Only this very morning, through the marvel of Twitter, was I being congratulated on steering a styled photo shoot that was original. In my semi-conscious, duvet world and with the typical ‘girl brushing off a compliment’ way I replied it’s because I’ve been in bridal wear a long time.
For my brides this could mean one of two things.
Firstly that I could be slightly jaded and keep rehashing old patterns to new customers year after year. (I would love to name check a small retail chain that does this but I think that way danger lies!) Indeed very unoriginal.
Secondly, and the way of Miss Bush, is that I am constantly seeking reinventions, exploring season after season what it means to be a bride this year, this month. Bridalwear is a narrow aesthetic. True you can get married in your jeans – in which case a specific wedding dress shop is redundant. Walk into a wedding dress shop and you want to see clothes that are recognisably bridal. Whether that is the colour, the length or the fit. So one of my greatest challenges is to find dresses or garments that say ‘I’m a bride’ that don’t look like they’ve come from a clip art folder. Generic or derivative dresses are all very well – I have been just recently been to a trade show where there are thousands – so I assume they must sell.
My aim is to dress brides in a frock that is fabulous on the day and remembered by their guests forever after the wedding! As such my brides and I seem to gravitate to each other and Lucy here is one such bride.
“My “Eve” dress by Jenny Packham was perfect for me. I remember coming into your shop, after my best friend Sarah (Sarah Timothy nee Meade) urged me to try your dresses. After trying on several enormous gowns at other shops, it was a relief to try something that I didn’t feel so drowned in. And you were the only shop that actually advised me on what type of dress suited me, something I am very grateful for!”
“.. My new husband loved it too, and you can see his surprise at my dress in one of the photos below (he really is checking my dress out!). Richard didn’t know that wedding dresses existed without the enormous skirts…”
