write your posts in advance, schedule them
and just do a brief check-in each day to respond
to people personally. In my next article, I’ll be
sharing the best social media tools to help you
remain productive.
Start with even one of these action items.
You’ll begin to see a shift in how you’re
spending your time and how you feel about
your workload. A
Contact
Heidi Thompson
Evolve Your Wedding Business
www.evolveyour
weddingbusiness.com
ATTIRE 101
June
Retailer interview
Profile
Stateside style
Nilah Petschelt launched her first
wholesale line of beautifully crafted bridal
veils in 2011. We speak to the talented
designer to find out what the future holds
for this sophisticated brand.
ATTIRE
ATTIRE
103103 ·
Bella
Elisa
Can you tell us a little about your
background in bridal design?
I learned from a number of Master Tailors
when I was younger and I’ve applied those
techniques to the bridal industry. We work
with our clients to turn their dreams of the
perfect dress into reality by restoring a
vintage family heirloom or custom making
their vision. We’re also able to redesign or
alter their store-bought wedding gowns.
When did you set up your company and
I started the company 27 years ago as I
saw a niche in the bridal market for quality
alterations and exceptional customer
service. I’ve always had a passion for
sewing and design.
How has it evolved since this time?
Over the years we’ve evolved from a onewomen, one sewing machine operation
to our current facility comprising 4,800 sq
ft. This space accommodates our current
needs and will facilitate our future growth.
What factors influenced your decision
to launch your wholesale veil business
in 2011?
From many conversations with my clients,
I recognised there was a need and desire
for quality veils that they couldn’t find in
existing markets.
104 ATTIRE
Where are the veils designed and made?
All of our products and veils are designed
and then manufactured in our facility
located in Havertown, Pennsylvania, in the
United States.
How would you describe your latest
veil collection, and where did you find
inspiration for these designs?
I’m inspired by suggestions from my many
retail clients. However, other ideas just pop
into my head when I least expect it.
What fabrics and components have you
used in these designs, and where did
you source them?
We use the finest tulles, French, Italian and
Spanish laces as well as a selection of
Swarovski crystal elements.
Kitty
the International New York Bridal Market
in October
How many stockists do you currently
have and how would you like to grow this
stockist base?
We currently have 15 stockists and have
a desire to expand relationships with both
bridal salons seeking a quality veil line and
dress manufacturers looking to enhance
their collections.
five years?
We hope to see steady and solid
continued growth domestically and
internationally. A
Anna
What are your favourite pieces from the
collections and why?
I don’t have any specific favourite pieces
as they’re all so different and I enjoy
the entire creative process. Individually,
all of them appeal to different senses,
from sweet and innocent to chic and
sophisticated.
What type of customer would these
designs appeal to?
Our designs appeal to a range of women
and their wedding visions.
Will you be showcasing this collection at
any trade exhibition this year?
We’ll be exhibiting once again at White
Gallery London in mid-May as well as at
Contact
Nilah
nilah@nilah
.com
www.nilah.c
om
Elizabeth Dickens
+44 1353 723675
email: [email protected]
web: elizabethdickensveils.co.uk
:MWMXYWEX
0SRHSR&VMHEP7LS[
1EVGLXLXL
7XERH2S&
Smarter marketing
with e-receipts
David Fairhurst, Head of Creative Online Marketing at Intelligent Retail, discusses the benefits
of replacing the traditional paper document.
I travel to work every day in a big V8 4x4,
count motorsports as an enjoyable pastime
and regard man-made global warming as a
politically expedient myth, driven by the need
of governments to control the oil supply and
gain ever more fuel tax. From this, the casual
observer might surmise that I don’t care about
the planet. Nothing would be further from
the truth.
Many years ago, when I started my first
business, I remember lots of people were
talking about the ‘paperless office’. What a
great idea – everything digital, nothing wasted.
Unfortunately here we are in 2015, still with an
insatiable appetite for paper.
Every year, we consume vast quantities of
it. The environmentally aware among us will
know that a good percentage of this paper
nowadays is recycled, and the government has
put resources in place to at least encourage
us all to get into the habit of separating our
easily recyclable materials. Yet still world
consumption of paper is growing, having gone
up by as much as 400 per cent in the past 40
years alone.
As the increasing use of paper means more
and more trees are cut down, we have fewer
trees available to absorb all the carbon dioxide
and noxious gases produced by farmed animals,
volcanoes, industry and yes, those horrible,
planet killing cars. Replanting schemes certainly
help, but as trees take time to grow, the
available pool of mature trees is getting smaller
and smaller every year.
E-receipts
If – like me – you marvel at the amount of
waste that society creates and wonder what
will happen when all the trees have been
chopped down, you’re going to love the idea of
e-receipts. If you’re also tasked with marketing
your bridal business then you’re going to love
106 ATTIRE
them even more!
Top e-commerce retailers such as Argos, as
well as banks and other institutions have started
to use e-receipts as they offer a whole host of
extra benefits, not just for retailers but also
for customers.
Instead of a paper till receipt, customers
have the option to receive an electronic version
via email and text message. In addition, all
purchase history is stored alongside warranty
information in an easy to access online account.
For the customer, there are further benefits,
with instruction manuals, videos and recipes,
for example, being available alongside this
purchase history.
“Instead of a paper till receipt,
customers have the option to
receive an electronic version
via email and text message. In
addition, all purchase history
is stored alongside warranty
information in an easy to access
online account.”
Benefits to retailers
Marketing lives and dies on customer data,
which is why schemes like Tesco’s Clubcard and
the Nectar card scheme work so well for retail.
Retail technology
Modern electronic marketing relies on huge
amounts of social profiling, purchase and search
history data, while technology’s getting smarter
every day. Did you know that location tracking
and embedded data on your mobile phone
can tell a retailer what you’re looking at, what
interests you?
Something else that e-receipts can provide
you with, as a retailer, is the sort of behavioural
data that more intrusive technologies employ,
without customers feeling that they’re being
‘spied on’. This way, you can precisely target
offers to customers based on previous purchase
history and brand identity. This type of data
can help you as a retailer to structure your
offerings both in-store and online in a way
which will capture the maximum spend and the
best conversion rates.
A recent Experian benchmark and trend
report highlights the potential financial benefits
for retailers of using e-receipts as a customer
communications channel, where revenue can
show a 600 per cent increase over traditional
‘spray and pray’ marketing techniques. This
means using them to communicate timely,
targeted marketing to your customers can give
you a major advantage on your competitors,
while cutting waste and helping your customers
manage their purchases.
Do you want an even bigger incentive to
use e-receipts? Paper costs money and thermal
receipt paper is even more expensive and may
be potentially damaging to health, some studies
say. Adding this to the reduced need for rubbish
collection at your premises – at exorbitant
business collection rates – means that savings in
these areas can be put into smarter promotion
for your business or improving stock levels.
So it seems we’re finally moving away from
the need for paper and more towards electronic
methods of servicing customers and marketing
to those same customers, using freely available
and very reliable data.
Oh… and if like me, you prefer to drive
something big and comfortable but still think
of yourself as being environmentally responsible
then I have a phrase for you, ‘LPG (Liquefied
Petroleum Gas) Conversion’. It’s 66p per litre,
has by far the lowest emissions of any readily
available combustible fuel and the government
has more or less frozen fuel duty on LPG for
the next 10 years. A
“A recent Experian benchmark and
trend report highlights the potential
financial benefits for retailers of
using e-receipts as a customer
communications channel, where
revenue can show a 600 per cent
increase over traditional ‘spray and
pray’ marketing techniques.”
David Fairhurst is Head of Creative Online
Marketing at Intelligent Retail. David
has been involved with search engine
optimisation and web development since
1999 and has spoken at many retail and
SEO conferences including Spring Fair
and SES London. Contact David on
T: +44 (0)845 680 0126.
ATTIRE 107
Event horizon
Nicola Garton, owner of The Wedding Shop in Colchester, Essex, and
Chair of the Retail Bridalwear Association (RBA), discusses the timing of
UK trade shows.
In the 20 years since the RBA was established,
buying patterns in the UK bridal market have
changed considerably. Initially, there were no
minimum order requirements and shops moved
freely between designers and manufacturers. In
addition, there were only two shows a year – both
in Harrogate. These were well attended, vibrant
events. In those days, dresses were mostly made in
the UK and the standard delivery time was 12
weeks. This meant a show in September would
guarantee arrival of your new stock in January.
Furthermore, with a 12-week delivery, most brides
could wait until January to order their dress for
the coming spring/summer. The March Harrogate
show was a nice top-up event to give retailers’ rails
a boost and enable shop owners to look at all the
accessories, shoes and accessories. The timing was
perfect, as the lovely new shoes and accessories
were available in-store when brides came for
their fittings. The two shows were also great social
events, with the RBA Ball in September and
Bridal Buyer’s award ceremony in March. Both
were highlights of the industry calendar.
CHANGING TIMES
As delivery times have become longer, the timing
of the shows is now out of kilter with when
new dresses arrive into our stores. Most retailers
agree that with up to a six-month waiting time
for some gowns, we need a show in May so we
can order our dresses and have them delivered
in September, which is when the buying season
really picks up for the following year. Suppliers
and retailers would like to see one main show
in May with all the designers, manufacturers
and accessory suppliers showing under one roof.
Most stores offer multiple price points and it’s
108 ATTIRE
always interesting to see what’s happening in the
market, even if it’s not a look or price that your
own brides would entertain.
LONDON BRIDAL FASHION WEEK
This year retailers are being asked to attend
another show – London Bridal Fashion
Week – taking place in London in May at Old
Billingsgate market, running on the same dates
as White Gallery. This trade exhibition has
been set up to showcase all price points in one
place. Leading label, Ellis Bridals, has decided
to support this new event and a representative
for the brand explained that it wants to see
strong and busy shows that attract stores catering
for all price points and from all areas of the
country. It’s currently offering retailers extended
payment terms. This means that shop owners
can order their new stock in May to arrive in
September, but payment is not required until
January, giving retailers a chance to take repeats
and build up some extra cash flow before
Christmas, traditionally a slow time for bridal
retailers. This all sounds like a step in the right
direction and retailers are crying out to have one
comprehensive show rather than many smaller
ones. Several suppliers now host their own shows
around the country. However, on talking to many
of our members, it’s still time and money out of
their stores to attend these events.
LESS IS MORE
Buying has become too fragmented. If you’re a
new retailer you simply wouldn’t have time to
visit all these stand alone shows just to see if a
collection was something you might want to
stock. The RBA is working with all the parties
involved to try and move to fewer shows, but to
hold those shows at a time of year more suitable
to retailers and suppliers. We need shows to be
a highlight of the buying calendar and to really
excite us with the thought of a mix of new and
established companies showing the very best the
British industry has to offer. Talking to parties,
we all want the same thing – to have fewer shows,
and more dynamic and exciting events just once
or twice a year, with perhaps one in the north of
the country and one in the south.
TIME IS MONEY
The cost of taking time out to visit all these
shows is taking its toll on our members, and
it seems as if the time is right to try a fresh
approach. We all need to work together to keep
our industry healthy and that means healthy
competition between suppliers. Seeing all the
designers under one roof gives the buyer the
opportunity for comparison and look at the
new trends coming through. Retailers would be
able to compare price, quality and style before
making that all-important final buying decision.
Hopefully, in the future we’ll see a more cohesive
buying platform without the need to travel
up and down the country to see our favourite
designer’s collections. This means we will be
able to spend more time in our shops, which is
vital to the wellbeing of both our businesses and
our pockets. A
Contact
The Wedding Shop
[email protected]
www.rbaltd.org.uk
Designed and made in the UK
For wholesale enquiries, please email us at:
[email protected]
www.sallycrawford.co.uk
Opulent...Sumptuous...Breathtaking
RandallRibbons
Mother of the Bride or Guest,
we can tailor make your perfect
wedding hat or fascinator.
www.randallribbons.co.uk
Randall Ribbons, 12 Frederick Street, Luton, LU2 7QS
Tel 01582 721301 ✺ Fax 01582 611054
Email [email protected]
MAKING PROGRESS
Louise Dicks, Marketing Director at Richard Designs, looks for the positive in the
UK bridal market.
When a colleague suggested that I write my
next column on how the industry seems to have
turned a corner after the recession, I can’t deny
that there was a seed of doubt in my mind.
Is it all just hype? Are people simply fed up
with feeling negative, or has there been a real,
significant change in business that’s prompted
these positive feelings?
The future’s bright
In the past few weeks, we’ve heard that our
stockists are seeing more brides than ever, and
everyone seems more optimistic. But why is
this? I’m not really into finance and politics – I
leave those things to other members of my
family – but I did a little bit of digging to see
what’s happening in the rest of the world that
could be affecting our small industry.
First, it seems that more entrepreneurs
are starting their own businesses. According
to Experian, a greater number of businesses
launched in 2014 than the number that closed.
That’s a good start. In fact, our own experience
reflects this finding. We opened more accounts
for new shops last year than the number that
permanently shut their doors. Secondly, the
Office of National Statistics (ONS) reported
that in 2014 the UK economy recorded its
fastest annual growth since 2007. On first
impression this looks like good news, but some
experts are still unsure whether we’ve reached
a peak or if this growth will continue. Finally,
inflation is currently at a 15-year low of 0.5
per cent. Will this cause deflation and price
drops – or will it, as the Chancellor George
Osborne insists, aid economic recovery and
create jobs? With the election just around the
corner, politicians are telling us that things will
get better, taxes will drop and our economic
woes will be a thing of the past. Perhaps these
promises make a difference to the attitude of
the nation as a whole, giving confidence to
those that spend and those that sell and – most
importantly – those planning on settling down,
getting married and starting a family.
I’m not going to pretend I’m an economist or
a politician, so this news left me feeling a little
unsure of what this means for our industry.
I needed to look beyond my own world at
Richard Designs to find out what’s really
happening in bridal retail in 2015.
In-store improvements
Natalie Ann Brides
110 ATTIRE
This January, we’ve heard that many of
our customers are refurbishing, moving or
expanding their premises, suggesting an
industry-wide optimism. I spoke first to
Maria Yiannikaris from Mirror Mirror Bridal
in London. Maria’s in the process of moving
four shops into one beautiful, Grade II listed
building. Hearing about a true British bridal
store that started more than 25 years ago and is
still growing is hugely encouraging.
Together with Jane Freshwater, her business
partner and sister-in-law, Maria started Mirror
Mirror Bridal in 1989 as a designer and atelier,
Column
making bespoke gowns. After 15 years, they
took on other labels, of which they now have
10. Maria comes across as a true professional,
who knows her art and her customers and
is constantly reassessing her techniques and
practices. She told me that their success is –
in part – down to the fact that “we problem
solve every day, and are always ready with
plan b”. The duo aren’t too proud to say when
they need to change direction, and they work
through their problems with a positivity,
understanding that “attitude affects everybody
and everything”.
Maria believes the industry’s more buoyant
than it’s been recently, but she insists that
there’s still a certain amount of hesitation when
brides are making purchases, asserting that it’s
“not to do with money, but with politics and
uncertainties in the world at large. This makes
people feel nervous and more cautious about
their spending.”
So what can we do to give our customers
confidence? Maria chooses to provide good
service to her brides every day. This approach,
combined with beautiful products, means
clients leave the shop feeling excited, which is
encouraging and uplifting for everyone working
in the industry. Combined with business
acumen, it’s a strategy that clearly works for
Mirror Mirror as it’s fully booked for the rest
Natalie Ann Brides
of the month, and boasts a long history of
satisfied customers.
Next I spoke with Karen Bleasdale, the owner
of Natalie Ann Brides who recently refurbished
her shop alongside her manager, Natalie
McDonald.The two ladies told me that they
“didn’t want to change something that wasn’t
broken by moving premises after 21 years.
Instead, we decided to extend and refurbish to
meet the demand of our busy store, offering
quality and enjoyment to our existing and new
customers.” Their focus was on making brides
feel special, giving each customer a memorable
one-off experience. The choice to improve
the shop and create more space hasn’t gone
unnoticed by the brides.
Natalie says, “Since the big refurbishment,
the energy and atmosphere in store is buzzing.
We’ve been fully booked seven days a week and
weekend appointments are booked up until the
end of next month”.
Michelle Beach the owner of The Bridal
Boutique in Tonyrefail, Mid Glamorgan, took
ownership of her shop at the end of 2014. She
chose to refurbish the store immediately, as
well as investing in new collections as well as a
prom range. Michelle told me, “We acquired
the boutique in late October, 2014, and we
weren’t expecting to be so busy in the lead
up to Christmas. All our expectations have
been exceeded. Our success in November and
December has carried into January and we’re
extremely positive for the future.”
It’s wonderful to hear that shop owners
and managers are making the time and the
investment to improve their stores, with an
eye on improving the bride’s experience. For
too long, there’s been a fear of financial outlay
within the industry that’s led to stagnation. You
could say this was for the best, as brides were
also being more cautious with their spending.
But now we have some good news in the UK,
it’s up to independent retailers to make sure we
offer brides a wonderful experience that they’ll
remember forever. A
Contact
Richard Designs
www.facebook.com/
richarddesigns
www.richard-designs.com
Natalie Ann Brides
ATTIRE 111
Copyright – protect the
© in new designs
(MHW1EGHSREPH'LMIJ)\IGYXMZI3J½GIVSJ%RXM'ST]MRKMR(IWMKRHMWGYWWIWLS[
XSTVSXIGX]SYVHIWMKRW
fromlucy.com
fromlucy.com
When creating a two-dimensional design,
whether it’s a new greetings card range, artistic
work or illustration, the protection of its
copyright often goes down the list of priorities
when considering all the other demands to hit
the market running. Taking the time to be more
intellectual property (IP) savvy could make the
difference if there are copycat predators around,
and in today’s market this is a reality. Only
good designs get copied, so what can you do to
protect yours?
For a work to be protected by copyright, it
must be original and developed independently
by its originator, involving creativity. Copyright
then arises automatically – you can’t officially
register © in the UK. This protects your work
and stops others from using it without your
permission. So think about copyright when
you create an illustration, photography images,
website design, pattern or surface decoration
and wording in your marketing material or
technical specifications. Mark your work with
the copyright symbol ©, your name and the
exact date of creation. If you can prove you own
the copyright in your work, you can prevent
others from copying, distributing, renting
or lending copies of your work, making an
adaptation of your work or putting it on the
internet. Creating that all-important signed
112 ATTIRE
and dated audit trail from the original idea to
marketplace is really important.
Many people find IP a complex subject, but
it’s just a name for something created from the
intellect or creativity of your mind. IP is the
generic term for copyright, design right, patents
and trademarks and creating copyright in your
work is just like any other property that you
own, it’s about giving others permission to use.
So if you don’t want someone to use your work
without permission it’s up to you to say so in
the strongest possible terms. A cost-effective
and easy route to do this is to put a simple
statement on your website. “All intellectual
property rights in our designs are and will
remain the property of (insert your name). Any
infringements will be taken seriously.” If you’re
a member of ACID, accompany this with our
brand of deterrence logo with its proven track
record, which adds a strong message.
ACID supports the protection of copyright
works through our Design Databank. Members
send in their designs and they’re lodged securely
with date evidence. Each year we receive 25,000
designs and provide vital third party evidence
should you have to prove your design audit
trail or if your ownership is challenged. ACID
Marketplace offers a safer trading platform
that promotes and tracks, giving designers
the assurance that any buyer looking at their
designs on Marketplace will have agreed to a
Buyers Charter and can easily be IP-tracked by
the creator.
Launched on 1st February, ACID IP Insured
now adds the ultimate deterrence. Offering
cover for up to £100,000 of costs should you
have to take legal action in the Intellectual
Property Enterprise Court, it’s a no-brainer. The
scheme covers registered designs, unregistered
designs and copyright which are lodged on the
ACID Design Databank and fall within the
criteria required to be an original two- or threedimensional work. The scheme is strengthened
by a powerful logo and its use on the insured
party’s website is mandatory, providing a
powerful burglar alarm. It says what it does
on the tin. “Copy me at your peril because my
intellectual property is insured!” A
fromlucy.com
CONTACT
8S½RHSYXQSVI
ZMWMX[[[EGMHYOGSQ
Sue Mackintosh Designs
formerly of Rose Belinda
STUNNING OCCASION HEADWEAR
UNIQUE HANDMADE DESIGNS | FINEST QUALITY MATERIALS
COLOUR MATCH SERVICE
:MI[SYVVERKISJLEXWJEWGMREXSVWERHTIVGLIVWEX
www.suemackintoshdesigns.com
1MPPWXSRI+VEREV];IWX½IPH6SEH8SGO[MXL2SVXL=SVOWLMVI=34=
`WYIQEGOMRXSWL$FXMRXIVRIXGSQ
Morgan De Vere
Mens formal hire wear
2 Sales Agents Required
North and South of England
To market a range of Suits, Waistcoats, Neckwear
and shoes to existing Hire Wear Retailers
Heirlooms Ever After are working on their latest collections for the White
Gallery 2015 and will be adding new designs to all of their ranges.
Heirlooms work closely with their stockists to provide a full bespoke service
to their brides. Each of their pieces can be customised to create unique and
personal bridal accessories and jewellery for the brides who are wanting
something different and special. Specialising in Marcasite sterling silver
jewellery there are accessories to complement any bride.
Quality products at outstanding prices
Excellent Rates of Commission (negotiable)
with repeat commission on all outlets opened
Telephone 01452 520644 for confidential discussion
Contact Rachael on 01629 732745
[email protected] | www.heirloomseverafter.co.uk
Tara Lee UK
Manufacturers of
Flower Girl & Holy
Communion Dresses.
Made in England
Lead time of only 2-4 weeks. No minimum order.
Made in England
To become a stockist contact Tara Lee sales
agent Samee Everard mob 07967 452558
email: [email protected] or
[email protected]
www.taralee .co.uk
Twitter Twitter
WEB WATCH
Attire Bridal is at the very heart of the online bridal community. Here’s
a quick update on what’s been happening…
Total num
ber of
followers
:
7,620!
SHORT AND TWEET
Talented bridalwear designer, Emma Shard, explains
why Twitter is such an invaluable social network for
her business.
Name: Emma Shard
Company Name: Emma Hunt London
Follow me at: @EmmaHuntLondon
When did you set up a Twitter account and what prompted you to
do so?
I took to Twitter on 3rd April, 2012 to interact with like-minded
businesses, bloggers and the media.
,EW]SYVFYWMRIWWFIRIÁXIHEWEVIWYPX#-JWSLS[#
Twitter is incredibly useful for finding creative and mutually
compatible collaborators for promotional events that help us reach a
much wider audience. Of course, it’s also a fun and effective way to a
have direct dialogue with clients and potential customers.
,S[SJXIRHS]SYX[IIXERH[LEXHS]SYX[IIXEFSYX#
We tweet on a daily basis, mainly about what happens behind
the scenes of Emma Hunt London along with our latest news,
collaborations and events. We regularly retweet to help our followers
whenever possible. ;LEXEHZMGI[SYPH]SYKMZIXSÁVWXXMQIX[IIXIVW#
Set yourself realistic objectives, then decide who you want to reach
out to and engage politely with your targeted audience. You should
never write something on Twitter that you wouldn’t say to someone
in person.
;LMGLFVMHEPGSQTERMIWHS]SYIRNS]JSPPS[MRKSR8[MXXIV#
We follow some of the most talented and inspiring individuals and
companies in the industry – just check our followers list. A
This month on Twitter we’ve mainly been:
°Tweeting about our Jan/Feb issue
°Retweeting hot industry stories
°Posting news about London Bridal Fashion Week
°Welcoming new followers
Welcome to our
newest followers:
@suzanne_hurlow
@zoedressdesign
@petals_paper
Independent agent for
Nicole Spose
Exclusive designer
bridal wear
Stunning bespoke
floral decorations
@tohave_tohold
@moncherieurope
@winniecouture
Bridal boutique
in Mirfield,
West Yorkshire
Manufacturer of
bridalwear and
occasionwear
Modern bridalwear
We’re now following:
Bridalwear brand
Bridal boutique
Bridal accessories
@bylizfields
Liz Fields
@cinderellas071
Cinderella’s Bridal
Boutique
@laceybellbridal
Wholesaler of
bridal accessories
ATTIRE 115
ATTIRE Online
Bridal
Featuring excellent usability, easy navigation and bags of content,
www.attirebridal.com is updated daily to ensure you’re in touch
with the latest industry news and trends.
Download our latest issue, free of charge online. Those working
within the bridal retail trade can register to receive free regular
copies of the magazine.
Supplier Directory
Improved supplier directory, enabling instant
access to 100s of bridal suppliers.
Back Issues
Every issue of Attire Bridal is now available to
download from our Back Issues Archive.
Twitter
Live Twitter feed, giving you
real-time industry updates from
www.twitter.com/attirebridal.
If you would like to find out more, log onto
116 ATTIRE
ATTIRE 116
HELENA COTTER
+44(0) 1582 451238
+44(0) 7896 944759
$UH\RXIXOO\SUHSDUHGIRUWKHIXWXUH
RI\RXUEXVLQHVV"
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ISSUE 47
May/June 2015
Advertising deadline: 10th April, 2015
Available from: 1st May, 2015
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ATTIRE 119
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ATTIRE 121
The Social Medium
Eve Broadhurst, Creative Director and Co-Owner of The White Closet,
extols the virtues of online marketing.
We’ve always been sociable bunnies at The
White Closet and – from day one – we’ve
enjoyed communicating with our brides
through online networking platforms. Our
role as retailer opens up a little window into
the bride’s life and sometimes we create quite
invested relationships with them and their
extended families.
This is very much a perk of the job and
there’s nothing nicer than receiving a Facebook
message, email or card bursting with pictures
and messages from the happy couple after their
big day.
This exchange of post-wedding thanks was
how our online presence began. Many brides
stay in touch once married and often revisit
the boutique with their friends and relatives.
They use online networking platforms to offer
recommendations and advice to their nearest
and dearest, and it’s our role to respond to any
queries that might come our way.
Starting out
Facebook was our first foray into social media.
It allowed us to advertise events, enter into
discussions, congratulate new White Closet
brides and give the outside world a chance to
see into our boutique before they even make
an appointment.
It’s also a great way to link to a blog if there’s
an event or topic that needs more information
and images than you think will work on
Facebook itself.
Then came Twitter, which we use mainly
for business to business communication.
It’s wonderfully instant, but it does require
constant attention and can’t be left to fend for
itself. We use it to interact with like-minded
professionals and to arrange meet-ups with our
fellow bridal boutiques at trade shows.
we used to on Photoshop, this time with a few
quick swipes and clicks. Now it’s a brilliant tool
for creating an overview of the year’s brides, to
support a cause or to tag a trend.
When posting images on Instagram, it’s
simple to link them to your Facebook and
Twitter pages, which reduces the amount of
time you spend sitting at your computer or
iPad. But don’t do this with every image as
followers will soon get bored.
Pinterest is another invaluable platform.
It provides a great way to group images, find
inspiration and drip feed your boutique name
into a bride’s searches and her own personal
Pinterest boards.
Snap happy
Instagram is my personal favourite out of all
the social networking platforms. It requires very
little text and I’ve always believed an image can
say more than a paragraph of words – especially
when you’re trying to grab the attention of
busy brides. In its early days, it helped us create
a wonderful scrapbook for all our fabulous
images and allowed us to edit the shots the way
Go the distance
We’ve accumulated more than 16,000 followers
across all our social media platforms and there
seems to a be a new breed of ‘White Closet
Fan’. Whether they’re current or past brides,
singletons or other supporting businesses,
they’re very much appreciated as they
voluntarily promote us to their own followers.
Although keeping up to date with the various
social networking platforms may seem like
an awful lot of work and time, it really isn’t. I
spend at least 25 hours in front of the computer
each week between appointments or outside of
work hours and I don’t begrudge a moment
of it.
We all love scrolling through images in bed,
while our partners are watching TV or while
waiting for the washing to finish. And this is
the best time to post, chat, regram, like and
discover all kinds of inspirational items. It really
is worth it. A
Contact
The White Closet
www.thewhitecloset.co.uk
122 ATTIRE
Tel: 01189 885 344
www.rosacouture.co.uk
Tel: 01189 885 344
www.kittychencouture.com
Showcasing our collections at
London Bridal Show - Stand D29
Sunday 8th - Tuesday 10th March 2015
held at Kensington Olympia, London, W14 8UX

Low-resolution - Attire Bridal magazine

Transcription

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