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ATTIRE
MAY/JUNE 2015 ISSUE 47
SHOW
SPECIAL
Bridal
Stand
insurance
Expert advice
London Bridal
Fashion Week
White Gallery
Interbride
Retailer
roundup
FASHION
FILES
• Long sleeves
• Colour
Focus on
bridesmaids
Website fixes
Boost your
online ranking
Window
display
eas
Creative id
Plus
Business
tips
News and events
Retail technology
WWW.ATTIREBRIDAL.COM
The Tower Hotel
St. Katherine’s Way, London, E1W 1LD
Sunday 17th - Monday 18th May 2015
Doors open 10am both days
TRUE BRIDE
Call 01827 55123 or Email us for more information:
[email protected]
All Companies listed will display their latest range of beautiful
bridal gowns and accessories.
We look forward to seeing you.
Tel: 01189 885 344
www.rosacouture.co.uk
Tel: 01189 885 344
www.kittychencouture.com
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To view the new collection please contact one of the team
on 01424 439165 or [email protected]
Old Salvation Army Hall, Menzies Road, Ponswood Ind Est, St Leonards On Sea, East Sussex,TN38 9BB.
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Contents
Regulars
24
Industry news
Discover the latest bridal collections
and trade events
60
Hine Insurance
Rachael Carrington answers some
of the most commonly asked
questions on securing the correct
cover for your bridal shop
76
Shop window
We show you how to create a
stunning blue-themed display in
celebration of this year’s key colour
80
Retailer round-up
We speak to five boutique owners
about creating stunning interior
spaces for their customers
114
120
123
PR & marketing
Nicola Russill-Roy, Director at
Propose PR, reveals how bridal
retailers can turn leads into customers
ACID
Dids Macdonald, CEO of Anti
Copying in Design, discusses how to
protect your designs
Twitter update
We bring you all the hottest news,
stats and facts from our followers
Shop window
76
It’s a stretch
85
The Fashion Files
Columns
85
It’s a stretch
Sheer sleeves providing ample arm
coverage are one of this season’s top trends
31
I Do I Do
Keren Smith asserts the importance of
making your website mobile friendly
91
The collections
The perfect accessories to match our two
key bridal themes
51
Helena Cotter
Sales guru, Helena Cotter, reveals how
to hone your customer service skills
92
Hue’s that girl
Colour is everywhere this season, from
gowns in soft mocha and blush pink to
striking blues and greys. We showcase
some of the best
108
Heidi Thompson
Heidi Thompson of Evolve Your
Wedding Business reveals how any
bridal retailer can work smarter,
not harder
110
Retail Bridalwear Association
Bridal shop owner and Chair of
the RBA, Nicola Garton,
discusses terms and conditions of sale,
deposits and payments
116
ActSmart
The business support organisation
explains the importance of taking
credit card payments
130
The White Closet
Eve Broadhurst, Creative Director and
Co-Owner of The White Closet,
reveals how she gears up for
buying season
91
The Collections
ATTIRE 19 ·
Profiles
112
52
Tony Bromilow
In the first of a new series, we take
an in-depth look at the bridal
industry’s most familiar faces
112
Emmerling
We speak to Wendy Nichols and
Maikel Martens to find out how one of
Germany’s best-loved bridal
brands is taking the UK by storm
Emmerling
118
Flora Bridal
Russell Blackburn introduces us to
a luxurious Israeli bridal label that he’s
now representing in the UK
Features
Retailer interview
Collection
focus
20 ATTIRE
62
106
55
Maiden voyage
Our showcase of this season’s hottest
bridesmaid styles
62
Retailer interview
Maria Yiannikaris reflects on a career
in bridal – both as a couture
design atelier and as a bridal
retailer – that spans 25 years
78
Retailer profile
Nicola O’Rourke, owner of Sussexbased Mathilda Rose Bridal, chats to
Attire Bridal about the highs and lows
of her first three years’ trading
98
Up and coming
Designer Fiona Cooper unveils her
new bridal label
33
London Bridal
Fashion Week
66
White Gallery
Shows
100
Maid to measure
Rachael and Vanessa Hand urge
retailers not to forget the bridesmaid
33
London Bridal Fashion Week
Our comprehensive preview of this
debut trade event
103
Online marketing
David Fairhurst talks us through
making the most of your website
58
Interbride
We showcase the key bridal brands
exhibiting in Düsseldorf this June
106
Collection focus
We find out more about the newest
line from popular British designed and
made label, Chanticleer
66
White Gallery
Find out which designers will be
appearing at Battersea Evolution this
May in our independent preview
letter
Editor’s letter
MAY/JUNE 2015
Image courtesy of
Athena Bridal Jewellery
+44 (0)845 257 0766
MANAGING EDITOR
Jo Fletcher-Cross
TRADE EDITOR
Demelza Rayner
+44 (0)1376 535 609
[email protected]
SUB EDITOR
Tim Nelson
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, Cheri Love
+44 (0)1376 514 000
KD Media Publishing Limited
Pantile House Newlands Drive
Witham, Essex CM8 2AP
www.attirebridal.com
ATTIRE
Bridal
’s pick
Editor’s
These glamorous
us gold
eya Rose
shoes from Freya
e.com)
(www.freyarose.com)
ct pic for
are the perfect
s.
stylish brides.
Turn back time
Fashion file
on page 85
There’s no doubt that social media now
plays an important role in the marketing mix,
connecting retailers with customers and
enabling business relationships that may not
have otherwise developed. But how do you
prevent it from dominating your day and taking
you away from more pressing tasks? Heidi
Thompson from Evolve Your Wedding Business
thinks she has the answer, and tackles the eight
social media myths that could be holding you
back. Turn to page 108 to find out more.
Also in this issue, Helena Cotter offers advice on customer
service, Rachael Carrington answers your queries on insurance, and
David Fairhurst discusses retail technology.
Finally, there’s no escaping that it’s well and truly show season,
with London Bridal Fashion Week, White Gallery and Interbride all
taking place over the coming weeks. Our exclusive show previews
will tell you everything you need to know about the events, including
comprehensive exhibitor profiles, details on fashion shows and
much more.
Enjoy reading
Demelza
Demelza Rayner
Up and coming
on page 98
PS – Follow us on Pinterest at
www.pinterest.co.uk/attirebridal or on
Twitter at www.twitter.com/AttireBridal
Editor
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 76
Average Net
Circulation: 3,236
01/07/2013 - 30/06/2014
ATTIRE 23
Industry news
Read on for our roundup of
the bridal industry’s movers
and shakers.
Jenny Packham
launches petite
collection
British designer, Jenny Packham
has launched an exclusive edit of
petite bridal gowns.
Comprising a selection of the
designer’s best-selling styles from
current and classic collections,
Jenny Packham Petite is
available to order now in UK
sizes 4-16 at the Jenny Packham
flagship stores in the UK and
internationally.
Retailers are encouraged to
contact Jenny Packham for
a full list of Petite styles at
[email protected].
The lead time for gowns is 12
weeks from the order date.
London Bridal Show reports a
Barcelona Bridal Week goes global
California native, Katharine Polk, the founder and designer of the
contemporary ready-to-wear and bridal collection, Houghton, will be
the guest star at the next edition of Barcelona Bridal Week, to be held at
Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via Exhibition Centre between 5th and 10th May.
Regarded by fashion industry insiders as one of the most ground-breaking
collections on the international fashion scene, Houghton will be presenting
its 2016 bridal collection alongside six, custom-created designs made
exclusively for the Barcelona Bridal Show catwalk.
The US designer’s participation forms part of the international strategy
being rolled out by the event’s organisers, and this year the United States
is the guest country. This initiative not only includes the presence of a
‘Special Guest Designer’ – in this case, Katharine Polk of Houghton – but
also other firms, exhibitors, buyers, trade professionals and journalists from
North America.
The show’s director, Miquel Serrano, says: “This year we’ve chosen the
USA as our guest country because there’s absolutely no doubt that it holds
tremendous strategic importance in the bridal market. But this is just the
first step in making Barcelona Bridal Week a truly global event.”
The show, organised by Fira de Barcelona, will be celebrating its 25th
anniversary this year. More than 20 well-known international firms will
be showing on the catwalk, while the trade show area features over 200
exhibitors. The catwalk show kicks off Bridal Fashion Week between 5th
and 8th May, while the trade show takes place from 8th to 10th May.
Find out more at www.barcelonabridalweek.com.
24 ATTIRE
successful event
Many hundreds
of retailers poured
into Olympia for
The London Bridal
Show in March to
check out the latest
collections from
some of the biggest
names in bridal.
Alexia Designs
– showing for the
first time at The London Bridal Show – debuted its new bridesmaid
label, Liz Fields, a playful selection of lace dresses with sparkling
details in either floor or knee-length. They experienced a strong start
to the show; the first morning alone non-stop with visits from an
encouraging number of new shops.
Nicola Weeks, owner of new Bedford-based retailer, George James
Bridal, said she had enjoyed a ‘super’ time at the show as she looked
around for new names to take on. “It’s been brilliant, I’ve loved
coming here,” she said. “There’s a lot to take in, and there’s so much to
look at. I want to make sure I’m making the right buying decisions.”
Find out more at www.thelondonbridalshow.co.uk.
News & events
Designers recognised in
International Jewellery Awards
As part of IJL’s long-standing commitment to promoting new talent, three
IJL Special Awards were presented to outstanding jewellery designers at this
year’s Goldsmiths’ Craftsmanship & Design Awards.
Winning designer, Ornella Lannuzzi, was awarded the Gold Award for
her stunning ring entitled ‘The Uprising Ring’. This piece was hand-carved
in wax and cast in 18ct rose gold, set with diamonds and pearls. Ornella also
won the top accolade of the evening, The Goldsmiths’ Company Award.
Sam Willoughby, Event Director at IJL, commented: “It’s very rewarding
for IJL to work with the GCDC to identify these fantastic designers who
are creating exceptional work. Ornella is a talented designer and well
deserves the recognition that this award will give her. Our support of these
awards complements our wider portfolio of initiatives such as KickStart,
Bright Young Gems and the F Hinds competition, all of which helps
identify and promote the next generation of design stars”.
The annual awards, which attracted more than 700 entries from UKbased designers and craftsmen, were judged by industry experts, with the
winning pieces exhibited in a public exhibition at the Goldsmiths’ Hall. For
further details, please visit www.jewellerylondon.com.
10th SDEA Connections event brings
buyers and suppliers together.
The annual Connections buying event saw some big names in retail
and retail design doing business with Shop and Display Equipment
Association members. Organised by SDEA on behalf of its members,
Connections was held at a convenient central London venue where
it brought the specialist shopfittings and display manufacturers and
suppliers a significant boost to their sales.
Commenting after the event, SDEA director Lawrence Cutler said,
“It’s difficult to believe we’ve been running these ‘one to one’ meet the
buyer events for 10 years now. I’ve lost count of how many hundreds
of thousands of pounds in new business they’ve generated for our
members, but it’s clear these events have an important place in the
marketing mix.”
Find out more at www.shopdisplay.org.
New collection from twobirds
The luxurious Tulle collection from twobirds is brand new for 2015
and follows the same versatile philosophy as the classic jersey gowns.
It’s maternity friendly and can be tied in different styles to suit every
body shape, while retaining the simple two size structure of the
existing twobirds collections.
Tulle dresses are available in knee and floor-length styles. Flower girl
dresses and matching bandeaus are also available.
For further details visit www.twobirdsbridesmaid.co.uk.
ATTIRE 25 ·
HELENA COTTER
+44(0) 1582 451238
+44(0) 7896 944759
$UH\RXIXOO\SUHSDUHGIRU
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Invest in your most important asset:
Your staff.
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This will be the perfect
opportunity for you to discuss
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Call or email me for
appointment times
Sales Training Courses and
Consultancy services designed
VSHFLÀFDOO\IRU%ULGDO5HWDLOHUV
Let me show you how to work
smarter, not harder. Call or email
me today for details.
[email protected]
www.helenacotter.co.uk
Enquiries from overseas retailers always welcome
News & events
New lottery for retail industry
RetailTRUST has recently launched retailWINNERS, the lottery
exclusively for those working in the retail industry. This exciting new
concept will raise further funds to help the Trust plan ahead with its services
that support the millions of dedicated people working in the sector.
Everyone from across Britain’s retail and associated sectors will be able to
play the lottery. The first prize is £500, second prize 2 x £50 and third prize
10 x £10, and every six months you could win up to £5,000. Tickets are £1
each with every person receiving their own lottery number for the draws.
Michael Green, Development Director of retailTRUST said, “We’re
incredibly excited about our latest fundraising initiative. This lottery is our
way, and the retail industry’s way, of giving back to those who work so hard
to make this industry successful. We’re offering them an exclusive lottery
that allows workers to fund help and assistance for others in their industry,
as well as having a chance to win the jackpot for themselves. It’s a one in 135
chance of winning, which sounds like good odds to me.”
For further information, visit www.retailtrust.org.uk.
Businesses back Fairtrade
Foundation’s bridal campaign
Retailers, jewellers, designers, goldsmiths and casting houses have signed
up to take part in the Fairtrade Foundation’s bridal campaign ‘I Do’.
Encouraging British couples to choose Fairtrade gold when they get
married, the campaign drives traffic to an online hub where they can
learn more about Fairtrade gold. The hub provides information about
where to buy Fairtrade gold jewellery, how to choose a design, a ring size
guide, and inspiration for brides wanting an ethical wedding.
The aim of the ‘I Do’ campaign is to make Fairtrade gold wedding
rings the default bridal purchase for couples getting married, with
an ambitious target to sell 100,000 Fairtrade gold wedding rings to
50,000 couples, generating $1 million in Fairtrade Premium for mining
communities. The campaign will raise consumer awareness levels of
Fairtrade gold through a combination of earned and bought social and
digital media activity with a view to driving sales.
Designers and staff selling Fairtrade gold will also be entered into a
prize draw to win a trip of a lifetime to Tanzania with the chance to visit
small-scale gold miners who are working towards becoming Fairtrade
certified. Staff can either nominate themselves or be nominated by
colleagues to enter the competition.
Michael Gidney, Chief Executive of the Fairtrade Foundation said,
“The ‘I Do’ campaign offers the Fairtrade Foundation’s committed
business partners an engaging way to encourage their existing and new
customers to consciously choose Fairtrade gold for that special occasion.
Fairtrade gold is the leading sustainability solution for jewellers and
retailers and should become part of their ethical offering.”
For more information and campaign materials, visit the website at
www.fairtrade.org.uk/gold.
Essex wedding boutique welcomes iconic
designer, Ronald Joyce
Saffron Walden based bridal boutique, Fleur de Lys Bridal, has announced
the arrival of iconic designer Ronald Joyce to its 2015 wedding dress range.
The latest collection focuses on flattering shapes with the renowned
Ronald Joyce structure. Featuring lace embellishment, beading and
embroidery, along with tulle and organza in soft colourways, inspiration
for this season’s collection has been taken from the international fashion
catwalks. Statement low backs and illusion necklines are key design
elements for fashion-conscious brides.
To find out more visit www.fleurdelysbridal.co.uk.
ATTIRE 27 ·
New lingerie collection launches
Award-winning luxury lingerie brand, Shell Belle Couture, and new
generation bridal label, Maria Senvo, have released the industry’s first
collaborative bridal lingerie collection, ‘Film Noir’, a nod to forgotten
aristocracy and the romantic lure and drama of the Film Noir era.
Designed with the elegant and stylish bride in mind, the beautiful
10-piece bridal collection will be exclusively available from summer,
2015. To find out more, visit www.mariasenvo.com
Apparel production apprentice
recognised at House of Commons
An apprentice from The Bridal Gallery met skills and equalities
minister, Nick Boles, as part of a celebration of apprenticeships at the
House of Commons.
The event, organised by the National Apprenticeship Service,
showcased the products and services ‘made by apprentices’ to
politicians, existing apprentice employers and business leaders.
Junior bridal seamstress, Roisin McCloskey, from The Bridal Gallery,
was invited to the exclusive event to share her experiences of taking on
an apprenticeship.
Jason Holt CBE said, “In launching National Apprenticeship Week
we’re celebrating the 2.1 million apprenticeship starts since 2010 and
the positive impact they’re having on businesses around the country.”
Sarah Smith, Proprietor of The Bridal Gallery added, “We believe
that by employing our seamstress apprentice and hopefully, at some
point in the future, a bridal consultant apprentice, The Bridal Gallery
will be able to continue to offer these essential services.”
NEW TO THE UK
Russell Blackburn has just become the UK agent for Israeli designer, Flora
Bridal. Blackburn Bridal will be the first stockist of the collection.
Designer, Rinat Asher, uses a combination of delicate lace, sheer silk and
handmade embroidery, creating soft and flowing designs, adorned with tiny
pearls and crystals. All of these elements harmoniously blend into exquisite,
distinctive gowns with great attention to detail. Find out more on page 118.
28 ATTIRE
Exquisite Wholesale Bridal
Jewellery and Accessories
available at
www.athenabridaljewellery.com
[email protected]
0845 257 0766
We Ship Worldwide
Mobile technology
Search engine savvy
Keren Smith, co-founder of I Do I Do, a company that creates bespoke
websites for the bridal industry, asserts the importance of making your
website mobile friendly.
Five years ago, the world surfed the internet on
their computer and life was much simpler for
business owners and web designers. Then came
the invention of smartphones and tablets, and
suddenly your local website designer started
popping beads of sweat. Not only was she
supposed to make sure your website worked just
fine on various browsers, she also had to make
it mobile friendly. Your website designer had
to go about creating a separate mobile website.
Alternatively, she had to build your website to be
something called ‘responsive’ – with the ability to
resize down to all kinds of different devices and
still work well, but remain true to your business
branding. All of this added a layer of complexity,
technical skill and expense not required in the
simpler days of the good old computer browser.
So, for about three years, mobile devices have
been largely ignored by a significant chunk of the
web industry. After all, regular websites still work
reasonably well on a mobile phone, right?
Changing times
Google made a recent announcement on its
Webmaster Central Blog that said:
“Starting April 21st, 2015 we’ll be expanding our
use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal.
This change will affect mobile searches in all
languages worldwide and will have a significant
impact in our search results. Consequently, users
will find it easier to get relevant, high quality
search results that are optimised for their devices.
So what does that mean to you? Any website
not considered mobile friendly on 21st April,
2015 will be penalised in the mobile search
results, with websites that are mobile friendly
given preferential treatment in the rankings.
If you’ve been battling with other local bridal
shops over who appears on page one of Google,
anyone with a mobile friendly website will start
ranking above you when a user searches for bridal
shops on a mobile phone or a tablet. And since
(according to StatCounter) over 42 per cent of
all UK internet users surf the web on mobile or
tablet devices, it doesn’t take a genius to see that
a non-mobile friendly website could see a serious
drop in rankings and thus web traffic.
How do I know if my website is mobile
friendly or not?
To test whether your website will pass Google’s
steely eyed gaze, google ‘Mobile Friendly Test’,
and click through on the top link. Pop your web
address into the testing box, and Google will
analyse your website and tell you whether you
pass the mobile test or not.
“Any website not considered mobile
friendly from 21st April, 2015 will
be penalised in the mobile search
results, with websites that are
mobile friendly given preferential
treatment in the rankings.”
Why have Google done this?
If you’re wondering why Google is foisting on
you another expense your business didn’t need,
think about it from their perspective. They want
people browsing on mobile phones to have the
best experience of the internet possible, and by
preferentially showing websites that work well on
mobiles, they help that to happen. A
The solutions
So what’s to be done? If you’re serious about your
Google rankings, there are two basic options.
You can either get a brand new website built in
a responsive, mobile friendly format, or you can
leave the desktop version of your website as it is
and provide a mobile friendly version. Of those
two options – and if your website isn’t overdue
for a rebuild – the additional mobile friendly
version of your website is probably going to be
cheaper (around £300 - £500), particularly if
your original website was built in Wordpress.
What if I wasn’t able to do this before
21st April?
While it’s true that your company will benefit
instantly if you have a mobile friendly website
before 21st April, Google’s ranking changes are
real-time, so as soon as you implement a mobile
website, your rankings will improve on mobile
devices. So don’t panic if you can’t get it resolved
until after that date.
“If you’re serious about your
Google rankings, there are two
basic options. You can either
get a brand new website built
in a responsive, mobile friendly
format, or you can leave
the desktop version of your
website as it is and provide a
mobile friendly version.”
Contact
I Do I Do
+44 (0)1213 146 068
www.idoido.co.uk
ATTIRE 31
New British Designed Bridal Label
Launching at London Bridal Fashion Week
17-19 May, Stand 2101
Low minimum orders
www.felicitycooperbridal.co.uk - 01565 740 257
Retailer
LBfw interview
LONDON
Bridal Fashion Week
We reveal the big-name brands and designers showcasing
their latest collections at this exciting debut event.
Ritva Westenius
Lily Bella
London Bridal Fashion Week (LBfw) will
showcase the latest collections from designer
and premium labels in an accessible and striking
environment. Timed with the international
calendar and buyers’ requirements in mind, LBfw
will be held on 17th to 19th May 2015 at Old
Billingsgate – the iconic London venue on the
north bank of the Thames. Buyers will have the
opportunity to source the new collections from
more than 50 labels – some of them unveiled
exclusively in the UK at LBfw.
Visitor opening times
Sunday, 17 May 2015 - 10am to 7pm
Monday, 18 May 2015 - 10am to 7pm
Tuesday, 19 May 2015 -10am to 3pm
Acce
sso
Galle ries
ry
l
Brida
Hall
Registration
Stephanie Browne
Buyers and press are invited to attend and can
register online at www.lbfw.org/registration
Hotels
To search nearby hotels and to get preferential
rates through the show’s hotel partners, visit
the website.
Watters
ers
Design m
o
Showro
Fashion Shows
Preview the new collections by Ritva Westenius,
Sanuykta Shrestha, Madeline Isaac-James, Rembo
Styling, Ellis Bridals, Arga & Arga, The Couture
Gallery by Britta Kjerkegaard and Wendy Makin.
More information about the fashion show
programme can be found online.
Transport
There are excellent transport links by road, river,
rail and even air. There will also be a dedicated
shuttle bus service. Go online for more details.
Venue
Old Billingsgate
1 Old Billingsgate Walk, 16 Lower Thames
Street, London EC3R 6DX
ATTIRE 33 ·
Amanda Wyatt
BRIDAL HALL
Cosmobella
For 2016, the Cosmobella line
ranges from a form-fitting, longsleeved lace style with a gold
bow belt, to a strapless peach
beaded and tulle a-line gown. The
collection also features a variety of
stunning belts. Coloured gowns
are key, with gold, pink, peach and
grey all making an appearance.
Amanda Wyatt
Demetrios
The Demetrios 2016 collection consists of
70 new looks. There are countless princess
styles for the classic bride, as well as many
two-piece options to mix and match. Long
sleeves and high necklines are key trends of
the new collection.
The new 2016 Amanda Wyatt collection has been
hailed as Amanda’s strongest collection to date.
A leading name in British bridal for over 20
years this forward thinking, design led fashion
house year on year delivers beautiful wedding
gowns for the bride of today.
Amanda’s signature fit, cut and wealth of
styles are presented in soft flowing chiffons,
French and Italian laces, fine tulle and rich
satins, adorned with frosted pearl beading and
embellished details. A soft colour palette of ivory
hues, soft gold and a hint of blush pinks and
powder plue is Amanda’s chosen colour palette.
The collection is designed with matching
accessories that compliment each gown, soft tulle
silk veils and delicate hair accessories.
Rembo Styling/ Marylise
Retailers can view the 2016 bridal collection
at LBfw. Inspired by the Victorian era, the
designs feature dusky pink and golden accents.
Romance is key, although the collection also
includes dramatic design for the bolder bride.
Expect to see beautifully embroidered chiffon
alongside fabrics richly covered in sequins.
The new collection from Marylise boasts
high waists and long, flowing silhouettes.
The classic bolero makes way for a halftransparent blouse or vest in silk, organza,
tulle or lace. Crystals and pearls feature
strongly in the range.
34 ATTIRE
SANYUKTA
SHRESTHA
WWW.SANYUKTASHRESTHA.COM
Luxury Bridal with a conscience
Showcasing enchanting & whimsical bridal collection at
London Bridal Fashion Week | 17 - 19 May 2015 | Designers Showroom | Stand 2308
For sales enquiries and exclusive previews please contact [email protected]
Retailer
LBfw interview
BRIDAL HALL
Wendy Makin
Lilly
Danish bridal fashion house,
Lilly has a large portfolio
of brands, designed to
complement each other and
offer a full service to retailers.
Each of the four bridal
collections is supplemented
by a wide range of matching
accessories such as jewellery,
veils, shoes, purses, jackets and headwear. Alongside bridalwear, Lilly
also has an eveningwear and bridesmaid collection as well as an adorable
collection of fashion for flower girls and pageboys.
Wendy Makin/BellaDonna Bridal
Wendy Makin has just released her new French collection from
BellaDonna Bridal. Featuring beautiful French laces, soft tulles,
flowing chiffons and exquisite beading, it showcases an exciting
palette of colours including nude, beige, ivory and champagne. The
latest collection offers lace sheaths with slip dresses underneath which
will give the bride the opportunity to change her look from ceremony
to reception. In addition, detachable trains will quickly transform the
bride from formal to casual.
Modeca
The 2016 Modeca collection is elegant, upmarket and classically
beautiful – ideal for brides-to-be who appreciate attention to detail.
The new designs range from classic to showstoppers, made from soft
silks, chiffons and tulles.
BellaDonna
ATTIRE 37 ·
Madeline Gardner New York
Madeline Gardner is an internationally recognised bridal designer
from New York and she proudly puts her name to the glamorous
MGNY collection.
Award-winning designer, Madeline, has been designing the Mori
Lee bridal, bridesmaids and prom dresses for over 17 years and has
put her skills to the MGNY collection since its launch in 2008.
Influenced by the capital of glamour, New York, the stylish MGNY
collection offers modern trend designs for style-conscious brides.
MGNY is an exclusive collection to the UK and Europe and
oozes sophistication and style, with attention to detail and shape.
The dresses are tailored using high quality fabrics and signature
embellishment.
San Patrick by Pronovias Group
Ellis Bridals/Kelsey Rose
Ellis Bridals’ 2016 collection is light and dreamy, focusing on soft
fabrics and layers for a romantic look. Classic ballgowns are updated
with cascading layers of ruffled tulle in nude, a brand new shade
along with a range of soft tones for the season. Expertly hand crafted
lace detailing has always been a signature of Ellis Bridals and this
collection sees it delicately placed and lightly beaded on naturally
silhouetted dresses for a relaxed feel. Retailers placing their orders in
May will receive early delivery, in September.
Fiesta by Pronovias Group
La Sposa by Pronovias Group
Atelier Lyanna
Atelier Lyanna will be presenting a romantic and classic collection
of wedding dresses to retailers at London Bridal Fashion Week. The
label offers high quality bridal gowns at budget-friendly prices.
38 ATTIRE
Retailer
LBfw interview
DESIGNERS
SHOWROOM
Charlie Brear
Now in its sixth season,
the Charlie Brear bridal
collection offers a modern
alternative for the styleaware bride. With a
fashion-led aesthetic,
the range of beautifully
cut satin chiffon and
lace gowns can be worn
alone or styled using the
Charlie Brear Additions
Collection. Standout
pieces include the Isere
fringed skirt and corio
jacket in soft leather.
Lambert Creations
Created by a young and talented emerging Parisian designer, the
2016 bridal collection from Lambert Creations offers two very
defined looks.
The first focuses on floaty dresses where crepes, silk chiffon,
embroidered tulle and fine Calais lace blend together. Refined and
simple lines can be found at the front, while sleek open backs are
complemented with short or long sleeves to cover the shoulders.
The second look focuses on strapless dresses with wide pleated
skirts in jacquard, tulle or silk organza. These gowns can be
personalised with a wide choice of shrugs, lace blouses or boleros.
Yaki Ravid
Yaki Ravid’s autumn 2015 collection features elegant, original and
romantic designs which are all couture hand-made in the label’s
Israeli atelier. The collection is made with beautiful laces and
embellished fabrics. The cuts are extremely flattering and there’s a
great deal of thought behind the designs which combines different
fabrics and patterns to create a distinctive look for each bride.
LM by Lusan
Mandongus
The latest collection
from LM by Lusan
Mandongus features
classic silhouettes often
infused with a modern
twist. The gowns
combine feminine
neckline designs with
subtle fabrication of
embellishments, material
and an all-over lace.
ATTIRE 41 ·
Madeline Isaac-James
Madeline Isaac-James will be
launching its new 2016 signature
collection, alongside its diffusion
label, Maddy, at LBfw. The
signature range offers brides
excellent construction and
exquisite details, hand-finished
in Madeline Isaac-James’ atelier
in Hampshire, UK. Expect
to see Madeline Isaac-James’
signature British style with clean,
sharp lines and fabrics including
silk chiffon, silk tulle, beaded
French laces, and silk shantung. With spring as the main
influence in the new collection,
look out for beautiful floral
details and elements inspired by
nature. A new concept in bridal
fashion will be unveiled at LBfw
which promises Madeline IsaacJames’ brides and stockists the
ability to truly create original
and bespoke gowns from a
selection of silhouettes and
fabrics, alongside a fabulous
accessory collection and a
growing range of sashes, belts
and finishes.
YolanCris
YolanCris will
be previewing its
couture capsule
bridal collection
for autumn/winter
2016 at LBfw this
May. It’s the most
exclusive collection
to date, celebrating
its 10 years in
Haute Couture and
comprises seven
high-end gowns.
These are made
with exclusive high
quality fabrics
including silk
organza and embroidered tulle, as well as applications made by
hand by the designers, Yolanda and Cristina Perez. Artisan quality,
high fashion and spirituality are the concepts the sisters wanted to
convey in this exclusive collection.
Annasul Y
Inspired by
origami, the latest
collection from
Annasul Y features
an eccentric design
incorporating
classic silhouettes.
There are a range
of necklines and
interesting back
detailing using
a delicate
French lace.
Maddy
Anoushka G
The co-founders of Anoushka G. George and Anna Hadji are a
husband and wife team who know all about romance. They were
childhood sweethearts who eloped and then had the big fairytale
wedding a year later. Producing breathtaking collections, Anoushka
G. become a fast growing name in bridal, known as a design innovator
that has carved itself a niche in the market.
Although originally aimed at the destination bride, the collections
always offer alterative styling for the modern bride, including slimmer
silhouettes, soft draping and floating skirts.
42 ATTIRE
The successful
Maddy diffusion
label expands its
offering with a
new collection
of gowns, mostly
finished in silk,
and aimed at a
price conscious
fresh, fun
and fabulous
bride. Retailing
from £1,035
- £1,399, this
collection
meets demand at this price point, while offering silk finishes rather than
polyester. Look out for the prettiest floral detailing, colour, and floaty,
flowing silk tulles and silk chiffons. Accessorise with key elements from the
Madeline Isaac-James accessory collection to create fun looks for fashionconscious brides. The Maddy diffusion label offers the perfect combination
of quality and price. 0MXXPI&IZER
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New
E
£22vie belt
New 2015 Hair Vine Collection
www.yarwood-white.com
50 + wholesale bridal belts from £16
[email protected]
www.lilybella.co.uk
Retailer
LBfw interview
Özlem Süer
The Özlem Süer spirit
is neo-romantic, avantgarde and feminine.
The laces that create
the romance are the key
feature of her collections.
Furthermore, Özlem
Süer is using very special
textures and fabrics. Her
colour palette is wide and
she selects mainly the
tones than colours.
In this collection
Özlem Süer has
concentrated on threedimensional accessories
and perspective. The
main inspiration behind
the collection is the
spring’s blossoming trees
and enthusiasm of the future.
Özlem Süer signature pieces are the empire styles emphasising the
body’s feminine curves. The elegance of the strongly and decisively
build tops are giving the bride the confidence and comfort. The
mermaid style also present in the collection is caring the body shape
and the three-dimensional handmade flowers are embellishing the
lace surface.
Sanyukta Shrestha
Dedicated to offer bigger and better ranges to the bridal industry,
Sanyukta Shrestha’s extensive 2016 range will showcase three
additional collections – haute couture, flower girls and eveningwear.
This year, Sanyukta Shrestha’s luxury couture collection is all about
craftsmanship, cultural cohesion and originality. The aesthetic of
the collection blends traditional narrative with future fantasy. The
materials are an eclectic mix of textural and fluid fair-trade organic
fabrics, from unique milk fabric to fine hand-weaved bamboo lace,
they epitomise romance and delicacy.
Sanyukta adds, “My new luxury organic flower-girl dress collection
is a natural extension of my romantic ethereal vision.” A total of 15
styles will be offered with matching organic fabrics ideal for growing
kids which will hydrate and soothe sensitive skin.
Belle & Bunty
Belle & Bunty will be showcasing its full classic collection, as well as its new
2016 bridal collection, including bridal separates, at LBfw this May.
Terry Fox
A ‘Free Spirit’ is the inspiration
for the Terry Fox 2016 collection.
Dreamy tulles, laces and romantic
colours are cleverly drawn together
like a rennaissance painting,
capturing a boho vibe within
each design.
Attention to detail and Terry’s
love of using original lace and
beadwork means each and every
dress is a treasured piece of art:
something only achievable with
hands-on manufacturing. All Terry
Fox dresses are created by Terry and
her expert team in her UK studio
and workshop.
The Couture Gallery by Britta Kjerkegaard
Inspired by the female silhouette, beautiful colours and luxurious materials,
Danish designer Britta Kjerkegaard is showcasing her couture gowns at
LBfw this May. She builds the exquisite collections combining her Scandinavian heritage
of clean lines and sublime craftsmanship with a natural love of delicate laces,
sumptuous silks and intricate embellishments, achieving her signature look
of timeless elegance with a sense of drama. ATTIRE 45 ·
ACCESSORIES
GALLERY
Linzi Jay/Arianna Tiaras
Linzi Jay has added a selection of headdresses, belts, jewellery and
bridesmaids headbands to its new 2016 collections.
Many of the new designs are made to complement lace bridal dresses,
consisting of soft fabric flowers, pearls and diamantés and finished with
flexible hair vines which can be woven through the hair pearl and diamanté
brow bands with ribbon fastening have been designed for brides seeking a
boho look.
The new collection also introduces satin-covered bridesmaids/flowergirl
bands decorated with fabric flowers and coloured pearls in the centre.
St Erasmus
Nymphi Design/Evalouna Bridal
Nymphi Design will be debuting several new collections at LBfw
including luxury veils, destination wedding accessories and showstopping headwear. For younger members of the wedding party,
Little Nymphi offers stunning bridesmaid gowns, while the brand
new Evalouna bridal line is also one to watch.
Freya Rose
Freya Rose will be showcasing
her 2015 accessories collection
at Old Billingsgate this May.
Incorporating her signature
influences of the art deco,
orientalism and French bohemian
eras, this collection is focused on
delicate embellishment with an
ethereal and whimsical feel.
Handmade silk blossom flowers are embellished with Swarovski crystals
and cascade over shoes, silk belts, bracelets and hairpins.
46 ATTIRE
Little Bevan
Little Bevan creates enchanting silk dresses for flower girls and adorable
outfits for pageboys, while sister brand – Bella Bevan – creates pretty teen
and adult bridesmaids in luxury fabrics and delicate pastel colours. Visit
the stand to view the 2015 collections. Each design is made to order in the
heart of London.
COMING fAIRS:
EUROPEAN BRIDAL WEEK
25 - 27 APRIL 2015
ESSEN, GERMANY (STAND 29)
INTERBRIDE
06 - 09 JUNE 2015
DUSSELDORF, GERMANY
(STAND D006, HALL 8A)
HARROGATE
13 - 15 SEPTEMBER 2015
HARROGATE, UK
WWW.DIANELEGRAND.EU
WWW.LISADONETTI.COM
WELLCONNECTEDAGENTS UK | HELEN COOPER | [email protected] | TEL:07931 370425
Rachel Simpson
With a reputation for comfort, Rachel Simpson shoes are known for their
low and mid height heels. Combining this with their high-grade leather
linings and carefully designed patterns, which both support and flatter
the foot, every style is as comfortable as it is beautiful. The new collection
brings this wearability to heels, introducing an elegant four inch sandal and
directional exposed platform with four and a half inch heel.
Ivory takes a backseat this season, with the collection focusing on two key
colour palettes – warmth, which mixes rose and antique gold, copper and
blush pink hues; and cool, an on-trend fusion of soft grey, antique silver and
pewter, with the subtlest hint of blue tones.
The collection retains its vintage-inspired styling with a definite late
’20s- early ’30s influence, using elegantly curved heels and stunning art deco
teardrop motifs.
Launching exclusively at London Bridal Fashion Week, the collection
will be available to order for almost immediate delivery, ready for its online
launch at the beginning of June.
NEW TALENTS
Check www.lbfw.org for a full list of
exhibiting labels
Felicity Cooper
AM Faulkner
AM Faulkner Bridal is the new label from London-based milliner AnnMarie Faulkner, who is fast becoming renowned for her original twist on
bridal headwear for the 21st century bride.
From 17th -19th May, 2015 thousands of buyers
and press will come together to preview the 2016
collections from top international designer and
premium labels. Join your peers to uncover the latest
industry gossip and trends.
Be a part of the most important bridal gathering of
the year. Register now at www.lbfw.org/registration
48 ATTIRE
The debut collection
from Felicity
Cooper focuses
on modern design
with a vintage twist.
Designed in South
Manchester by Fiona
Cooper, the gowns
offer understated
elegance for styleconscious brides.
This is the first
time retailers can
see and order from
the debut range of
bridal gowns.
Arga & Arga
Arga & Arga are designers and creators of
unique, hand-embroidered luxury gowns
and bridal wear. Each individually handcrafted dress, made in luxurious fabrics
sourced from around the globe, is handfinished with a selection of fine
gemstones including, among others,
green emeralds, burgundy rubies, sky-blue
aquamarines, or creamy shimmering pearls.
Every dress is delivered with a Certificate of
Authentication with gem details. After the
big day, brides are encouraged to return to
the company so the gemstones can be recast
as jewellery for a permanent reminder of
their special day.
Arga & Arga’s new diffusion line is
Arga Aurum. The debut collection is
competitively priced and uses the signature
embellishments with subtlety and attention
to detail.
Our special offer for you:
Place an order with our wonderful agent,
Maikel, and you are entitled to enjoy our
3 for 2 special offer!
Thinking of becoming a new stockist?
Market leader in Germany for
bridal and evening accessories
Call Maikel for details on our very attractive
first order promotion!
Please contact Maikel Martens on
07879 296322 or email
[email protected]
EMMERLING GmbH, Liebengrabenweg 1, D92224 Amberg, Germany | UK freephone 0808 2389084 | www.emmerling.co.uk
Column
Service with a smile
Professional sales advisor Helena Cotter offers her advice on working with
your customers to provide them with the best possible shopping experience.
Customers have more choice than ever today
about where to spend their hard earned cash. So,
take a look at your business from the customer’s
viewpoint: why would they want to buy from
you? What precisely is your USP – your unique
selling proposition?
Stand out from the crowd and improve your
business by taking a hard look at your customer
care systems and practices, and seeing it all from a
different perspective: your customers’.
The difference in today’s business world is
the paradigm shift from ‘what’s in it for us?’ to
‘what’s in it for the customer’?
To explain the subtle difference, customer
service is something which is done for the
customer, while relationship management and
customer care is something which is done with
the customer.
It’s important to shift the focus from product
to customer, or to look at things from the
customer’s perspective.
In other words, integrate your customer, make
them part of all you do. Streamline your business
to the customer’s requirements, not what your
organisation can make. Ask yourself, ‘what
exactly do our customers want and need?’ And,
‘what do we need to do, to be able to produce
and deliver it to our customers?’
There are two elements to business:
Companies need to make a profit to
survive and grow.
Customers expect great care, a sense
of being looked after and valued, a
quality product and an acceptable price.
1
2
Communications and expectations can be met,
exceeded or create disappointment. Better to
under-promise and over-deliver.
Never assume you can guess what the
customer’s expectations are, what their buying
pattern is and how to manage the sale.
High levels of customer care improve your staff
morale and motivation; it helps reduces
staff stress, enabling them to become more
productive for you. When customers are happy,
so too are your staff.
It’s important to recognise boundaries in terms
of levels of customer care.
Whilst not wishing to be pushy or hard, it’s
not advisable to be a walkover either. A healthy
mid-point is always preferable.
I’m often asked why customers go away
without purchasing something they appear
to have fallen in love with, even after business
owners and staff have spent a great deal of time
and effort making sure their appointment
was perfect.
More often than not, it’s because the customers
have been given such high levels of customer care,
the customer has no need to come back again.
There’s no more information the customer needs
– all has been provided. They’ll thank your for
your time, and will praise your business, but you
may never see them again.
The key is to create desire for them to come
back to you should they not make a purchase on
their first visit. Customer recommendations go
up when you work hard to build a relationship
with the bride. It’s imperative, therefore, to
“Customer service is something
which is done for the customer,
while relationship management and
customer care is something which
is done with the customer.”
maintain high levels of customer care throughout
their appointment and not to disappoint them or
not meet their expectations.
“Always ask for feedback, even if
the customer doesn’t buy from you.
You can learn a lot about how to
implement and streamline systems
using such response.”
Ensure your business is centred on providing
services and systems based on your customer’s
wants and needs.
Always ask for feedback, even if the customer
doesn’t buy from you. You can learn a lot about
how to implement and streamline systems using
such response. A
Contact
For details about Helena’s
courses to help you win more
business, and the secrets of
successful selling, visit www.
helenacotter.co.uk, email info@
helenacotter.co.uk or call
+44 (0)1582 451 238.
ATTIRE 51
GOING GLOBAL
One of the industry’s most familiar faces, Tony Bromilow reveals where his bridal career began,
and looks ahead to another busy year as a sales agent.
What was your first ever role in the
bridal industry?
It was with a company called Knox Agencies,
based in Scotland. My wife, Claire owned a
bridal shop and met with the distributor for
Watters in the UK. He mentioned he was
looking for a sales rep so she put my name
forward. At that time, I was actually a landscape
gardener, but I fancied a change and the bridal
industry seemed a good place to start.
What have been the key milestones in
your career?
Three years ago a very talented friend of ours
– Melanie – was making tiaras from home
and selling them in her studio. I asked her if
she’d consider designing a small collection for
me to take out on the road and thus Miranda
Templeton was born. Three years later, we’re
stocked at over 120 stores and have just taken
on our first European agent.
Last year we were nominated for best
headdress collection at the Bridal Buyer awards.
So developing Miranda Templeton into a
successful business from scratch is a personal
career highlight.
When did you set up your agency and what
prompted you to do so?
I own and run an events company called The
Wedding Show Company. AB Agencies was set
up three years ago to tie everything together.
Which bridal companies are you currently
working with?
I currently work with Modeca following
an introduction through Karen Gunn, my
Miranda Templeton agent in Ireland. Karen
asked if I’d be interested in looking at Modeca
as they needed a UK agent. Following a
meeting with company owner, Dick van
Zutphen, I jumped at the opportunity and the
52 ATTIRE
brand is going from strength to strength.
Modeca has just launched its stunning Le
Papillion by Modeca collection and it’s going
down a storm with retailers. We recently
exhibited at the London Bridal Show and I
never came up for air.
What do you enjoy most about working in the
bridal industry?
I love visiting the stores; my wife says I’m a
chatterbox and she’s right. If I manage to fit in
two boutiques a day, it’s a miracle. To see how
each one operates, and to build relationships
with them, is a real privilege.
What changes have you seen in the British
bridal industry over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the economy has been
very unsettled. It’s only over the past 12 months
I’ve seen stores spending and making decisions
with confidence. I know some of the big labels
still command high minimums, however
many stores are watching how they spend their
hard-earned cash and are reluctant to invest in
high minimums. At Modeca we ask for small
minimums and let the store choose the gowns
that are right for them.
Has the role of an agent changed since you
started out? If so, how?
I can’t speak for all agents but I think the role
has got more involved – or maybe that’s just
me getting too involved. I like to think of any
company I work for as my own and put 100 per
cent into getting it right, from selling, customer
service and setting up at trade shows to just
calling a store for a chat and being available at
the end of the phone with the answers.
As the husband of a bridal shop owner, I see
everything from both sides of the fence and
this gives me a good perspective on the British
bridal industry.
“I love visiting the stores; my wife
says I’m a chatterbox and she’s
right. If I manage to fit in two
boutiques a day, it’s a miracle.”
Which bridal trade shows will you be
attending this year and why?
This year Modeca has already exhibited in
Harrogate with the ABC Roadshow and the
London Bridal Show. Modeca has also booked
into London Bridal Fashion Week in May and
I’ll be exhibiting the new Miranda Templeton
collection at White Gallery. In September,
Modeca and Miranda Templeton will be at The
Harrogate Bridal Show.
I love attending the trade events – it’s a great
opportunity to meet the stores, show the new
collections and network.
How do you plan to grow your business over
the coming years?
We’re hoping to expand the agency overseas for
Miranda Templeton and we’ve already begun
this process in Europe with new agents carrying
the collections.
As the UK agent for Modeca, I’m actively
seeking new accounts and with the new Le
Papillion by Modeca collection already creating
such a stir, I’ve no doubt the next few years will
be busy. A
CONTACT
Tony Bromilow
[email protected]
+44 (0)7962 226 543
Bridesmaids
MAID
to measure
From show-stopping cerise, to the
softest of baby pinks, this stunning
shade never goes out of style.
True Bridesmaids
+44 (0)1273 728 637
www.truebride.co.uk
ATTIRE 55 ·
1
2
4
3
1. Twobirds Bridesmaid
+44 (0)20 7836 3222
www.twobirdsbridesmaid.co.uk
56 ATTIRE
2. Veromia Bridesmaids
+44 (0)20 8502 2257
www.veromia.co.uk
3. D’Zage Bridesmaids
+44 (0)20 8502 2257
www.veromia.co.uk
4. Luna
+44 (0)1273 728 637
www.truebride.co.uk
European flair
Read on to find out about the international names
that will be showcasing their latest bridal lines at
Interbride this June…
IN BRIEF
Show: Interbride
Location: Messe Düsseldorf, Germany
Opening hours: Sat-Mon 9am-8pm,
Tue 9am-5pm
Website: www.interbride.eu
Taking place in Düsseldorf from 6th-9th June,
2015, Interbride is now in its third year and is
rapidly establishing itself as a premier European
trade event. There will be around 200 renowned
manufacturers as well as newcomers, all ready to
present their latest wedding, bridal and special
occasion wear across 15,000 square metres of hall
floor space.
New for 2015 is a platform for young designers
to showcase their ideas and bridal creations.
Selected according to their creativity, innovation
and feasibility, it’s the perfect chance to discover
up and coming bridal brands.
Another first for this year is a trend fashion
show in the meet and greet area. Designed to
encourage networking, it’s the ideal opportunity
for retailers to pick up on next season’s key looks.
Dom Bridals
Exhibitors at Interbride include the following:
DOM BRIDALS
What prompted you to exhibit at Interbride?
We want to strengthen our position within
Germany, and exhibiting our collections at
Interbride is the perfect vehicle.
What collections will you be showing at
Interbride this year?
We will be exhibiting our Fall 2015 collections
at Interbride. This will include David Tutera for
Mon Cheri, Sophia Tolli Australia, Tony Bowls,
Social Occasions by Mon Cheri, Cameron Blake
and Capri.
We’ll also be taking our new collection,
Enchanting by Mon Cheri, which is an eclectic
collection of dresses for the reception or an
informal wedding. What would make it a successful show for you?
High attendance from German shops would
make the show worthwhile.
EURO MODE DONNER
Lisa Donetti
58 ATTIRE
Euro Mode Donner is a very well known
company in Germany and Europe. We choose
to exhibit at Interbride so that we can meet our
existing clients and many new potential clients
from around the world. It will be a superb
opportunity for the company to show its entire
2016 collections.
We will show our stunning and very commercial
Diane Legrand and Lisa Donetti collections.
What would make it a successful show for you?
To be a successful show, there should be many
existing and potential clients attending from all
over the world. We could not believe the positive
reaction to our designs at the London Bridal
Show recently – it was a huge success for us.
NIXA DESIGN
We’ve been exhibiting in Germany for seven
years. Last year was our Interbride debut and we
found it to be an elegant and professional show.
Nixa Design
Interbride
We’ll be showing our main line, Nixa Bridal,
along with Nixa Limited Bridal, our range for
brides with a smaller budget. We’ll also showcase
our Nixa Evening and Bridesmaids collections.
We see the greatest success when new customers
from the year before return and buy again. This
means they’re pleased with our products and that
they sell well in their boutiques.
MODECA
Europe, and in particular, Germany is a very
important area for Modeca. Interbride is a
networking platform for the industry and
offers a fantastic opportunity to meet potential
customers. We’re particularly excited in advance
of Interbride, as we’re relaunching our branding
at the show. We want to make a statement as a
Dutch company within the bridal industry.
Le Papillon by
Modeca
We’ll be showcasing both of our new 2016
collections at Interbride. The Modeca collection
is upmarket and classically beautiful. These
gowns are for brides-to-be who appreciate
attention to detail in the cut, the fabric, and in
every bead and pearl.
Our inaugural Le Papillon by Modeca
collection is our high-end and haute-couture line
which is fine, delicate, light and elegant.
Interbride would be a successful show if we see
that our friends and customers are happy and
satisfied with the work we do. We’re entering the
market with two amazing 2016 collections and
you’ll see a smile on everybody’s face at Modeca
when we see that our customers and shops love
both collections.
We’re offering fantastic bridal gowns for
a very good price/performance ratio. We’re
also delighted to support our partners with
trunk shows and in-store catwalk events. For
us it’s important to work for the success of our
customers, as we want to see them doing well.
Crystal Breeze
CRYSTAL BREEZE
We’re keen to show our new collection to our
existing German and Scandinavian customers,
and to attract new buyers.
We’ll be showing our prom, evening and bridal
wear collections, all available for delivery from
October, 2015.
The main purpose of a trade show is attracting
new accounts so we’d be delighted if we can gain
new customers in areas we don’t already supply.
MICHAEL’S BRIDAL
FABRICS
We’re keen to increase the amount of business we
do overseas and as Germany itself is one of the
closest and largest countries to us, it’s a logical
step to do a trade fair in that country.
We’ll take large samples of all of the newest and
most popular items we currently sell, which will
include the many plains, laces, embroideries and
accessories.
To sell sample books to another 20 or more new
customers, as well as getting repeat orders for the
latest items from customers of the past few years. A
Michael’s Bridal Fabrics
ATTIRE 59
All the answers
Rachael Carrington, an experienced Commercial Account Executive with
Hine Chartered Insurance Brokers, addresses some common queries from
bridalwear retailers.
IS MY FORMALWEAR STOCK COVERED
FOR REPLACEMENT AS NEW?
This is a very good question and one that rarely
gets a second thought by bridal or formalwear
retailers/hirers.
Some policies will settle stock claims on the
value of the property at the time of its loss,
which can be very upsetting if you didn’t realise
formalwear is classed as second-hand due to its
reusable nature. For example, you could insure
your formalwear for £10,000, as this is what it
would cost to replace it as new, but if you have a
policy like the one mentioned, you’d only receive
a proportion of this in settlement due to the level
of depreciation the insurer would apply.
It’s extremely important for businesses involved
in formalwear hire to have a policy that settles
stock claims based on the value insured at the
time of damage with no deduction being made
for wear and tear or depreciation.
AM I COVERED FOR WORK
EXPERIENCE STUDENTS?
Yes, if you have Employers’ Liability in place, you
should be covered for work experience students.
While the name of this policy suggests
otherwise, there are no hard and fast rules about
who counts as your employee, which is why
it often extends to cover volunteers and work
experience candidates, regardless of age and
work pattern. As far as this policy is concerned,
someone is your ‘employee’ if:
• You deduct national insurance and income tax
from the money you pay them
• You have the right to control where and when
they work and how they do it
That said, it’s always advisable to inform your
insurance provider or broker if you’re taking
on a work experience student or volunteer. It
won’t necessarily affect your premium, but will
60 ATTIRE
allow for any separate risk assessments or special
measures as needed, so you can be sure your
policy remains valid.
“Some policies will settle stock
claims on the value of the property
at the time of its loss, which can be
very upsetting if you didn’t realise
formalwear is classed as secondhand due to its reusable nature.”
If you’re not sure about whether or not
someone counts as an employee, you can consult
a solicitor or ask at a legal centre such as Citizens’
Advice Bureau.
DO I NEED TO ARRANGE ADDITIONAL
COVER IF I HAVE BOOKED A STAND AT
AN EXHIBITION?
Not necessarily, but you may find that some
exhibition organisers stipulate that you have
Public Liability insurance in place before buying
a stand.
Sometimes, the organiser will automatically
invoice you for insurance that covers you for the
event, but this may not be necessary, as some
good quality shop insurance policies include this
cover as an extension of your package.
Check your policy wording, paying particular
attention to your indemnity limit, as this
may be different to the exhibition’s minimum
“Check your policy wording,
paying particular attention to
your indemnity limit, as this may
be different to the exhibition’s
minimum requirements of
potentially up to £5m.
requirements of potentially up to £5m. If you’re
still unsure, discuss this with your broker or
insurer before paying for any additional cover.
AM I COVERED FOR DRESSES I STORE
FOR CUSTOMERS?
If you’ve accounted for customer dresses kept on
your premises, in addition to the sum insured for
your stock, then yes, these will be covered.
As with your stock, you need to calculate the
sum of sold dresses based on the cost price of the
dress, not its retail value.
While this will be a lower sum, you won’t be
losing out as a business. The Material Damage
section of your policy will cover the cost of the
dress, and Business Interruption reimburses any
profits you’ve lost – making up the difference
between what you paid for the dress as a business,
and the price you sold it for. A
STILL HAVE A QUESTION?
We’ve only just skimmed the surface of how
insurance can work for you and your bridal
business. If there are any other areas that
you would like to know more about, please
send your questions to [email protected],
and we’ll aim to answer some of them in the
next issue.
Contact
Hine Insurance
+44 (0)161 438 0000
www.hine.co.uk
@hineinsurance
facebook.com/hineinsurance
Elizabeth Dickens
DESIGNERS & MANUFACTURERS OF BRIDAL VEILS. CREATING THE PERSONAL TOUCH
+44 1353 723675 email: [email protected] web: elizabethdickensveils.co.uk
THROUGH THE
looking glass
As Mirror Mirror moves premises, Maria Yiannikaris reflects on a
career in bridal – both as a couture design atelier and as a bridal
retailer – that spans 25 years.
When did you open your first boutique and
what prompted you to do so?
I had a career as a designer in the fashion industry
for eight years and then took a sabbatical for six
years whilst my children were pre-school. At this
time I started doing private bridal commissions
from my design studio at home. The first was a
wedding dress for my bank manager’s daughter.
I have a love of luxury fabrics and
embellishment, and a very good technical
knowledge for pattern cutting and proportion.
When I met Jane Freshwater – my sister in law –
we found we had a lot in common and had both
trained at the London College of Fashion. As
we started to work together on bespoke bridal
commissions, it was a natural progression to open
Mirror Mirror Couture together.
How has the business evolved since this time
and what would you say have been the key
milestones in its development?
When we first opened our boutique in Crouch
End, North London in 1989, we focused solely
on couture work – everything was designed, cut,
stitched and fitted by us.
Our team grew slowly and, as you can imagine,
it was very labour intensive, but satisfying. In our
12th year we decided to source some designers
we felt complemented our design ethos and
eventually started buying other collections. We’ve
grown this side of our business and we now
showcase 10 international collections, alongside
our bespoke Mirror Mirror couture designs.
All images courtesy of Mark Bothwell
62 ATTIRE
What criteria do you have when sourcing and
selecting your designers?
We analyse what our brides are buying from
season to season. This indicates the styles that are
in demand and we like to develop our own new
ideas through our couture and by working closely
with our designers.
As a fashion-led bridal business, we’re always
trying to sense the next big thing. We look at the
dresses from many different aspects, especially
the cut, fit, the fabrics used and quality of
construction in comparison to the price. Trying
to envisage which kind of girl would go for each
dress is also helpful.
What do you enjoy most about your role and
the bridal business in general?
In the early years, we were more design room
based; however, as the business has grown, we
now have a team of 23 staff to support. Social
media, PR and advertising need a lot of attention,
but my favourite part is still designing our
Retailer interview
stronger team spirit, better use of resources, staff
and stock. Furthermore, the close proximity to
Angel and Kings Cross St Pancras, and the busy
location, made the idea even more attractive.
Working closely with Jane in the same location
seemed the right decision, as we feel we’re more
dynamic together. It’s given us the opportunity
to recreate our business with all our accumulated
knowledge from over the years. We’re also able to
give our brides a really wonderful experience in
beautiful intimate spaces.
How do you view the current state of the UK
bridal market?
Our experience in the South East seems to
indicate there’s room for steady growth.
couture range and developing the first patterns.
I also love the buying trips as we get to see the
talent of other great designers. Whenever I see
an impressive new design I always think – that’s
fabulous, why didn’t we think of that?
What’s been the highlight of your time in
bridal retail?
Being in the ‘Best Newcomers’ category at The
British Bridal Awards in our first year was a real
achievement. We also won Perfect Wedding
Magazine’s accolade for the best bridal boutique
for three consecutive years. This was very special
for our whole team as it was voted for by brides.
Some of our celebrity clients, like Zoe Ball and
Amanda Holden, have been really lovely to work
with. In addition, expanding and amalgamating
our boutiques into one beautiful flagship store
while celebrating our 25th year has made us
very proud.
How do you ensure that the service your
boutique provides is second to none?
We look at the expectations of our brides, then
try to exceed them.
It’s important to give support and ongoing
training to the right team.
Having fantastic product and product
knowledge is essential and we always treat people
how we would like to be treated ourselves.
What do you believe is the key to running a
successful bridal retail business?
This needs a whole chapter! In short I would
say if you’re a designer – learn about business; if
you’re from business background – learn about
design. Know the client you’re aiming for and
don’t over buy.
What are the main challenges you face as a
bridal shop owner?
There are so many – for us, the main challenges
have been finding the right staff and getting the
client-to-staff ratio right in a seasonal business.
What inspired your latest move of premises
and how do you anticipate that this will benefit
the business?
Jane and I have run the two bridal boutiques
and the accessories shop separately for 10 years.
The opportunity to bring everything together
into four consecutive Grade II listed properties
in Islington means greater communication,
What are your plans for Mirror Mirror over
the next few years?
We plan to get the business running as
smoothly and effectively as possible in its new
configuration, and increase on the luxury brands
we offer our brides.
What advice would you give to new bridal
shop owners with regards to creating a
successful retail business?
Bridal is not a get rich quick scheme, you need
to be in it for the long haul. Liking people and
having passion for this business is vital, while
patience, hard work and being an excellent multitasker will set any potential bridal shop owner in
good stead.
Still keen? Then I’d say know your client, buy
well and at the right price. Serve your brides
with enthusiasm, knowledge and integrity, give
them a great experience whilst showing them
how beautiful they can be and you’ll have a great
chance of success. A
CONTACT
Mirror Mirror Bridal
+44 (0)20 7713 9022
www.mirrormirror.uk.com
ATTIRE 63
White Gallery
Read on to find out more about the big
bridal names exhibiting at Battersea
Evolution in London this May.
IN BRIEF
Show: White Gallery
Dates: 17th-19th May, 2015
Location: Battersea Evolution, London
Website: www.whitegallery.com
FASHION SHOWS
Established as one of the most hotly anticipated
events on the bridal trade calendar, White
Gallery London’s fashion shows will unveil
the latest collections from the finest bridal
designers to retailers and press from across the
globe. The schedule will consist of invitationonly shows from acclaimed designers Ian Stuart
and Alan Hannah, as well as a British Preview
and International Preview, which will showcase
edited highlights from White Gallery London’s
host of exhibitors.
Ian Stuart’s fashion shows will take place at
12pm on 17th and 18th May, while Alan Hannah’s
fashion show will take place at 2pm on 17th May.
The British Preview (taking place at 4pm on
the 17th May and 10am on the 18th May) will
present the latest collections from the very best
of British bridal talent including Naomi Neoh,
Ivory & Co Bridal, Charlotte Balbier, Zaeem
Jamal, Savin London and Emma Hunt London,
while the International Preview (taking place
at 10am on the 17th May and 4pm on the 18th
May) will present collections from the likes of
Sadoni, Jack Sullivan Bridal & Brides Desire by
Wendy Sullivan, YolanCris, Anna Romysh Haute
Couture, Anna Kara and Claire Pettibone.
Emma Hunt
66 ATTIRE
White Gallery
CAMILLA CARRINGTON
Stand 600
Brand new from Camilla Carrington is the Floriana collection, designed to
embrace the beauty of flowers. A variety of muted tones will be introduced
including lilac, dusky pink and soft golds for bridal headpieces, jewellery
and young attendant accessories. Floral crystal and pearl circlets, hair
vines and rear hair combs will feature strongly, as well as matching bridal
jewellery in the form of earrings, necklaces, bracelets and delicately adorned
lace cuffs.
HEIRLOOMS EVER AFTER
Stand 100
Heirlooms Ever After will be showcasing a variety of new bridal
designs at White Gallery. The woodland wax flower side tiara,
shown here, can be worn in two ways – either in the bohemian style
pictured, or in the more traditional position. Each individual wax
flower goes through a seven-step process that brides will love on
their big day and cherish for a lifetime.
HARRIET WILDE
Stand 708
The 2016 collection from Harriet Wilde focuses on its signature
footwear styles in delicate shades of grey, pastel steel blue, with
metallic accents. Sakura is remastered with fabric flowers, and
a smaller, more delicate version of the cherry blossom has been
introduced. Other new styles include metallic sandals and tulle mesh
styles with floral embroidery.
ATTIRE 67 ·
Showi
ng at
The W
hite G
aller y
May 2
015
Contact:
Email:
Elaine and Katie Carter
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Freephone: 0808 1789 103
Landline:
0113 2450 232
Bermuda House Studio 10,
64c Roseville Road, Leeds LS8 5DR
www.sassobride.co.uk
White Gallery
MIRANDA TEMPLETON
Stand 606
Now in its fifth
year, Miranda
Templeton is
showcasing its
new Ellensia
Collection at
White Gallery.
Around 30 new
designs will be
unveiled, ranging
from delicately
encrusted florals
inspired by nature,
to creations
boasting glitz and
glamour, perfect
for red carpet
events. These new
pieces sit perfectly
alongside the core
range which numbers around 150 styles.
New pieces include whimsical floral designs, featuring silk petals and
sparkling diamanté, intricate vines and combs scattered with hundreds
of tiny pearls and crystals. Other key styles include oversized, heavily
embellished statement bands and sashes.
NAOMI NEOH
Stand 208
Inspiration for the Naomi Neoh 2016 collection stems from the
enchanting and wild beauty of the English countryside and the delicate
dwindling sunlight of a summer’s evening. The new designs continue to
include Naomi’s ever-popular signature soft, floating, silk chiffon skirts
and use of delicate blush pinks and peach tones, but with a new addition
of an oyster hue.
The 2016 collection also sees the introduction of a new guipure lace
used for illusion necklines and delicate straps. The irregular lines of the
guipure lace reflect the informal feeling of the collection. Many of the
new designs have slimmer silhouettes compared to those seen in previous
collections; however, they still have the abundance of flowing silk in the
skirts that give a luxurious look and feel to the dresses.
NILAH &
COMPANY
Stand 614
Nilah & Company will
present its latest range
of bridal veils at White
Gallery. Ranging from
classic lines to custom
designs, each veil is a
handmade work of art,
featuring the finest
French laces and
Swarovski crystals.
Traditional styles in
white and ivory make way
for spectacular cathedral
length creations in pink
and gold.
ATTIRE 69 ·
EMMA HUNT
Stand 309
Emma Hunt London will be returning to White Gallery this year with
her London and Echo collections.
Elegant simplicity has always been the ethos of the brand and this is
clearly seen in Eileen, a beautifully simple bias-cut dress in the London
collection.
Emma has also introduced an exquisite dress in silk crepe satin with
a soft bodice and a fun overlay of tulle covered in appliquéd flowers
and feathers.
The Echo collection too sees some stunningly simple dresses made in
the softest slipper satin and silk georgette with clean cut lines and simple
silhouettes. Sleeves feature strongly in both collections this year.
All dresses are still very much a British product, being patterned and
made in-house in Wimbledon.
ELBETH GILLIS
CHARLOTTE MILLS
Stand 705
Charlotte Mills will be showcasing
her 2016 collection, focusing on
fashion forward shapes, mixed
with the signature fun love heart
detailing. Block metallic heels and
delicate ankle ties are key, while
embellishment is more pared back
than before.
To compliment these designs,
Charlotte Mills has updated her
core lines, with lower heel options
and new material combinations.
Prominent materials are leathers
and suedes in natural and metallic accents, using soft glitters and bright
statement colours.
70 ATTIRE
Stand 604
Elegant, light as air and opulent, Elbeth Gillis’ 2016 collection has
been inspired by fairy tales and timeless narratives. Staged against
the translucent, gossamer backgrounds of tulle and silk chiffon are
luxurious floating details like dainty pearls, twinkling beads and
Chantilly lace. Lavish guipure lace contrasts with skin-revealing
back- and necklines, while the overall effect is one of illusion
and lightness.
Creating Exclusive Luxury
Bridal Gowns
Visit us at the White Gallery
stand 504 or to preview our 2016
collection Call 01323 741419
E-mail – [email protected]
www.qianabridal.co.uk
White Gallery
MIAMIA
Stand 108
The new MiaMia collection will debut at White Gallery in May, featuring
elegant couture silhouettes, cut to perfection with sharp lines and beautiful
highlights of crystals and pearls. The ‘less is more’ aesthetic has been a
great success this season, and designer Marguerite plans to evolve the look
further. Story two is characterised by unusual laces and brocades, some in
silver and gold with strong embellishment in diamanté and crystal along
with soft feminine skirts. Marguerite has developed some individual styles
with the focus on the fabrics and beading which will create real drama for
the catwalk scene. All will be revealed on May the 17th at 2pm at the inviteonly Alan Hannah and MiaMia catwalk show. The show is always fully
subscribed, so please contact Alan Hannah early for tickets.
ALAN HANNAH
Stand 109
For White Gallery, designer Marguerite has created some stunning
beadwork which will adorn lots of the new pieces and give a
heightened drama and impact on the catwalk. She has developed
some of her intricate embroidery and moved it on to fuller and more
romantic styles as well as straight gowns. On the fuller dresses, the
emphasis is on light and airy with delicate chiffon, tulle and slipper
satin skirts which give movement and elegance. The colour palette
is soft pastels with hints of pink and champagne along with more
traditional ivory. The mood is luxurious, beautifully beaded bodices
give a focus with contrasting romantic skirts and trains to give a soft
and light touch to the silhouettes.
ANDREA HAWKES
Stand 400
Andrea Hawkes will be offering retailers a continuation of her
previous collection at White Gallery, keeping true to her modern
design aesthetic. Andrea’s focus is always on fit, using luxurious
fabrics on the body. As a result, retailers can expect to see more
Italian silks and French laces in the new designs.
There’s a focus on textured fabrics, layering and subtle hints of
colour, while clean lines and soft feminine lines feature strongly too.
ATTIRE 73 ·
IAN STUART
Stand 110
Acclaimed
British bridal
designer, Ian
Stuart will
reveal his new
collection at
his renowned
invitation-only
fashion shows
which will take
place at 12pm
on 17th and
18th May. This season,
Ian’s focused
his energy on
designing for
different body
shapes, ages and
personalities.
He’s created a
collection that’s
diverse and extremely versatile, giving every bride the opportunity to
find her own style.
Experimenting with softer fabrics and fluid silhouettes, Ian has
introduced stunning softer shades of silver, pink and taupe, which
he hopes will encourage the next generation of brides to embrace
wearing colour on their wedding day.
MUSCAT LONDON
Stand 408
Muscat London 2016 is fashion-led collection of handmade
contemporary wedding dresses for the confident bride.
Luxurious fabrics are finished with beautiful handwork, lace and
embroidery, using the best of British manufacturing. Inspired by
Haute Couture and red carpet dresses, every piece in the collection
is unashamedly minimal and exquisitely feminine.
SASSI HOLFORD
Stands 305 and 305a
Launching two bridal
collections and one
accessories collection
at White Gallery,
Sassi’s designs, all
made in the UK,
are quintessentially
British.
The Sassi Holford
2016 collection
defines classic
elegance, with
dramatic silhouettes
and exquisite
fabrics. Cinched in
fishtails, glamorous
ballgowns are created
using matt silks,
duchesse satin and a
modern take on damask.
The second collection, So Sassi, is the creation of a young design
team working in a highly creative environment under Sassi’s expert
guidance. It’s perfect for the modern bride with a sense of fashion
and her own style.
Last and by no means least, is the Couture Veil collection, on
stand 207. It’s been created for the discerning bride who desires
quality of design and making – it’s designed by Sassi Holford and
handmade in Sassi’s own workrooms.
74 ATTIRE
QIANA BRIDAL
Stand 504
The Touch of Glamour Collection
from Qiana Bridal has been
inspired by female icons such as
Audrey Hepburn and Sophia
Loren. Featuring the high quality
of cut and finish that Qiana Bridal
has become renowned for, retailers
can expect to see glamorous styling
with fitted boned bodices, nipped
in waists, full flowing skirts and
frothy, flirty petticoats. Elegant
embellishments and soft, delicate
lace and organza are used to create
interesting illusions. There are
varying sleeves lengths, detailed
backs and delicate necklines – all
having a timeless yet luxurious
modern twist.
Blue spotty hanging
decorations, £4.99, Ginger Ray
+44 (0)845 680 2975
www.gingerray.co.uk
Blue speckled egg tuck
box, £115, Milly Green
+44 (0)1428 600 018
www.millygreen.com
B flower silk cushion, £62, In-Spaces
Blue
+4 (0)20 7580 1990
+44
w
www.in-spaces.com
Maliki ceramic mosaic mirror,
£453, Artisanti
+44 (0)3452 591 410
www.artisanti.com
True blue
We show you how to create a stunning window display
using this year’s key colour.
vase £8,
£8 Tesco
Blue taper vase,
+44 (0)8003 234 050
w
www.tesco.com
Dynasty blue cabinet, £995,
Alexander & Pearl
+44 (0)20 8508 0411
www.alexanderandpearl.co.uk
Mr and Mrs wooden sign,
£7.50, Hampton Blue
+44 (0)7989 573 171
www.hamptonblue.co.uk
Ian Stuart
www.ianstuart-bride.com
76 ATTIRE
Jonah armchair, £399, Made
+44 (0)3442 571 888
www.made.com
CAMILLA CARRINGTON
Exquisite designer bridal accessories,
handcrafted in Wales.
Visit the White Gallery 17 th -19 th May
where we will be unveiling our exciting
new Floriana bridal headpiece collection
and our capsule Tinkerbelle collection of
embellished satin shoes and headbands
for young bridesmaids and flower girls.
Tel: 07595376823
www.camillacarrington.com
Perry de Montaignac
Specialists in Wedding Dress
Cleaning & Storage
0208 749 6610
Why risk using a high street cleaner when you can use a specialist?
To properly preserve the most precious dress you will ever own, it is essential to have it cleaned and
stored in a very particular fashion in order to prevent fading, damage and ageing! The quality of
High Street cleaners is a lottery at the best of times, and so it is always advisable to use a wedding
dress specialist (although such companies are few and far between).
One VXFKFRPSDQ\LV3HUU\GH0RQWDLJQDFZKRRŊHUFROOHFWLRQDQGUHWXUQRIGUHVVHV
anywhere in the UK. Unlike all other UK dry cleaning companies, we exclusively
clean wedding dresses and use state-of-the-art dry cleaning techniques as well as wet
cleaning that avoids heat and harsh chemicals. This process is not only
environmentally friendly but also much kinder to fabrics, ensuring a longer
OLIHIRU\RXUGUHVV7RFRPSOLPHQWRXUGU\FOHDQLQJVHUYLFHVZHDOVRRŊHU
luxury, handmade acid-free wedding dress boxes.
www.pdem.co.uk
High-end innovation
Nicola O’Rouke, owner of Mathilda Rose Bridal Boutique, reveals how a
family history of design has influenced her career choice.
Who are the key members of staff and what are
your respective roles?
We’re a small family run business. I’m the creative
director and Susan (my mum) is the finance
director. In addition, we have two full time (self
employed) seamstresses who carry out all of our
fittings in house.
What inspired you to set up a bridal boutique
and how long did it take you from the initial
idea to opening?
As a child, I was inspired by my grandmother’s
gold dancing shoes, shiny jewellery stored
carefully in segmented chocolate box trays,
sparkly gloves and glamorous frocks. Many of the
gowns were handmade by my great-grandmother
Anna, a talented fashion designer and tailoress.
I followed in Anna’s footsteps and studied
fashion and textile design at Central St Martins
and then forged a successful career as a fashion
buyer, creating ranges for many well-known high
street retailers. But, as a buyer I felt disconnected
from the customer. To feel complete, I
needed to be at the forefront of the buying
process, helping the bride and sharing in that
completely wonderful moment when they find
the one!
So, in 2002 whilst drinking tea with my
good friend Sarah, my dream to create a bridal
boutique began. It’s been a long and exciting
journey, challenging at times, but with the help
and encouragement of my mother, my husband
and my friends, my dream is now a reality.
Finally, I had to find the perfect name for my
new venture and decided on a combination of
my daughters’ names – the ribbon which ties
together a lovely family business inspired by
five generations.
So, almost a century after my greatgrandmother’s career in fashion began, I opened
the door of Mathilda Rose – continuing and
sharing her passion to help women to look and
feel their most glamorous.
78 ATTIRE
Where are you based and how did you go
about finding the perfect premises?
Following a soft opening in a small converted
barn, we then set about finding our permanent
high street home. We knew footfall would be key
to our success and had big plans for our window
displays. The personality we planned for
Mathilda Rose would be friendly and exclusive
so we set out on our search for a pretty Sussex
village with the same charm combined with a
fabulous shop front.
Four months into our search we found an
available retail space in the quintessential Sussex
village of Lindfield, classified as an area of
All images courtesy of Danni Beach Photography
outstanding natural beauty.
It wasn’t easy though; the residents were, and
still are, fiercely protective of their beautiful
village and rigorous interviews began to ensure
that Mathilda Rose would be the right ‘fit’ for
the village and would complement the wonderful
selection of independent boutiques and fab
places to eat already established and thriving.
As well as being the most beautiful place
to visit, Lindfield is less than an hour from
central London and only thirty minutes from
cosmopolitan Brighton.
How have you created a point of difference in
your boutique, compared to others in the area?
Our appointment system was at the forefront of
our business plan.
We are open seven days a week which includes
daily evening appointments and we are delighted
to be ‘by appointment only’. This is to ensure that
all of our brides experience our full attention
during their appointment with exclusive use of
Retailer profile
our boutique. We understand it’s an important
decision and it’s a super exciting, special time
looking for a wedding dress! Our brides and
their guests enjoy a shopping experience which is
relaxed, intimate and fabulously fun.
Secondly, there’s The Window at 62
(#thewindowat62)! Founded in 2012, this is our
creatively-led design team located in Sussex. We
specialise in the creation of styled store window
displays at Mathilda Rose, photoshoots and
‘inspiration events’ with the ability to deliver
via a great understanding of the audience we are
addressing (and a single mindedness just to make
it happen!)
The team is a collaboration of independent,
leading wedding suppliers all art-college trained,
with the ability to develop creative design
concepts. (Danni Beach Photography, Flowerbug
Designs and Mathilda Rose).
suppliers successfully earning their space on
our rails.
How have you found the first years of trading?
What have been the highs and lows?
It’s been completely exhausting but utterly
rewarding. We’ve met so many wonderful brides
and sharing in their wedding dress journey has
been such an honour. We’ve quickly gained a
reputation in our area for high levels of quality
and customer satisfaction.
Starting a new business is a risk in itself, and
starting during a recession is a bigger risk. The
fact that Mathilda Rose is now thriving in its
fourth year of trading following year-on-year
growth in the high percentage range proves that
the risk we took has paid off.
The biggest challenge during year one was
managing cash flow as a high percentage of our
orders were for a label that required full payment
up front. We navigated our way through this
hurdle by reviewing our collections, making big
decisions and introducing new labels. We now
have a more balanced range with all of our
How has the business evolved since the
boutique first opened?
When we first opened, mindful of costs, we set
about creating our own homegrown website. But,
with most of our clients being Generation Y
and therefore comfortable sharing their entire
life online, we soon realised that we needed a
more professional Google-friendly website with
a blog and ecommerce. We employed a website
designer and created a new site with the aim of
reflecting the personality of our business. So far
the feedback has been great.
Which bridal designers are currently stocked
at Mathilda Rose and why? Will you be
welcoming any more names over the
coming months?
We have three fabulous designer labels; Johanna
Hehir, Stephanie Allin and Ritva Westenius. This
enables us to offer our discerning clients a
luxury service. In addition, we introduced
Maggie Sottero last summer. This may seem a
surprise with our ‘designer’ boutique image, but
we’ve found that these dresses sit effortlessly
alongside our designer gowns whilst offering our
clients a choice of price tags that are weddingspreadsheet friendly.
We have plans to announce an additional
exciting new label this year.
shop has to be helping a bride find the one.
Sharing that incredibly special moment is
something I will never take for granted.
A close second would be the creative, inspiring
and fun times I spend with The Window at 62
team. These ladies are not just colleagues, they’re
the most wonderful friends too.
What are the most challenging aspects of
running your bridal shop?
Juggling! I have to ‘wear all the hats’. I’m sales,
marketing, front of house, receptionist, buyer,
designer, account manager, customer service,
event planning and, at home, a wife and mummy
to my three gorgeous girls…the list goes on!
Do you exhibit at any bridal fairs?
When we first opened, we tried many different
bridal fairs but have now happily grown into our
handpicked list of luxury wedding venues. If it’s a
popular venue for our brides, you’ll find us on
their recommended supplier list and at the fair.
Recently we have launched our ‘Inspiration
Room’ concept with The Window at 62 team.
The aim was to refresh the old fashioned
approach to fairs and to offer brides a more
inspirational styled environment.
What are your future plans for Mathilda Rose?
To carry on doing what we are doing while
increasing our retail environment. We’ve
outgrown our current shop and have plans to
expand…watch this space. A
Aside from bridal gowns, what else do you
offer the bridal party?
We offer Harriet Wilde shoes and a selection of
veils and hair accessories.
What do you enjoy most about running your
bridal shop?
The most enjoyable aspect of running a bridal
CONTACT
Mathilda Rose
+44 (0)1444 482 077
www.mathildarose.co.uk
ATTIRE 79
Retailer roundup
We speak to five bridal retailers to find out about their interior décor plans for 2015.
Sarah Allam,
Bridal Boutique Haslemere
www.bridalb.com
How would you describe the
interior presentation and style
of your boutique?
Our boutique is very light, airy
and feminine. We’ve lots of
vintage-style furnishings, sparkling chandeliers and gorgeous wallpaper.
Many customers comment on the styling of the shop and love the size of
our spacious changing area.
How often do you change the shop’s layout?
We change the window display weekly, as we get so many comments
on the dresses we display – we have to give the people of Haslemere
something new to look at every week. We also like to play around with
our shoes and accessories display.
Natalie Coleman, Brides By Natalie
www.bridesbynatalie.co.uk
How would you describe the interior
presentation and style of your boutique?
The shop is warm, relaxed and welcoming.
When choosing the layout, we took into
consideration the natural daylight that was
available, using the full-fronted glass windows
to our advantage. We carefully chose lighting to reflect and maximise the
elegance of the setting. Our colour palette is muted with soft chalky tones
and personalised glamorous touches that are distinct to our store.
Throughout the year we change our window display to reflect the season
and always work with a theme. Inside the boutique we display dresses to
showcase current trends and styles, always bringing innovation to tradition.
We aim to attract and inspire brides when they come into the boutique to
choose their dream dress.
Are you planning any interior changes for the coming year?
We’re excitedly planning to expand our boutique to facilitate the growth of
the business; however, we’d ensure the style of the interior remains the same.
We’re keen to maintain our brand identity, as brides often comment on the
welcoming and relaxed environment we offer and this is an endorsement of
our ethos. 80 ATTIRE
We’re not planning any major work, as the shop interior is still very fresh
looking and we love the overall look. However, with new dresses and
accessories coming in, we’ll always make minor changes as we have fun
styling and displaying our latest stock.
Retailer
Retailer
R
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roundup
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Jess Russell, Stunning Bridal
www.stunningbridal.co.uk
How would you describe the interior presentation and style
of your boutique?
We’ve used soft colours to create a calm environment. Glamorous
chandeliers hang from the ceiling and we have large, luxurious fitting rooms to
foster a feeling of space and serenity.
We make minor changes every two to three months.
We’re not planning any changes for the foreseeable future. We only had a
refurbishment a few years back, so we’re very happy with the current interior layout.
Brenda Langmead and
Rebecca Ruggieri,
Fleur de Lys Bridal
www.fleurdelysbridal.co.uk
How would you describe the
interior presentation and style
of your boutique?
Our design focus has always
stayed away from dramatic colours and hard edges; we’ve created a really
relaxed, comfortable and romantic environment and we get lots of lovely
comments about the décor from our customers. At the moment we have a
stunning shabby chic, Parisian style interior with plush carpeting, baroquestyle chairs, feature walls, large mirrors and chandeliers. It’s a reflection of the
vintage-style silvers and golds that have been so popular in wedding themes
and creates a really welcoming ambiance with an eclectic feel.
We’re making changes all the time with seasonally themed displays and
designer showcase events. We’re always experimenting with light and
space to showcase our bridal collections and accessories, and have just
completed an extensive lighting installation. Lighting is so important
and we like to use spotlighting to showcase individual dresses and
accessories and create sparkle.
Are you planning
any interior
changes for the
coming year?
We’ve exciting
plans for a refit
this year and are
working on ideas
with our interior
designer at the
moment. We love
the new trends
for romantic
designs with soft
pinks, muted
colours, full skirts
and detailing and
will use this as the
inspiration for
the new interior.
Above all, we
want every bride
to have a special experience in store and the look and ambience of our
interior is such an important part of that.
Fross Hockley, Fross Wedding Collections
www.frossweddingcollections.co.uk
How would you describe the interior presentation and style
of your boutique?
It’s very luxurious with a colour palette of ivory and black.
We’ve created a relaxed, spacious and stylish interior that
receives lots of compliments from our customers.
How often do you change the shop’s layout? We regularly make small changes to keep the shop looking fresh.
It’s definitely on the agenda, so watch this space. A
ATTIRE 81
If you would like to become a stockist,
please contact Mark & Sam Everard
07711 208586 or 01202 424477
[email protected]
www.miasolano.com
Fashion files
ATTIRE BRIDAL
Fashion Files
Elbeth Gillis
FILE
It’s a
1
Maggie Sottero
stretch
Sheer sleeves
providing ample arm
coverage are one of
this year’s top trends.
2
FILE
The
Collections
Gorgeous accessories
to match our two
key fashion trends.
FILE
4
Up and
Coming
In advance of her
debut at White
Gallery this May,
designer Fiona
Cooper unveils her
new bridal label.
FILE
Hues
3
that girl?
Colour is everywhere
this season, from soft
mocha and blush pink
to striking blues and
greys. Here’s our pick
of the best…
ATTIRE 83 ·
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]
www.chanticleerbrides.co.uk
@chanti_brides
/Chanticleerbrides
File 1
IT’S A
stretch
Sheer sleeves providing ample
arm coverage are one of this
season’s top trends.
Chanticleer
+44 (0)1242 226 501
ATTIRE 85 ·
1
2
3
4
1. Catherine Parry
2. Elbeth Gillis
+44 (0)845 094 4775
[email protected]
www.catherineparrybridal.com www.elbethgillis.co.za
86 ATTIRE
3. Lyn Ashworth by
Sarah Barrett
+44 (0)1283 820 643
www.lynashworth.co.uk
4. Mia Solano
+44 (0)7967 452 558
www.miasolano.com
File 1
Nicki Flynn
+44 (0)1273 728 637
www.truebride.co.uk
ATTIRE 87 ·
1. Sacha James
+44 (0)1245 690 035
www.sacha-james.com
88 ATTIRE
1
2
3
4
2. YolanCris
+34 93 296 94 68
www.yolancris.com
3. Tabitha
+44 (0)20 8850 5413
www.tabithabridal.com
4. Mon Cheri
+44 (0)1954 232 102
www.mon-cheri.co.uk
File 2
The Collections
We showcase a collection of fabulous accessories
to match our two key fashion features.
Linzi Jay
+44 (0)1254 665 104
www.linzijay.com
Freya Rose
714
+44 (0)8453 71
14 466
www.freyarose.com
com
Arianna
+44 (0)1507 608 917
www.ariannatiaras.co.uk
Nymphi
www.nymphidesign.com
IT’S A STRETCH
Sophisticated, glamorous accessories
are the perfect match for gowns with
demure full length and illusion sleeves.
Lily Bella
[email protected]
www.lilybella.co.uk
Hues that girl?
Complement this season’s most stylish coloured
bridal gowns with tinted adornments.
Charlotte Mills
+44 (0)161 943 2584
www.charlottemillsbridal.co.uk
al.co.uk
Lily Bella
[email protected]
wholesale@lilybella.
a.co.ukk
www.lilybella.co.ukk
Samantha Wills
+61 2 9690 2122
www.samanthawills.com
HT Headwear
www.htheadwear.com
Rachel Simpson
son
www.rachelsimpsonshoes.co.uk
mpsonshoes.co.uk
ATTIRE 91
Cristiano Lucci
+44 (0)1727 851 452
www.cristianolucci.com
HUES
THAT
girl?
Colour is everywhere this
season, from soft mocha
and blush pink to striking
blues and greys. Here’s
our pick of the best…
Chanticleer
+44 (0)1242 226 501
92 ATTIRE
File
File33
1
2
3
4
1. Decorum Bride
+44 (0)1392 274 694
www.decorumbride.com
2. Elbeth Gillis
[email protected]
www.elbethgillis.co.za
3. Lazaro
+44 (0)1423 873 320
www.jlmcouture.com
4. Maggie Sottero
+44 (0)1514 823 000
www.maggiesottero.com
ATTIRE 93 ·
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
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]
File
File33
Naomi Neoh
+44 (0)20 8670 7070
www.naomineoh.com
ATTIRE 95 ·
1
2
3
1. Phoenix Gowns
+44 (0)1689 831 841
www.phoenixgowns.co.uk
96 ATTIRE
4
2. Venus Bridal
+44 (0)113 256 9627
www.venusbridal.co.uk
3. Watters
www.watters.com
4. Dajana Basic
+44 (0)20 3290 7602
www.dajanabasic.com
BLOSSOM
designed in the uk since 1986
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.
Contact Rachael on 01629 732745
[email protected] | trade.heirloomseverafter.co.uk
01202 477873 | www.blossom.co.uk | [email protected]
Modern vintage
In advance of her debut at London Bridal Fashion
Week this May, designer Fiona Cooper unveils her
new bridal label.
4416
Can you tell us a little about your bridal
design background?
I didn’t take the typical route into design, as I
began my career working on a wedding planning
site for venues. I decided to open my first shop,
The Wedding Boutique, in 2008 and my passion
for the bridal industry has grown from there.
I’ve always been creative, working with fabrics
and making my own clothes. Listening to
brides over the last six years has given me a great
understanding of their wants and needs. This was
invaluable when creating my first collection of
wedding dresses.
When did you set up your bridal brand and
what prompted you to do so?
I’ve sold a small collection of gowns in The
Wedding Boutique since 2013. The success of these
dresses prompted me to launch my label officially at
London Bridal Fashion Week this May.
How did you come up with the name, Felicity
Cooper Bridal?
Felicity Cooper is named after our daughter.
She’s only three years old but hopefully one day
she’ll have just as much passion as I do for the
bridal industry.
What inspires you about design?
So much inspires me – I’m a true romantic and
am obsessed with vintage eras and style. I try to
incorporate as much traditional detail as possible
into the designs while adding a modern twist.
Fabrics too play a big part – I can spend hours
sifting through materials and embellishments.
How would you describe your debut collection
and how often do you anticipate you’ll be
releasing new designs?
98 ATTIRE
I’d describe the debut collection as modern
vintage – each dress offers something different.
We plan to launch a new collection once a year
in May. “I’d describe the debut collection
as modern vintage – each dress
offers something different.”
When did the photoshoot take place and how
happy are you with the results?
The photoshoot took place in March with local
photographer, Mark Williamson, in his studio.
4523
4478
We also did a location shoot with Asia Burrell
Photography. We’re thrilled with the results and I
think the brand style is portrayed beautifully.
How would you describe your signature style? Felicity Cooper Bridal is understated elegance,
for brides who know what they want. The designs
ooze style and grace.
4315
4976
Where are your bridal gowns designed and
made, and for what reason?
The gowns are all designed in our studio
in Knutsford, South Manchester. We’ve a
manufacturer in Hong Kong and we divide
production between the two, dependent on the
style. We chose Hong Kong to keep the dresses
reasonably priced without compromising on
quality. We source all the fabrics, laces and
embellishments ourselves.
What is your favourite dress from the
collection and why?
That’s such a difficult question, as I adore them
all. Edith, with its vintage twist and mocha
lining has a real ’20s style which I simply love –
it’s probably my favourite era. I also have a soft
spot for Jessica, with its slinky cut, low back and
stunning lace shoulders.
4624
Up and coming
way she’s turned her life around is inspiring. She
has such great style and will make a beautiful bride.
What do you hope to achieve for your brand
in the next five years?
In the next five years we’d like to have a strong
brand representation across the country, yet not
compromising on area exclusivity. Owning a
boutique myself, I understand how frustrating it
is to have the same designs stocked in the locality.
That’s why we feel it’s important to leave a 50
mile radius minimum between boutiques. We’d
love to be represented by overseas stockists too. A
5119
What type of retailer is your collection most
suited to?
The collection will best suit a bridal boutique
that offers something different, perhaps with a
vintage edge, and prides itself on its sense of style.
We want our stockists to feel fully supported,
with the ability to make design changes, as we
know every bride wants something different.
Which other fashion designers do you admire
and why?
I love Stella McCartney, as her style is chic and
clean. The fabrics are beautiful while the design is
elegant and sophisticated.
If you could design a bridal gown for anyone
in the public eye, who would it be and why?
It would have to be Katie Piper. I think her
bravery since her horrendous acid attack and the
Contact
Felicity Cooper Bridal
+44 (0)1565 228 951
www.felicitycooper
bridal.co.uk
ATTIRE 99
Maid to measure
Rachael and Vanessa Hand of Heirlooms Ever After urge retailers not to forget the bridesmaid.
When we speak to brides in store, they tend
to get side-tracked into organising their own
finishing touches without thinking too much
about the bridesmaids. That’s why retailers
should make it as easy as possible for their
brides to achieve the complete look by offering
complementing accessories and matching
jewellery for the entire wedding party. In turn,
stockists are able to immediately see which pieces
correspond perfectly with the headdress, bridal
comb or vine the bride has chosen.
At the heart of every sale is the overall look
that the bride’s imagined, and the way you, as
the retailer, translate that into the dress and
accessories of her dreams. If a bride has selected
bridesmaids, these play an intrinsic part in
the entire look of the bridal party, and their
accessories are just as important to achieving the
desired effect.
A wonderful comment we read by an
American jewellery designer simply said: “The
bridesmaids should recognise that they’re
present to provide a beautiful frame for a
beautiful picture.”
As bridal boutique owners, you can provide
an invaluable service to brides in helping them
achieve their perfect picture and ensure their
maids are the perfect complement.
Whether the bride has chosen a large
glamorous piece for her hair or a more
minimalist design, a complementing hair pin,
clip or comb is all that’s required to bring her
maids in line with the look.
A lovely touch is to include a keepsake within
the maids’ accessories. That way, the bride can
ensure each bridesmaid looks how she wants
them to, and gives them a memory-laden
accessory to treasure for a lifetime.
Survey after survey cites pearls as being an
essential item within any woman’s jewellery
collection, so to give these as a gift is to give a
special heirloom to love and cherish. Elegant
100 ATTIRE
and simple sterling silver and fresh water pearl
bracelets along with dainty pearl studs presented
in beautiful gift boxes is our choice for a stunning
bridesmaid gift.
If crystal is more your bride’s thing, then you
can’t go wrong with Swarovski crystals or semiprecious stones to create a more luxurious gift.
It’s impossible to please every bride with the
accessories you stock, but if you have a supplier
on board who designs and creates everything, it
enables you to offer above and beyond what you
currently stock. This will give the bride a more
complete shopping experience, thereby leading to
more add-on sales. A
CONTACT
Heirlooms Ever After
+44 (0)1629 732 745
www.heirloomseverafter.co.uk
Beautiful dresses, affordable prices
• Eliska • Solange • Heaven •
+44 208 573 0914
[email protected]
www.verisebridal.com
Stunning range of bridal accessories now available
to exclusive boutiques
For more information please contact us:
[email protected] | 0845 3703110 | www.tiararama.co.uk
Retail technology
creating an online
marketing strategy
David Fairhurst, Head of Creative Online Marketing at Intelligent Retail, talks us through
making the most of your website
I work with a large range of retailers who all
have a common problem – they know that
their online properties are an important part of
their companies’ overall business strategy (and
may be the growing part of the business) but
in many cases, those same retailers are lacking
in the knowledge required to push all of those
potential online gold mines to the max.
This isn’t at all a criticism. I’ve spent the past
16 years learning what’s required to effectively
market a website online, and techniques have
to be updated on a seemingly daily basis.
Marketing methods which worked quite nicely
last year may not be applicable today, so it’s no
wonder retailers, who are focused on selling,
not marketing, are behind the curve when it
comes to being able to get the best effect from
retail websites and marketplaces.
What retailers really need to know is
that, because of the rapidly changing face
of the online world, it really isn’t all about
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or paid
advertising. What’s required is a more rounded
approach incorporating a large range of
different marketing and advertising methods.
Because of social media sites like Twitter,
Facebook and Pinterest, more than ever the
people who retailers are trying to sell to have
access to a vast array of information. We are
therefore in a situation where those retailers
who engage in social media win; others just
fall by the wayside. Add to that the inexorable
rise in smartphone and tablet usage – if you’re
not using display advertising, email marketing
and social media marketing in your overall
marketing strategy you’re on to a loser.
So what exactly do you need from an online
marketing strategy for your business? The
answer is really: ‘It just depends on what you
are selling!’
ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
As with many things in life, to get the right
answers, sometimes you simply have to ask the
right questions.
As an independent retailer, your first
question should be ‘what can I offer to make
my company different?’ This is a pretty broad
question, but it does point to a fundamental
but sometimes overlooked truth to online
selling, namely that niche, original or hard-tosource ranges of products are far easier to sell
ATTIRE 103 ·
online than readily available ranges with lots of
competing suppliers.
Going as niche as possible is of course a good
strategy on the high street as well, but with the
online marketplace, you aren’t restricted to a
limited pool of potential local buyers for your
products; you literally have the whole world
to sell to, which makes stocking ultra-niche
products an enticing and lucrative idea.
So first thing, take a good, long look at what
you are offering and then get on Google – see
who else is selling those product ranges and
how they’re selling and promoting those sales.
If there’s a lot of competition from top flight,
established retailers and auction sites then don’t
pin your hopes on that range (unless you’re
selling cheaper than anyone else).
Secondly, if you do manage to find a niche
product range, which, admittedly, is a lot
harder than it used to be, make sure everyone
knows about it. Your website should be full
of original text about the range, social media
profiles should scream that you’re the people to
talk to, and you should be doing regular bulk
emails to back everything up.
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION –
GET YOUR CONTENT RIGHT
So you have your niche ranges, your prices are
competitive (or even better, you’re the cheapest
online) and you have the knowledge required to
push the products, what do you do next?
Firstly, make sure every one of your product
ranges on your e-commerce website has an
original product description. This should be in
standard English, be well written and have no
grammatical or spelling errors.
Try to avoid bulleted lists, too many line
breaks or HTML tables as this just adds the
time required for Google’s spiders to crawl
through the text. Next add category content,
backing up what your range is all about.
This allows you to optimise for higher level
keyphrases (like brand name, product type,
etc.) and as you’re adding even more one-of-akind text, Google will like your website
even more.
Don’t forget that to be truly successful with
an e-commerce website, you have to promote
not only return to the website but a sense of
community, so think about providing useful
articles and information on your website
around the area that you’re selling in. These can
104 ATTIRE
then promote external linking, which will be
required to grow your website’s reputation
with Google.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND SMM (SOCIAL
MEDIA MARKETING)
Once the website is sorted out with text, get
your social media profiles set up if they haven’t
been done already. Most social media sites
now offer a business or promotional page,
so get your personalised page name and add
information all about your business (and
of course, your niche ranges). Once done,
make sure you converse with visitors to your
social profiles.
Successful use of social media could warrant
a full library of books all in itself, but safe to
say if you do have social media profiles and you
don’t monitor interaction constantly, it can be a
hindrance, not a benefit to your business.
Once you have social profiles, many services
now offer paid advertising, for instance Twitter
offers sponsored tweets, Facebook offers
targeted Facebook ads and Pinterest offers
sponsored pins. Use all of these to get the best
exposure for your business pages and website.
EMAIL MARKETING
Email is a very old technology, with the first
email being sent way back in 1971, before the
World Wide Web even existed. This doesn’t
mean email marketing is dead, not by a long
way. Targeted email marketing can catapult
your business past all of your competitors
if done correctly, with many of my clients
seeing massive surges of traffic to the website
immediately after campaigns are sent out.
Do bear in mind that bulk emailing rules in
the UK are now so draconian you can get
into serious trouble for spamming, so either
check the rules first via the Information
Commissioners Office or choose a company to
handle bulk emailing for you. Get bulk email
marketing right and you’ll see turnover double
or treble each month.
PAID ADVERTISING (PAY PER CLICK)
What if you could have a form of advertising
for your bricks and mortar store where you only
pay when someone walks through your door?
That’s exactly what you get for your website
with Pay Per Click advertising on Google, Bing,
Amazon and many others. If you run Google
AdWords (including Google shopping ads,
which are also now part of AdWords) alongside
organic results for the same products in Google,
not only are click through and conversion rates
increased, you’re far more likely to get clicks on
your organic result, so therefore you don’t pay
for the Google AdWords ad in the first place.
Google Shopping ads are giving fantastic
ROI right now and, for most of our clients,
massively out-perform traditional AdWords ads.
Amazon, as well as Google, now offers
Product Listing Ads with a range of cost bands
to suit your type of products. This then displays
ads alongside products directly in Amazon,
directing people to your own website. Even
if you don’t sell via Amazon you can utilise
these ads and as Ebay/Amazon account for a
large portion of UK online sales, this seems a
great way to get your products in front of fully
qualified potential buyers.
EVERYTHING ELSE
There are many other things you can use to
push your online business forward, such as
affiliate advertising (advertising through a
network of partner websites, offered by Google
and many others), utilising review sites and
quite a few others. However, if you get the
basics of SEO, SMM, email marketing and
PPC going, you’ll see immediate and long
lasting improvements in turnover, making your
e-commerce website a sustainable and valuable
part of your business. A
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 different retail and
SEO conferences including Spring
Fair and SES London. Contact David
on T: +44 (0)845 680 0126.
New Stockists Welcome
BEST OF British
Tracey Salt, founder of Chanticleer Brides, unveils her stunning new collection – Eden – and
discusses the benefits of UK-made bridalwear.
When did you set up Chanticleer and how has
the label evolved since this time?
We established Chanticleer as a bridal label in
1988, so we’ve been hand-crafting beautiful
corseted gowns in Cheltenham in the heart of
the Cotswolds for over 26 years. In the early
years, we used a lot of silk dupion for the full
billowing skirts, and jewel-coloured velvets
for the deep ‘V’ bodices. As time progressed
and fashions changed, we moved into separate
bodices and skirts, giving brides flexibility in
Primrose
combining different styles to create their dream
wedding outfit. This flexibility has continued
to form part of our trademark styling in our
current collections. We create lace, silk and tulle
wedding dresses, allowing brides to choose the
top of one dress with the skirt of another, and a
different type of fabric or trim.
in her choice of fabrics, listening to our brides
and our stockists to create a collection to suit
both needs. Our latest collection – Eden – uses
gorgeous embroidered tulles with tiny threedimensional flowers. This is so delicate and very
different to all the lace gowns that are around at
the moment.
How would you describe your signature style?
We create classic, timeless gowns with a modern
twist. Our designer, Tracey, is very particular
What was your best-selling gown from the
2014 collection and why do you think it’s
been so popular?
The traditional lines of ‘Angelina’ have proved
very popular, as too has ‘Benita’ – a gown that
captures the vintage style of the art deco era.
‘Coco’ and ‘Charisse’ are classics, regularly on
the brides list to try too, from our ‘All That
Jazz’ collection.
Savanna
What inspired the Eden collection and what
fabrics and embellishments have been used in
the designs?
From very early on we knew it was going to be
a tactile collection, so when we saw the threedimensional floral fabric and trims, it created
the organic feeling we were looking for.
Fleur
106 ATTIRE
Honesty
Sorrel
Collection focus
Lily
How did you choose the location for your
latest photo shoot?
We knew we wanted to conduct the shoot in
botanical gardens from the start, and the old
Victorian ones in Birmingham were perfect.
Which of the designs do you predict will be
your best-sellers and why?
Jasmine has already sold well at our designer
days, as too have Honesty and Primrose. I
predict Honeysuckle, Peony and Sweet Briar
will also capture the bride’s attention.
What is the price range of the Eden collection?
It wholesales between £435 - £770, with an
RRP between £1,220 - £2,115
How often do you release new collections?
Our collections are launched in the autumn
and showcased to our stockists at designer
days around the country. This not only gives
us nationwide feedback straight away, but
helps the stockists to select their new season’s
gowns according to the needs of brides in their
particular area.
You recently partnered up with another
British bridal label – Qiana Bridal – to
showcase each other’s gowns in your
boutiques. How can retailers benefit from
buying British made designs?
Brides are becoming far more conscious of
where their wedding products, in general, are
coming from, with many of our clients not only
buying British, but sourcing their suppliers
locally too. There have been several stories
in the press of imported gowns arriving late,
being of poor quality or not arriving at all.
This often leads retailers, ourselves included,
helping brides who require new gowns in a
very short lead time – an important benefit to
being UK-produced.We also have the flexibility
to adapt styles and patterns for non-standard
size brides before the gown is cut and made, so
there are less alterations for the bridal store to
do in-house.
Honeysuckle
What type of retailer is your bridal range
most suited to?
We work well with independently owned bridal
boutiques offering support and training in
fitting of Chanticleer gowns and the flexibility
we offer. This means all members of their staff
have the confidence to sell our ranges with
excellent product knowledge supported by our
production team and shop consultants, even on
a weekend.
How many stockists do you have in the UK
and what criteria do you use when choosing
your retail partners?
We currently supply about 10 independent
bridal retailers and have capacity for 15
depending on their location and our
production schedules.
Where can potential stockists view your
bridal designs?
Retailers can take a look at our latest designs
on our website, and through our various social
media platforms.
Can we expect any other new initiatives from
Chanticleer in 2015?
We’re always discussing new ideas. If you have
a UK-made wedding product and would like
us to consider working with you, call us on +44
(0)1242 226 501. A
Contact
Chanticleer Brides
+44 (0)1242 226 501
Facebook/Chanticleerbrides
Twitter @chanti_brides
Pintrest.com/chanticleer21
Instagram.com/
chanticleerbrides
ATTIRE 107
NET GAINS
Heidi Thompson of Evolve Your Wedding Business reveals the eight social
media myths that could be holding you back…
1
SCHEDULING MAKES SOCIAL
MEDIA INAUTHENTIC
People seem to assume this is an all or nothing
sort of thing. The idea here isn’t to schedule your
social media posts and then never look at your
accounts again. Instead, you can schedule your
posts and then make time each day to go into
your accounts and interact. That is, you manage
social media accounts in a way that’s effective and
won’t drive you nuts. You will actually get more
engagement on social media if you take the time
to write thoughtful posts, as opposed to feeling
stressed out and just posting anything because
you’ve been silent. People don’t trust inconsistent
businesses and scheduling keeps you consistent.
A few scheduling tools that I have used
and love are Buffer, Hootsuite, Edgar and
CoSchedule. Find what works for you and run
with it, but don’t make things more difficult on
yourself by not using tools that will help you.
2 YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH 100
PER CENT ORIGINAL CONTENT
You may have never thought of this, but you can
curate other people’s content that you know your
followers will love. It will save you from having
to create all of your own content and it helps you
to build relationships with other people in the
industry. I call this The Spotlight Technique.
One of the best ways to build a great
relationship is by offering to help the other
person with something. You can do this by
curating the content that your favourite wedding
pros and bloggers are producing, thereby shining
the spotlight on them and helping them to get
in front of more people. This is a lot simpler
than it sounds and it will actually work to your
advantage because you are sharing content your
audience enjoys without having to constantly
create it.
This strategy can be used to nurture existing
relationships and build new ones. This is how I
find a lot of my guest posting opportunities and
a lot of podcast guests. My clients have used The
Spotlight Technique to build partnerships with
fellow wedding professionals and build a referral
network, get featured on blogs and in magazines.
One of my clients used this technique and as
a result, Bridal Musings approached her to write
a series of posts on their blog as their resident
cake expert. Most recently, Brides magazine
approached her and asked to feature her cakes.
This stuff works.
Most people don’t lead with being helpful
– doing that will set you apart! Building and
maintaining relationships should be more like
farming than hunting. If you keep at it regularly,
just like watering a plant every day, you will reap
the benefits later.
“A few scheduling tools that I have
used and love are Buffer, Hootsuite,
Edgar and CoSchedule. Find what
works for you and run with it.”
3 YOU CAN’T MEASURE
SOCIAL MEDIA
Oh yes you can! You can measure social media
with tools that you use to schedule posts like
Buffer and Edgar, and you can see traffic from
each social network in your Google Analytics.
Once you start paying attention to the numbers,
you’ll start to see where you get the best results
and you can focus more of your time on those
networks and less on the ones that don’t do much
for you.
4 SOCIAL MEDIA IS A TIME SUCK
Social media can dominate your time if you
let it, but it all comes down to how you manage
your time and your schedule. If I don’t schedule
something, it’s not going to get done and I know
I’m not the only person like that. Scheduling
things ahead of time will make your life easier, so
why not do it? I make appointments with myself
and block time out in Google Calendar at the
beginning of every week so I know what needs
to get done and when. Take time to schedule
repetitive tasks in your calendar and, where
possible, batch them together.
Batching tasks is the process of putting similar
tasks together so that you can take advantage
of the momentum that you build. You might
108 ATTIRE
Column
already do this with your accounting but it can
be used for any task. If you publish three social
media posts on each network every day it will
be much easier to spend an afternoon each week
writing and scheduling all of them than trying
to come up with something on the spot. You
can also do this with things like client meetings,
phone calls, blogging – the list goes on. The idea
is to put these tasks together so you don’t have to
interrupt your workflow to try to do the task at
the last minute. This will seriously supercharge
your productivity.
Contact
Heidi Thompson
Evolve Your Wedding Business
www.evolveyour
weddingbusiness.com
5 YOU CAN ONLY SHARE
SOMETHING ONCE
Social media moves fast and even if someone
follows you tomorrow, they probably won’t see
what you’ve posted today. If you don’t share your
content more than once, people might miss it.
I use Edgar to schedule my social media and it
automatically rotates my older posts. You can do
it manually by sharing the blog posts that you
see doing really well in your Google Analytics
when you schedule your posts each week. Even
if someone has seen a post before, when was the
last time you got angry because you’ve already
seen a helpful post? Probably never.
“Social media is a place to
build a community, have
conversations and drive people
back to your website.”
6 BEING ON SOCIAL MEDIA WILL
AUTOMATICALLY GENERATE
MORE SALES
I see a lot of wedding professionals who do
nothing on social media but promote themselves.
That’s a bad move. People will unfollow you,
block out your posts and just generally not care
about you or your business. Social media is a
place to build a community, have conversations
and drive people back to your website. Once
they’re on your website, they may buy from you
but being on social media certainly does not
automatically equate to more sales. It’s important
to identify the role of social media in your business,
and keep that in mind when you write your posts.
assistant to work with you as a contractor, thus
bypassing having to deal with all the things that
go along with hiring an employee.
7 8 YOU HAVE TO DO IT ALL
YOURSELF
Speaker and author Chris Ducker calls this
Superhero Syndrome, and it’s spot on. People
look at the most successful people in the world
and seeing that they don’t spend their time doing
tasks they hate, assume this is a perk of being
successful. In reality, this is how you become
successful. By building a team and training them
properly, you can essentially clone yourself. There
are some things that only you can do, but most
things can be done by someone who’s particularly
good at that specific task. You don’t need to, and
can’t, do everything yourself.
Most people don’t realise that you can hire a
self-employed virtual assistant and that person
can be based anywhere in the world. In fact, the
cost of living in their home country can greatly
impact the amount you’ll pay. Chris Ducker lives
in the Philippines and runs Virtual Staff Finder,
a matchmaking service for entrepreneurs and
Filipino virtual assistants. Don’t limit yourself
to just the people who live in your city and don’t
forget that you can hire a self-employed virtual
YOU HAVE TO BE ON EVERY
SOCIAL NETWORK
You only have a limited number of hours to work
on your business each week, so you have to get
smart about how you spend your time. So tell me
this – what are you actually doing when you’re
working on your business?
The fact of the matter is that none of are really
too busy, we’re just not organising ourselves
properly. The busiest billionaires and world
leaders have the same 24 hours that we have but
the difference is that they’re very direct about
what they spend time on. They don’t spend two
hours on Twitter or watch marathons of Mad
Men when they could be getting something
significant done. Do your tasks actually move
your forward or do they leave you spinning
your wheels?
You can figure out if you’re getting a return on
your investment of time into a social network by
making sure that you’re measuring your results
with Google Analytics. You don’t have to be
everywhere, you just have to do what works for
your business. A
ATTIRE 109
Money matters
Nicola Garton, owner of The Wedding Shop in Colchester, Essex, and
Chair of the Retail Bridalwear Association (RBA), discusses terms and
conditions of sale.
If you talk to 10 different people involved in the
bridal industry, you’ll get 10 different answers
about what is legal and what is not as far as
deposits and terms and conditions of sale are
concerned. The law is increasingly in favour
of the consumer and, over the years, new laws
have been brought in to protect their rights.
Unscrupulous business practices by door-todoor salesmen spending hours in an elderly
person’s home convincing them to purchase an
expensive bed or stair lift have made contractual
law biased towards the consumer. The consumer
has every right to be protected from this type
of sharp practice but what happens to honest
small businesses like ours when we become
caught up in these laws? There will always be
customers who will try to obtain a refund by
making a false claim. A bride can assert that
she was mis-sold the dress, even if she spent five
hours in it, showing all her friends, whilst sipping
champagne, before she finally decides its ‘the one’.
These brides have not been mis-sold. In reality,
they’ve just changed their mind. This can be very
frustrating and demoralising when you know that
you’ve given her the best possible service.
The use of credit cards has also have given the
consumer a greater feeling of security – that, no
matter what the circumstances, they can always
get their money back, if not from the store, then
from the credit card company. This is dangerous
territory for a retailer.
“When a bride changes her mind,
for whatever reason, she feels
that she should be entitled to her
money back, regardless of the
impact this could have on you and
your business.”
110 ATTIRE
RATE OF RETURN
In these litigious times, when a bride changes
her mind, for whatever reason, she feels that she
should be entitled to her money back, regardless
of the impact this could have on you and your
business. It’s amazing that most members of the
public don’t understand that changing their
mind does not entitle them to a refund. Contrary
to popular belief, there’s no law that says you
can change your mind and have your money
back. Individual stores such as Debenhams and
Marks and Spencer, who have extremely lenient
returns policies, have led to the assumption that
this is the law rather than an individual store’s
policy. There will always be cases where you feel
sympathy for a bride’s situation and may choose
to refund her deposit, either in full or partly, as a
gesture of goodwill – not because you are forced
to do so in law. However you choose to deal with
these issues within your business, wouldn’t it be a
relief to know that your terms and conditions on
deposits and payments are written with the full
backing of a legal team that would be prepared
to go to court on your behalf if you find yourself
in that position? At the RBA, we’re working
on a set of terms and conditions available to all
members free of charge that would be backed by
our legal support team at DAS. This would mean
security in the knowledge that no matter what
a bride tells you about the advice she has been
given and what her individual circumstances are,
you’d know you were acting within the law.
CLAIM CONTROL
Credit card companies are now duty-bound
to become involved if a customer contacts
them with a dispute. Under payment card
rules, whether it is Visa debit or a credit card,
a customer is entitled to lodge a claim for a
chargeback against you. This was brought in
to protect consumers when they purchase
things in advance, like an airline ticket. If a
ticket is purchased and then the company goes
into liquidation, they’d be able to go back to
their card company and request a chargeback.
Unfortunately, as with every system, it’s open to
abuse, and consumers can try to use the credit
card companies to obtain a refund if you have
declined their request, i.e. if they’ve changed
their mind and no longer wish to continue with
an order they have placed. It’s then down to
you to prove that you’re the innocent party in
the case. The money will be taken out of your
account and put into a holding account until the
dispute is resolved. If you own a small boutique
selling high-end designer gowns this could be
potentially very damaging for your business.
After all, if a bride has put a half payment down
as a deposit on a £8,000 gown and calls the card
company claiming her deposit back, £4,000
would be automatically removed from your
account before you have even had a right to reply.
In most cases, the card company will find in
your favour and the money would be returned
after the case had been investigated. However, the
stress and worry that’s endured while the process
is ongoing is a strain businesses shouldn’t have to
bear. It’s also important to note that chargeback
is not law, it’s only a code of conduct that the
card companies have voluntarily entered into,
and it cannot override the law.
The main point to remember is that your
terms and conditions need to be clear and every
bride needs to be made aware of them before any
financial transaction is carried out. A
Contact
The Wedding Shop
[email protected]
www.rbaltd.org.uk
Elizabeth Dickens
Elizabeth Dickens
+44 1353 723675 • email: [email protected] • web: elizabethdickensveils.co.uk
+44 1353 723675 • email: [email protected] • web: elizabethdickensveils.co.uk
Bavaria
TO BRITAIN
We speak to Wendy Nichols and Maikel Martens from Emmerling,
to find out how one of Germany’s best-loved bridal brands is
taking the UK by storm.
Who set up the Emmerling label and how
has it evolved since this time?
Maikel Martens: Emmerling was
founded by Rudi Emmerling in 1950 as
a specialised manufacturer of veils. The
company remained in the Emmerling
family until 2004, when it was bought by
Wendy Nichols and her husband Norbert
Knorren. Since acquiring the company in
2004, Wendy and Norbert have doubled
the size of the company. This is due to
a more aggressive approach to export,
and new products such as communion
dresses, a line of bridal gowns known
as InLove and – as of this year – a line
of dresses for teenagers known as Miss
Teenie. Despite the introduction of these
new product lines, the main product
group at Emmerling is veils, made at their
location in Amberg in Northeast Bavaria.
When did Emmerling first launch into the
UK and how many British bridal shops
now stock the brand?
Emmerling came to the UK in 2005 and
currently boasts 500 British stockists.
To what do you attribute Emmerling’s
longevity in bridal wholesale?
With over 65 years of experience in the
industry, it’s evident to our customers
and suppliers that we’re a professional,
experienced company that’s successfully
weathered many bridal industry storms
and will continue to do so. On the
accessory side, we offer a one-stopshopping concept, which means that our
customers can satisfy all their accessory
needs. This is something that our stockists
appreciate, since there’s no need for them
to have umpteen suppliers. In our opinion,
it’s better for retailers to order big with one
supplier they’re happy and familiar with,
than to be a tiny customer at a number of
companies where your size means that
112 ATTIRE
Profile
lies in the expansion of our operations
in Japan, Korea, South East Asia and
Africa. Countries and continents where
we’ve already made inroads through
the acquisition of new sales agents and
distributors are now reaping the first fruits
of success.
What retail support does Emmerling offer
to its stockists?
The best retail support any company can
offer is a superior value-for-money concept
coupled with reliable service, fashionable,
high-quality products and almost 100
per cent availability from stock. Over and
above this, we invest a lot of money in our
photography. We own the copyright to all
our photos, so stockists are free to use our
images upon request.
you don’t necessarily get the best service.
Furthermore, the fact that we’ve more than
3,500 active customers in 50 countries
means that we’ve a perfect understanding
of global trends and can offer our
customers interesting ideas that are new
to their markets. We’re also able to spread
our risk. For example, it’s often the case
that an economic turndown in one market
can be compensated for by an economic
upturn in another market.
What trade shows does Emmerling
attend and why?
Emmerling attends the Harrogate Bridal
Show, the Paris Bridal Show, Si Sposa
Italia in Milan, the European Bridal Week,
Interbride and ABC Salon in Munich,
Germany. The trade shows offer us the
best platform to present our new products
and we benefit from face-to-face feedback
from our customers. Although we have
a lot of contact with our customers on a
daily basis, nothing beats the opportunity
for a personal exchange in a relaxed
atmosphere. Attendance at trade shows
also offers us an important platform to
meet new customers and test new trends.
How many countries does Emmerling
currently export to, and are there any
other territories you are presently looking
to target?
We export into more than 50 countries
worldwide. At present, our particular focus
Which are your most successful ranges?
Our bestselling product range is our
veils. This is due to the quality of our
components, the superior laces and
the soft tulle. A bespoke service is also
possible, thanks to our production facility
in Germany. Our hair accessories, jackets
and corsagettes are also highly successful
and this is an expression of our feel for
fashion and superior value for money,
coupled with high product quality and
immediate availability from stock. Finally,
our range of flowergirl and communion
dresses are particularly well received in
the UK, reflecting the impeccable fit of our
dresses and our success in being in line
with the taste of the young ladies for whom
they are intended.
Will you be launching any new
collections in 2015?
New to the market this year are our
shoulder laces – delicate lace decorations
that sit neatly across the shoulders and
offer a real impact. We’ve also introduced
necklaces that adorn not just the chest but
the back as well.
Our new coats – with and without
marabou – are designed especially
with brides in mind. We’re also
delighted with our new shrugettes and
ponchos – delicately embroidered tulle
creations designed to harmonise with all
contemporary wedding gowns. Last but
not least, our Miss Teenie dress collection
is aimed at young teenagers seeking a
modest yet fashionable look.
How would you like the business to
develop over the next five years?
Wendy Nichols: Following on from the
tragic passing away of Michael Perry, we
appointed Maikel Martens as our new
agent in the UK. It would be a tribute to
the pioneer work of Michael if Maikel were
to succeed in making Emmerling a major
player in the UK market. We’re already
successful in the UK, but we hope very
much that Maikel, with his charm and
vivacious character and dedication to
maximum customer care, will reap the
success that our taste for fashion, high
quality products and superior customer
service deserve.
Over and above this, we hope that
our InLove wedding gowns establish
themselves as a popular brand in the UK
and that our sales endeavours in more
exotic markets, such as Asia and Africa
yield everlasting fruit. A
Contact
Emmerling
www.emmerling.eu
ATTIRE 113
Clever conversion
Nicola Russill-Roy, Director at Propose PR, reveals how bridal retailers can
turn leads into customers.
One of the first questions many prospective
clients ask me when considering a PR campaign
is ‘will PR sell my product or service?’
It’s the obvious question to ask, isn’t it? A
shrewd business owner isn’t going to invest their
precious time and budget into a PR project if
they don’t think they’ll see a significant return on
their investment.
It may then surprise you to know that my
answer is ‘no’. PR will not sell your product. Hear
me out – that doesn’t mean that PR won’t greatly
benefit your business. There are many things
that PR can do. For example, a good PR agency
can make the right people aware of your brand,
and in large numbers. It can present your service
in the way it truly deserves to be seen. A good
agency can put you on the map, in the media and
directly in front of your prospective customers.
In short, PR can lead customers into your store in
droves – but it can’t sell your product for you. It’s
up to you to take it from there.
114 ATTIRE
PR generates leads. How you convert those
leads, however, can mean the difference between
a satisfied, even repeat customer, or an indifferent
(or worse, disgruntled) passer-by. So how do you
make the most of the opportunities that PR
can provide?
“It doesn’t matter if you have
the best service in the world,
or the most original offering:
if you’re difficult to deal with,
you’ll lose people before they
make that booking.”
1) Have an immediate-answer policy
It can be difficult, especially when running a
one-person show like many wedding industry
professionals, to be all things to your business.
Life can get on top of you – all it takes is an
unexpected illness, or even a very busy week, and
emails and enquiries can build up.
As brutal as this sounds, you simply cannot
allow this to happen if you want all your hard PR
work to pay off.
Put bluntly, prospective customers don’t care
what’s happening in your personal life. It doesn’t
matter to them that you have the flu, or your cat
had to go to the vet or your kids had to be picked
up from school. If they send you an email and
get nothing back, they’ll go elsewhere (probably
muttering under their breath about your severe
lack of professionalism).
It’s not difficult to keep on top of your
emails. While I understand that sometimes
more complex enquiries might require some
consideration before a response is sent, we live
in a digital, demanding culture. Whether it’s
reasonable or not, people expect an immediate
response to their enquiry. So what do you do
when that’s just not realistic?
Firstly, establish clear and firm business hours.
Publish them on your website and set your email
to auto respond with a message that explains
your business hours and lets your customer know
when they might expect to hear back from you.
For example:
“Thank you so much for your enquiry. We
currently have a long waiting list, but you can
expect to hear back from us within 24 business
hours. Our office hours are 9pm-5pm Monday
to Friday.”
Then stick to the goalposts that you have set.
Set alarms if you have to, to respond to your
various enquiries within the agreed time period.
I promise, people will be patient with you if they
feel acknowledged and their expectations are
managed and then met.
2) Be the nicest person they’ve ever
spoken to
As I mentioned, PR doesn’t sell products –
people do. It doesn’t matter if you have the
best service in the world, or the most original
offering; if you’re difficult to deal with, you’ll lose
people before they make that booking.
This is particularly important in the wedding
industry, for two reasons. For a start, couples are
already probably sick and tired of the difficulties
that come with saving for their big day, warring
family members, everyone and their dog making
unreasonable demands and all of the other
stresses that planning a wedding can churn up.
With so much going on, they want somebody
to make their lives easier, so be the person with
whom they enjoy interacting. Be the person who
can’t do enough for them – the one that always
leaves them smiling. Stress can be unavoidable
when planning a wedding, but providing a stressfree experience as their supplier is invaluable.
Secondly, couples want their wedding
experience to be magical, and often find that the
reality can fall short. I’ve heard countless tales
from recently married friends about grumpy sales
assistants, non-replies and can’t-do attitudes.
These shortcomings can all be disappointing and
anti-climactic for starry-eyed young couples in
love trying to create a dream day. With that in
mind, your personality, your attitude and your
approach can be the stand-out factor in selling
yourself as the right vendor for them.
In short, nail your customer service and
PR & marketing
in order to secure that booking – be incredible
throughout the whole wedding planning process.
Vendors who treat their customers as king until
they have received their deposit, and then let that
attention drop after they’ve won their business
may do well in the short term, but customers
who feel let down will do you no PR favours.
In the long term, word of mouth is the best
PR you could ask for. Simply being great at
what you do will earn you repeat bookings and
personal referrals – and the whole process comes
full circle.
Winning clients in a crowded marketplace can
seem like an uphill struggle – but by responding
quickly with kindness and enthusiasm, being
knowledgeable and a great listener and being
consistent in delivering great service, you can
turn casual interest into a thriving and satisfied
customer base. Good luck! A
Contact
interpersonal skills and you’re well on your way
to turning those leads into clients.
3) Don’t just be nice, be knowledgeable
It goes without saying that a good supplier
should know everything there is to know
about their own service. A really great supplier,
however, will know about the wedding industry
as a whole. A vendor who goes above and beyond
will have in-depth knowledge about local venues,
other suppliers who might suit different tastes
and which trends are current. They should be
familiar with different types of press, online and
in print, and be informed on developments in the
wedding world.
Knowing your own product or service is one
thing, but demonstrating how it will fit into
the big, and occasionally overwhelming, bridal
industry is another thing entirely.
Consider two potential scenarios: the first
is that a couple meets with a supplier and said
supplier has never heard of the couple’s venue or
anyone else they’ll be working with. The second
is that the supplier knows the couple’s venue, its
staff and is familiar with all of the couple’s other
vendors, as well as the trends the couple is trying
to emulate. Which one instils more confidence?
Stay in touch with what’s going on around you
– even if you think it’s all industry talk and won’t
affect your actual clients, you’d be surprised how
important staying informed can be.
“In the long term, word of
mouth is the best PR you could
ask for. Simply being great
at what you do will earn you
repeat bookings and personal
referrals – and the whole
process comes full circle.”
Propose PR
+44 (0)20 3286 5992
@ProposePR
www.proposepr.com
4) Be consistently interested and engaged
Just as you should know your industry, knowing
your couples is equally important. It can be all
too easy to lose a booking by being overly eager
to demonstrate all the amazing things you can
do, rather than first listening to what it is that the
client wants. Unless you have a very niche service
or product that only attracts one type of client,
it can actually be a mistake to make assumptions
about what people might want from you.
When you first receive an enquiry, or meet
potential customers, it’s really important to
hold fire on making suggestions before you’ve
heard everything they have to say. Once you
have a good measure of the client’s tastes and
expectations, then that’s the time to show them
that you’ve understood their ideas by presenting
them with suitable options.
Consistency is also crucial in creating a
great reputation. Don’t just be amazing at the
beginning of your relationship with a couple
ATTIRE 115
TAKING CARD PAYMENTS
ActSmart explains why retailers can’t afford to ignore card payments and offers some advice on
how to get started.
Taking card payments isn’t just for big businesses,
but many smaller retailers still see card terminals
as a costly investment that may not be worth the
hassle. A third of businesses – and almost the
same number of consumers – believe that soon
Britain will become a cashless society, which
is good news when you look at the issues that
taking cash only can cause.
The Payments Landscape Report, compiled
by payments provider Sage Pay, found that the
average cost of handling cash per retailer has
reached £3,638 with businesses shouldering
security costs and losing money on counterfeit
notes and theft.
For customers too, cash is not as important
as it used to be, with 36 per cent of consumers
saying that they’re more likely to shop with
retailers that offer a range of payment methods.
More than a third of customers will put items
back if their preferred method of payment is
not accepted.
“The cost of handling cash per
retailer has reached £3,638
with businesses shouldering
security costs.”
At least 120 million transactions are lost each
year in the UK through people leaving shops
because they can’t pay by card, according to
research earlier this year. A further 92.8 million
opportunities to sell are lost through people
avoiding shops because they don’t accept card
payments. Consider this:
• 70 per cent of all UK consumers prefer to
pay for everyday purchases with a card rather
than cash.
• 61 per cent would spend more with a business if
it took cards.
• 21 per cent of customers have left a shop
without buying anything because they couldn’t
pay by card.
• 19 per cent of customers have avoided a shop
altogether because it didn’t take certain cards.
116 ATTIRE
If you don’t already accept credit cards at your
business, you could be missing out. There are
many advantages to accepting payments via credit
or debit card, which will have a positive effect on
your business:
1. Increased sales
The simple act of accepting credit card payments
can give a significant boost to your business.
Statistically people spend 30 per cent more on a
card then with cash.
Research shows that sales can double or even
triple versus current sales. One survey, sponsored
by Intuit, found that 83 per cent of small
businesses that accepted cards saw increased sales.
2. People spend more with cards
There is endless research that shows it’s easier to
spend money with a credit card than with cash.
The feeling of being parted with hard earned
cash is greatly diminished when handing over
plastic. Credit cards also increase impulse
purchases because consumers are not tied to
what’s in their wallets at that moment.
3. Customer service
It’s a well known fact that cash payments are
decreasing. The British Retail Consortium Cost
of Payment Collection survey found that the
amount of money spent in cash was down 9.7 per
cent in 2012.
Column
Providing the option to pay with a credit card is
becoming an expectation.
4. More professional
In the eyes of the customer, if you accept
cards it means your business is established and
trustworthy. Businesses that display card decals
in windows and have a modern terminal at the
cashier’s desk look more reputable than ones who
don’t. It looks as though you’ve invested in your
business and will also stand the test of time.
5. Save time
The payment process with cards is automated,
with automatic approvals and deposits into your
businesses bank account. That means fewer trips
to the bank, no invoices to print and mail plus
no more dealing with bounced checks. With the
time you save, you can focus on other important
aspects of your business, like making more sales.
6. Customer engagement
Card payment terminals offer a variety of add-on
features, which can help you execute innovative
campaigns to recruit and retain customers by
turning transactions into conversations that build
lasting and profitable relationships
With the technology built into card terminals,
you can create your own bespoke digital card
scheme encompassing gift cards, loyalty cards,
savings cards and much more. If you’ve got a
paper voucher or manual rewards scheme in place
currently, replacing this with a digital version
could make the whole process more efficient,
professional and profitable.
A product like The Experts Cards (www.
theexpertscards.co.uk) has been specially
designed with the independent retailer in
mind, with no set up costs and minimum order
quantities of just 100 cards – making it a low cost
sales and marketing tool for your business.
per transaction. For more information contact
ActSmart for advice on taking mobile payments
and creating your own digital card programmes. A
“It’s a fact by 2012 cash payments
had decreased by 9.7 per cent and
providing the option to pay by card
is the customer’s expectation.”
So what are you waiting for?
Find out more about taking card payments or see
how much you could save by switching providers
– you could be paying as low at 1.065 per cent
ActSmart is a business support
organisation for specialist retailers, their
supply partners and trade associations.
With more than 3,000 subscribers,
ActSmart is one of the fastest growing
organisations of its kind in the UK. ActSmart works in partnership with
Tictail to help independent craft
businesses set up their own online store
quickly and easily and take advantage of
a selection of Tictail’s premium apps – all
free of charge.
Whether you’re a small start-up seeking
the help and advice needed to get ahead,
or an established independent small or
medium-sized enterprise looking for
a little support, ActSmart’s a valuable
resource giving you 24/7 access to a wealth
of relevant, trusted information.
ActSmart
T: 0845 618 7256
E: [email protected]
W: www.actsmart.biz/creative
ATTIRE 117
Israeli ELEGANCE
Daniel Poindexter and Russell Blackburn, co-owners of DexterBlackAgency, reveal
all about Flora Bridal – a stylish Israeli label they’re bringing to the UK market.
Why did you decide to represent Flora
Bridal in the UK?
The collection really inspired me to want
to represent Flora. I initially bought into the
collection for my London store, Blackburn
Bridal Couture but loved it so much I just
knew I had to be the agent in the UK
and Ireland.
Lenny
Which of the designs do you predict will
be your best-sellers and why?
Alex will be a great dress for the high-end
stores that carry couture collections as it’s
got that modern cool vibe that so many
brides are seeking, plus it has an amazing
low back which is so on-trend. I also think
Madlen is going to be a top-selling dress
from the collection as it has a stunning
beaded top and soft, floaty silk chiffon skirt
which has that feeling of boho chic, yet is
still feminine and romantic.
Lily
When did Flora Bridal launch and
where’s the label based?
Flora is a well-known bridal label,
established in 2010 by the designer Rinat
Asher in the picturesque city of Haifa, in
Northern Israel.
Aside from Israel, in which other
countries can Flora Bridal be found?
Flora is rapidly becoming a global brand
and can already be found in the US, UK
and China.
Who designed the 2015 collection and
what inspired the designs?
The Flora 2015 bridal collection was shot
in the charming city of Tel Aviv, Israel
which is known for its vibrant, colorful
and bohemian flair. The city’s distinctive
balance of elegance and ruggedness
118 ATTIRE
radiate both fashion-forward design and
vintage grace. This combination provided
the inspiration for designer, Rinat Asher.
The collection tells the story of artists in
love, living in Tel Aviv and experiencing the
diverse beauty of the city.
This story is reflected in Flora’s
new collection of gowns, with classic and
delicately flirtatious touches of sensuality
seen throughout. The construction of
the silhouettes gently hugs the figure,
accentuating the beauty and femininity
of curves.
Rinat uses a combination of delicate
lace, sheer silk and handmade
embroidery, creating soft and flowing
designs, adorned with tiny pearls
and crystals. All of these elements
harmoniously blend into exquisite, unique
gowns with great attention to detail.
Profile
Madlen
What’s the price range of the 2015
bridal collection?
The dresses start from £3,500 retail up to
£6,000, so it will only appeal to the higherend boutiques selling the top quality
couture designers’ collections.
Lauren
Nina
How often does Flora Bridal release
new collections?
Flora Bridal releases one collection a year.
What type of retailer is Flora Bridal most
suited to?
The label is suited to high-end boutiques
that appeal to discerning brides seeking a
beautiful dress as opposed to traditional
bridal gowns. These shops will be carrying
designer collections that retail from
£2,000 up to £6,000. Flora is a very cool
niche collection that not every bridal shop
could sell, due to the price point, so it’s
important that the right shops buy into it.
We’ll give excellent exclusivity based on
this commitment.
Where can potential stockists view
the designs?
Potential stockists can arrange to see the
collection at my London showroom in
Blackheath, South East London. The email
address to arrange an appointment is
[email protected].
What is your strategy for raising brand
awareness in the UK?
We’re investing heavily in an advertising
and PR campaign, working closely with
Sweetpea PR who manage the PR for my
boutique, Blackburn Bridal. As a brand
new designer to the UK, our aim is to
spread the word as much as we can and
increase brand awareness among trade
buyers and consumers to ensure there’s
a demand from brides. We’re organising
designer weekends at the store and
advertising this through the bridal press to
generate awareness and create demand.
We’ll continue to work closely with
the press who we’ve already had a very
positive response from. We’re confident
that Flora Bridal is set to become the next
hottest luxury bridal brand. A
Alex
Contact
Daniel Poindexter and
Russell Blackburn
at dexterblackagency@
gmail.com
ATTIRE 119
the print revolution
Dids Macdonald, CEO of Anti Copying in Design, discusses the
opportunities and IP challenges of 3D printing.
For designer makers, the development of
three-dimensional (3D) printing has matured
to deliver added value so that 3D objects can
be more tailor made and bespoke, offering
broader manufacturing scope. It also offers
affordable options for prototyping in the design
development process, from idea to marketplace.
The evolution of 3D printers started some 30
years ago and is now developing at break-neck
speed so no longer is this the domain of larger,
more established companies but is now much
more accessible to SMEs.
Whilst 3D printing opens up many
possibilities, realistically, designers have to
evaluate the challenges, especially where
intellectual property is concerned. So what can
3D printing do? Nick Kounoupias, ACID’s
Chief Legal Counsel and ACID Legal Affiliate
says, “At present there are commercially available
printers that can be purchased that can produce
objects in three dimensions made from acrylic,
most fabrics, plastics, precious metals and certain
hard metals such as steel. So anything from
clothes and fashionable dresses to bicycles, parts
120 ATTIRE
for cars and robots can be produced without
the need for industrial premises or skilled
craftsmanship. Currently, genuine parts are
routinely made for the automobile and aerospace
industries using this technology. Incredibly, I
have even heard of certain guns being produced
from 3D printing.”
So what are the legal implications? “These
developments will cause legal uncertainty, much
like the arrival of creative content supplied
digitally did. Whilst it’s very early days to
consider what changes will be needed to the
existing IP laws, it’s obvious that more and more
patents have already been sought, and granted
for 3D printers. Increasingly, however, the
focus will also need to be placed on enhancing
the protection afforded to unregistered and
registered designs under UK and EU laws. To
this end it was very encouraging that last year
the IP Act 2014 made it a criminal offence to
intentionally copy a registered design. Copyright
laws have very limited applicability to objects in
three dimensions and not at all where products
have been created through industrial means.
“The real challenges to the law will come when
commercial competitors and organised criminals
identify opportunities to produce cheap and
poor imitation copies of well-known or novel
furniture designs without huge investment, or
risk, using 3D printing technology. What is then
likely to happen is that the infringers will reverse
engineer genuine furniture to understand how
it’s been made, then feed this information into
computer aided design software, using this to
create prototypes by 3D printing and finally,
mass producing them.
“The implications are mind boggling. If entire
and working cars can be manufactured in just
44 hours, how long will it take to reproduce less
complicated products? 3D printing offers many
opportunities to companies wishing to trade
legitimately within all industries. But it also
offers opportunities to those wishing to trade
illegally. The challenge for the creative industries
and for law makers is to ensure that the existing
laws offer maximum protection and to ensure
that they’re fit for the 21st century. If they need
changing, lobbying organisations such as ACID
must be supported to ensure that those changes
are identified, supported and implemented.”
Design registration makes absolute sense but
it’s limited to preventing copies for commercial
purposes (and it’s the same with unregistered
rights) so this presents design ownership
challenges when the ‘would be’ creator at home
uses your design for domestic purposes, thus
cutting the original design out of the equation.
For the majority of UK designers, who rely on
unregistered design rights, the ACID Design
Databank offers third party evidential proof
of a design’s existence from the date the design
is lodged.
Nick Kounoupias of DMH Stallard is one of
the leading figures in the UK IP world handling
all kind of IP disputes, Nick is well known for his
lobbying, he’s also a fully accredited mediator. A
CONTACT
To find out more,
visit the website
www.acid.uk.com
Sue Mackintosh Designs
formerly of Rose Belinda
STUNNING OCCASION HEADWEAR
Designed and made in the UK
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Twitter
WEB WATCH
Attire Bridal is at the heart of the online bridal
community. Here’s a quick update on what’s
been happening…
Total num
ber
followers of
:
7,850!
SHORT AND TWEET
Talented bridalwear designer, Monika Kashimbaya,
explains why Twitter is such an invaluable social
network for her business.
Company Name: La Poésie
Follow me at: @lapoesiebridal
When did you set up a Twitter account and what prompted
you to do so?
I set up an account in January, 2014 on the advice of Annabel
Beeforth who writes the popular wedding blog, Love My Dress.
,EW]SYVFYWMRIWWFIRIÁXIHEWEVIWYPX#-JWSLS[#
Twitter has been a great way to connect with brides and fellow
wedding professionals.
,S[SJXIRHS]SYX[IIXERH[LEXHS]SYX[IIXEFSYX#
I tweet several times a week to share inspiration, ideas, trends, news,
events and media coverage for La Poésie.
;LEXEHZMGI[SYPH]SYKMZIXSÁVWXXMQIX[IIXIVW#
Talk about the things you love and inspire you.
;LMGLFVMHEPGSQTERMIWHS]SYIRNS]JSPPS[MRKSR8[MXXIV#
It’s amazing being part of such a creative community. I love following
photographers, stationery designers, florists, cake decorators and many
more. They’re so talented and their work is visually stunning. A
This month on Twitter we’ve mainly been:
°Showcasing our March/April issue
°Retweeting hot industry stories
°Welcoming new followers
°Looking forward to London Bridal Fashion Week
Welcome to our
newest followers:
@lavenderlilybb
@rachelscottacc
@lulaandrye
Bridal boutique in
Castlederg, Co Tyrone
Luxury bridal
accessories boutique
Bespoke props for
creative events
@elena_ferrara
@weddingsbyron
@serenitybrides
Couture bridal
wear designer
Wedding and
event planner
Bridal shop in
Colchester, Essex
We’re now following:
Formalwear hire
Bridal lingerie
Bridal boutique
@youngs_hireuk
Young’s Hire
@alteregolingeri
Alterego Lingerie
@suffolkbridalco
The Suffolk
Bridal Company
ATTIRE 123
ATTIRE
Bridal
Online
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
124 ATTIRE
ATTIRE 124
Next issue
Next Issue
Nicki Macfarlane
Jasmine Design
Mother’s day
Glamorous occasionwear
Focus on
jewellery
Samantha
Wills
Little women
Pretty flowergirl dresses
We track the trends
Window dressing
Striking store displays
ISSUE 48
July/August 2015
Advertising deadline: 5th June, 2015
Available from: 26th June, 2015
Plus
Business tips
News and events
Retail technology
ATTIRE 127
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On Display
<UP[-5VY[OÅLL[0UKZ[,Z[3V^LY9VHK5VY[OÅLL[2LU[+( :>
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We offer a fast, reliable and friendly service on our continually
increasing range (currently over 3,500 choices) of bridal fabrics,
embroidered and beaded edgings, motifs and accessories.
Our range of dress accessories now exceeds 950+ articles including
many brooches and buckles with crystals.
Showing at: Interbride in Dusseldorf, Germany, 6th - 9th June
The Harrogate Bridal Show, 13th - 15th September
Email: [email protected] - www.michaelsbridalfabrics.co.uk
Glamour n Glitz Shoes
Shoes for All Occasions
Weddings, Proms, Mother of the Bride
www.glitzshoes.com
RUJHWLQWRXFK6DOHV2IÀFH
e-mail [email protected]
ATTIRE 121
Be prepared
Eve Broadhurst, Creative Director and Co-Owner of The White Closet,
offers some top tips on securing the right labels for your boutique.
As the buying season approaches, most bridal
boutiques dedicate some time to reflecting on
the year’s sales. We look at which dresses are
repeating and, therefore, which ones are paying
their way. If a designer has had a very successful
year but their 2015 collection is weak, this may
indicate a time to revisit some earlier collections
and previous best sellers.
Designers love you to buy from their current
collections and it’s important to represent a full
range; however, if this is at the expense of actual
sales then it might be time to consider all of
your options.
Spatial awareness
Rail space is gold dust in our precious boutiques.
We put our lives and souls into designing the
layout so it will always be difficult to permit
dresses to hang there that simply don’t fit, earn
their keep or attract brides. Therefore, a degree of
firm, emotionless culling must always take place
to keep your composition attractive. No bride
likes rummaging through over-stuffed rails, so
be bold.
“We believe our successful
business is largely down to our own
ability to promote our boutique,
and we expect designers to have a
similar approach.”
Walky-talky
Discussing ordering plans and expectations
with fellow boutique owners is a wonderful way
of making sure you aren’t a victim of an overzealous or intimidating designer. Transparency is
a wonderful thing and can help in negotiations.
We’re always happy to discuss orders with our
fellow stockists and are in regular contact with
friends and colleagues in the industry. We love
knowing what our neighbouring bridal stores
130 ATTIRE
have on their rails and will always give a referral
to a bride if we don’t have a particular sample or
colourway in stock.
Nice list/naughty list
Every designer has a team of dedicated staff who
are there to help with your orders, advise you on
products, manage your accounts and work with
you on designer weekends. The quality of their
care has always influenced our buying trips and
is just as important as the sales figures. Just as a
‘bridal boutique is only as good as its seamstress’
– a designer is only as good as its staff.
A positive year with a good team makes
our buying trips enjoyable and relaxed, which
immediately reflects higher orders. Distant and
un-helpful staff will always result in tense,
target-focused buying sessions and, ultimately,
lowers orders.
It’s always tricky if you love the team behind
the label, but the dresses simply don’t sell. In this
case, you have to follow the business head over
the heart.
Love thy self
Ask yourself, how much has the designer
promoted their collections and your stockist
status? We invest each year in our gorgeous
designers’ collections and, likewise, they choose
who can stock its gowns. This relationship is
based on a mutual appreciation of each other’s
skills. We believe our successful business is
largely down to our own ability to promote our
boutique, and we expect designers to have a
similar approach. This shouldn’t be at an extra
expense to ourselves.
We don’t ask the designers to finance our
promotional events, advertising spaces or press
costs and they shouldn’t expect it of us.
If we’ve had a year of minimal profit margins
as a result of spending extra on advertising pages
for designers, it has an immediate effect on our
budget per designer as we must then include this
as an expected cost.
It’s in the interest of the designer to manage
their own advertising and leave our budgets free
to buy lovely dresses.
These are just a few tips for the pre-buying
season so it’s time to get cracking – see you all at
the coming trade shows. A
Contact
The White Closet
www.thewhitecloset.co.uk

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