Archive for the ‘Interviews’ Category

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We Love…HT Headwear

Friday, January 7th, 2011

Here’s another installment in our ‘We Love…’ blog interviews and today we talk to Helena Talbot, designer and founder of HT Headwear. Read on to find out more about this fascinating milliner…

HT Headwear logo

Hello Helena, tell us a bit about your yourself. HT Headwear was established shortly after I got married and couldn’t find the perfect little something for myself and my bridesmaids to wear in their hair that was affordable without compromising on style.  I wanted something totally unique without breaking the bank or having the same as everybody else had from a high street store!

How did you get into the industry? I did a millinery course after Uni for a bit of fun and started making headpieces for friends then it phased out whilst I went travelling and started up again a year ago when I made pieces for my own wedding.

What’s your best seller? Iridessa in my SS10 collection

HT Iridessa

Which designer from your industry inspires you and why? There are many designers I find inspiring but Jenny Packham really stands out, I just love her work!

Tell us about someone you follow on Twitter that we should be following or a fashion-related blog that our fans should be reading and why. Love My Dress is a great blog, with fabulous features and ideas for vintage themed weddings.

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Celebrity shoppers? Our pieces are really for anyone and everyone.  I would love to see a whole range of celebs in them from Lilly Allen to Kate Middleton!

What are you looking forward to for the coming year? We have a really exciting year ahead with our fabulous new collection just being launched and some great shows such as Designer Vintage Bridal show that we are attending!  We have a couple of exciting new wholesale accounts on board too which we are loving working with and have met some really inspiring people in the industry this year that we very much look forward to working with in the new year!

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In your industry, tell us what you think is going to be hot next season.  Birdcage veils will continue to rule the roost as will floral headpieces and vintage inspired work.

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Describe your personal fashion style.   I’m not a huge fan of following fashion.  If I like something and it looks good I buy it.  I’m a lot more practical now I’m a mum to a full on 15mth old!

What is your biggest fashion faux pas? A floor length electric blue dress with a see thru panel in I went clubbing in years ago -  I thought I looked fab of course! Just awful!!!

Think back to an early ‘shoe’ purchase when you were younger, describe them please.  I remember a pair of platform boots I brought when I was at college from a charity shop.  They were beautiful soft brown leather with a huge platform on them – I only wore them once and nearly broke both ankles!!

What is your favourite pair of Rachel Simpson shoes? Marilyn

Pick a pair of Rachel Simpson Shoes and match it to something you sell, why this combination? The Mimi paired with our Ophelia piece from the new collection, sheer classic beauty married together!

HT OpheliaMimi Ivory pair low res

Describe Rachel Simpson Shoes in three words. Elegant, timeless, beautiful.

If Rachel Simpson Shoes is known for its vintage inspiration and simply beautiful shoes, what is your company synonymous with? Beautifully bespoke handcrafted headpieces that can be treasured forever.

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Ding Dong Merrily…

Friday, December 31st, 2010

Melle Cloche

…we are very happy to be introducing to you a brand new stockist for Rachel Simpson Shoes – A sister act opening their own bridal accessories boutique in Glasgow, who have spotted what the city so sorely needs and taken matters into their own hands…

Sisters Jacks and Lisa Bell open Belle Cloche – a bridal accessories boutique that stocks up to the minute, vintage and vintage inspired pieces. Sourced globally, the sisters have both the knowledge (Jacks’ background is in retail and buying, while Lisa runs her own design firm) and the diversity to offer the Scottish bride-to-be an eclectic mix of well known brands including Rachel Simpson, Sasso, Tallulah Love, Louis Mariette and Flo & Percy to name a few and also niche designers who can make bespoke items.

Melle Cloche interior

“While both our weddings were very different (one was a traditional Scottish castle with kilts do’ while the other was an Uber glam affair at the Waldorf Astoria in New York) we both felt that traditional bridal shops only offered a choice of dress and everything else, underwear, jewellery, bags, even gifts for the bridesmaids, was kind of left alone.  Any bride knows that details really do matter on your wedding day, but with so many other things to remember, they can easily get forgotten – so Melle Cloche was born. We both love glamour but are very different from each other, so we hope that our choice of designers reflects this.  We have found some incredible people and brands and as we don’t stock more than a few of the same item, we make sure that every bride is totally original. The fact that we are sisters just seemed to tie up the wedding theme beautifully – family, understanding and future”.

With one of the Miss Bells (Melle Cloche, gettit?) living in Monte-Carlo, the romantic, cosy boutique has a distinctive Marie-Antoinette-ness to it. More importantly, the Bell sisters are friendly, professional and very likable. While the hubbies and mothers are well catered for, the brides are looked after by the fashion savvy girls, making sure that nothing is overlooked.

“We just really love weddings”…

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We Heart…Emma Case

Sunday, December 26th, 2010

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

We hope you had a lovely day yesterday, full of festive fun, plenty of over-indulgence and general merriment!

Now you have some time to yourself and you are flicking through the pages of your favourite websites (don’t forget our Boxing Day sale!), take five to meet Emma Case. If you are not aware of this amazing young lady, then read on – one hell of a creative, talented photographer with a lover of all things unique and vintage…

Emma Case LogoTell us a bit about your company My name is Emma Case and my little business is ‘Emma Case Photography’.   I live in Birmingham, next to Cadbury World with my cat Maximo and my boy Pete.  I am an alternative wedding photographer who specialises in vintage inspired weddings and love working with couples that like to do things a bit differently.  I shot my first wedding in October 2009 for a friend and by the end of 2010 I will have shot 27 weddings!  It has been the most wonderful year and I am so, so lucky to be shooting what I’m shooting!

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How did you get into the industry? Pete had proposed to me the same year that he bought me a camera… I started experimenting with the camera and at the same time browsing the internet for wedding ideas… I was typing in ‘vintage’ photographer, ‘alternative‘ photographer and nothing came up.  I then found all these amazing wedding photographs from America and I was hooked!  A friend then asked if I would shoot her wedding… it was a vintage style wedding so I sent it to Rock n’ Roll Bride as that had been a blog that I had been reading and drooling over for a while… Kat blogged the wedding and all of a sudden I had quite a few enquiries.  It pretty much snow balled from there!

Emma Case RockNRollBride-50

Which designer from your industry inspires you and why? Featherlove Photography has been a huge influence to me with regards to style, staying true to who you are, to not be afraid of doing things differently… we were lucky enough to do an Engagement shoot with her when she was in London for a few days.  That was a pretty big moment for me.

Tell us about someone you follow on Twitter that we should be following or an fashion-related blog that our fans should be reading and why. I think if you are in the wedding industry or if you’re a bride then Rock ‘n Roll Bride and Love My Dress are pretty much a sure thing.  You’ll also find everyone else through them too so it’s the perfect place to start!

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Celebrity shoppers? I am so proud to say that my clients are all genuinely lovely people who I love to spend time with.  No celebrities I’m afraid… but I hope that they feel like a celebrity with their wedding photos

What are you looking forward to for the rest of the year? Lots more shooting, lots more weddings, the Designer Vintage Bridal Show, maybe looking at running a workshop, doing a charity project abroad, a better work/life balance…

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In your industry, tell us what you think is going to be hot next season. I think photography is just going to get better and better.  When my first wedding was blogged by Kat, it seemed that most of the weddings featured were American… now we have a good, strong group of British wedding photographers that are exciting, beautiful, alternative, modern, crazy… and we’re all really supportive of each other… it’s a great community to be a part of.

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Describe your personal fashion style. Most of my wardrobe contains floral, vintage dresses.  I’m a sucker for floral. Which is funny because when I was growing up I hated floral (I was a bit of a tom boy).  I’m also partial to a fur coat and a headband.  I love my headbands.

What is your biggest fashion faux pas? A shell suit?… but I was about 11 and I am technically a Scouser so it doesn’t count.

Think back to an early ‘shoe’ purchase when you were younger, describe them please. I had a pair of topshop heels that were a beautiful tan colour with a peep toe and thin straps across the toes… I loved them but couldn’t walk in them very well so used to just look at them a lot and only wear them when I knew I would be sitting down!

What is your favourite pair of Rachel Simpson shoes? I think Mimi are my favourite… they are beautiful and very vintage.. and I know that I would be comfortable wearing them too…

Mimi Ivory pair low res

Describe Rachel Simpson Shoes in three words. Elegant, vintage, luxury

If Rachel Simpson Shoes is known for its vintage inspiration and simply beautiful shoes, what is your company synonymous with?
Honest, emotional and vintage inspired wedding photography

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Whimsical Wonderland Weddings

Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

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Check out this fabulous blog site for all things whimsical and weddings.  And whilst your there, have a read on our guest blog to help you choose the perfect wedding shoe for you and your bridal party.

Read more here…

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Cornish Delight

Monday, December 6th, 2010

Our friends at Wedding Ideas and Inspirations sent us a link to their fabulous blog recently and what a nice surprise to see a pair of our shoes on the gorgeous bride Vicki!

Bride and groom, Vicki and Jon got married in the beautiful Cornish village of St Agnes and you can read more about it here.

This divine picture is courtesy of Lyndsey Goddard Photography.

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Simply Beautiful Bride

Sunday, October 31st, 2010

It’s not often we are stuck for words here at Rachel Simpson Shoes HQ but when we got an email from a very happy newly wed, thanking us for her shoes – it took a good hour of complete silence whilst we gazed jealously through her amazing photographs (taken by the ultra talented Emma Coleman from Blink Photography).

Jill and very lucky hubbie Neil were married at Southwark Cathedral (an incredible and most fitting backdrop) and their wedding day was featured recently on the most rock and roll of bridal blog sites RocknRollBride.com.

So after pulling ourselves together we, with the permission of Emma at Blink and Jill & Neil, borrowed a couple of pics to show you – you can see the rest of them here and make sure to gather some refreshments around you and take your sweet time to look through them – our favourite, well it just has to be the wedding transport and of course our beautiful Flo in all her glory! Ah we wish we could do it all again!

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By Royal Appointment…

Saturday, October 30th, 2010

We love our friends at Queen and Bowl, a gorgeous online boutique selling the most gorgeous, vintage inspired jewellery and accessories for the discerning bride to be (including yours truly’s shoes!).

So we were extra delighted to be featured heavily in their recent blog about finding the perfect pair of low heels for your wedding day.

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Take a look at the whole article here.

Thank you Queen and Bowl, you are truly fabulous!

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We Love…

Monday, October 25th, 2010

bellissima

Our wedding suppliers and stockists are truly fabulous boutiques and shops that dedicate their whole lives to all things bridal and beautiful and when we caught up with the truly talented Laura Daly recently, she was certainly no exception!

Tell us a bit about your company

Bellissima Weddings opened as small boutique, run by myself, but demand far outstripped our changing room space and we moved premises to accommodate the ever-growing sea of brides. Nine years later finds us with a shop covering 3,000 sq feet of retail space!

How did you get into the industry?

I trained as a dancer and moved to Rome to work on the TV. I also used to act in commercials and got into modelling, finding my niche in Bridal modelling.

Which designer from your industry inspires you and why?

Ian Stuart because he constantly pushes the barriers of what a bridal gown ‘should’ look like and he isn’t afraid to take chances. Even his most way-out designs are always super-flattering and well-constructed.

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Celebrity shoppers- who buys your product or who would you love to see wearing your product?

Although it would be great to dress celebs, I am more than happy to do what we do now and dress ‘normal’ girls – but make them FEEL like a celebrity themselves. I do think that Rachel Simpson shoes should be walking up every red carpet in the world – I’m sure it’s only a matter of time!

In your industry, tell us what you think is going to be hot next season

Vintage lace, cap sleeves, ribbon belts with flower corsages, boned corset tops instead of the ruched ones we have seen so much of lately

Describe your personal fashion style
Eclectic! Depending on how I feel when I wake up – sometimes I’m an All Saints girl – sometimes I like to be a Vintage Queen and sometimes I like to be all blinged up!

What is your biggest fashion faux pas?
Suede hot pants bought in Morocco –don’t remind me – please!

Think back to an early ‘shoe’ purchase when you were younger, describe them please

I had Clarkes shoes until I was about 14 – no heels and all black or brown lace ups! After constant nagging I was allowed a pair of fashion shoes – Tan wedge sandals with a cream sole – How I loved them – I wore them until they literally fell to bits! To compensate now I celebrate my inner Imelda and own about 100 pairs of shoes and sandals!

What is your favourite pair of Rachel Simpson shoes?

That’s a hard question – I love them all but I have a soft spot for ‘Marilyn’ – soft suede and silk combo – yummy!

Marilyn pair low resPick a pair of Rachel Simpson Shoes and match it to something you sell, why this combination?

Lilly in Ivory and a new Ian Stuart gown ‘Japonica’ – vintage lace at its best – delicate and timeless but sexy too!

Lilly Ivory pair low resDescribe Rachel Simpson Shoes in three words

OUR FAVOURITE SHOES!

If Rachel Simpson Shoes is known for its vintage inspiration and simply beautiful shoes, what is your company synonymous with?

Happy, Stylish Brides X

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Let Them Eat Cake!

Friday, October 8th, 2010

Caroline from CCCWe found a new delicious friend! Caroline a la Caroline’s Cake Company designs and makes scrumptious bespoke cakes for any occasion, particularly for corporate clients and weddings.  We snatched a few minutes with her (and a slice of cake!) to find out more about her…

Tell us a bit about your company
I started Caroline’s Cake Company in August 2008 following 3 years of classes at the College of Food and countless orders for cakes from family and friends.  Since then the business has grown and developed beyond my wildest dreams and I’m lucky that I get to spend my time meeting amazing clients and creating delightful cakes for their weddings and celebrations.  I particularly love making wedding cakes.  There are so many aspects of a wedding to inspire the cake design – the dress, the venue, the invitations – and the clients themselves of course!  My wedding cakes are unique and my clients know they have a creation designed just for them.

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What’s your best seller?
I don’t have a best seller as each cake is individually designed for the client but my chocolate mud cake is definitely my bestselling flavour!

Which designer from your industry inspires you and why?
I love the work of Melody Brandon of My Sweet and Saucy.  I love the simplicity of her wedding cake designs but the bold use of sugar flowers and moulds to give depth and interest.  As well as being inspired by her work I am inspired by how her business has evolved.  She has managed to establish exciting relationships with wedding planners, who can utilise her creative talent, and photographers who can capture her amazing work so beautifully.

A beautiful messTell us someone to follow on Twitter or a blog that our fans should be reading
I love to read the blog A Beautiful Mess.  It’s written by Elsie Flannigan, a designer, based in the US, and owner of the Red Velvet shop – “an independent boutique full of magical handmade and vintage things”.  I love her style, I love her passion for life and I’d love to make her wedding cake!

Celebrity shoppers- who buys your product?
I haven’t received any celebrity client commissions to date, although the food writer from the Birmingham Post placed an order after he interviewed me and sampled my cakes, does that count?

What are you looking forward to for the rest of the year?
I’m looking forward to building relationships with other members of the wedding industry, participating in my first event in November and growing with every new commission.

What is your biggest fashion faux pas?
The patchwork dungarees I wore at university – the shame follows me even now…

Think back to an early ‘shoe’ purchase when you were younger, describe them please
When I was young I used to hate my burgundy Clarks scuff proof school shoes, I used to rub them against a wall to try to wear them out!  So the shoes that stick in head are my first ‘non-Clarks’ ones -  they were grey mary janes and when I was wearing them I thought I was the bees knees…but they did only last a term before I wore them out!

What is your favourite pair of Rachel Simpson shoes?
If I’m only allowed to choose one then it would be Carmen.  I love art deco shapes and styles and the fan shape Rachel uses on the shoe screams 1920s glamour.  I’d love to use the fan and colours as inspiration for a matching art deco style wedding cake…

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Describe Rachel Simpson Shoes in three words
Wow, wow, wow.

If Rachel Simpson Shoes is known for its vintage inspiration and simply beautiful shoes, what is your company synonymous with?
A love of cake and creating beautiful works of art!

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We Love….

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

Vintage Sparkle Company

Hi Paula, tell us a bit about your company
Before I had my children I was an accountant but I’ve always loved vintage jewellery.  I spent my pocket money as a child at auctions on anything sparkly and I started jewellery making after my son was poorly as a baby and I spent many hours at the hospital with nothing to do.  I started with earrings to give to his nurses by way of a thank you.  My son is 100% fine now and I learnt a skill that I love . My first vintage piece that I made was for me to wear to a friend’s wedding,  I had 3 custom orders at the end of the day and the Vintage Sparkle Company was born.

Which designer from your industry inspires you and why?
I love wedding dress designers that have embraced vintage styles into their collections. Looking at the styles inspires me to create headpieces to compliment them. One of my favourites is Madeline Isaac James.

Tell us about someone you follow on Twitter
@cherrypielane – Charlie has just finished making me a custom sign for the business which is lovely. An all round fantastic tweep!!

Celebrity shoppers- who buys your product or who would you love to see wearing your product?
I would love to see Florence Welch from Florence and the Machine wearing one of my headpieces on stage. I love her style and uniqueness.

What are you looking forward to for the rest of the year?
I’m really looking forward to wedding exhibition season, I love meeting brides and hearing about their plans.  This month I am introducing 20 new vintage headpieces to my collection and a new vintage necklace collection.

Tell us what you think is going to be hot next season
Marcasite jewellery and headpieces are going to be even hotter next season. They are the perfect for brides who want a classic vintage style, and are beautifully  complimented by vintage pearls.

doc martenThink back to an early ‘shoe’ purchase when you were younger, describe them please
My sister is 7 years older then me and bought a pair of doc martens, I thought she was so cool. I saved and did every pocket money job possible at the age of 13 until I had nearly enough money. My sister then gave me the rest and took me shopping. I went to bed in them that night and I still have them in their box in my wardrobe now.

Roxy Hot Pink low resWhat is your favourite pair of Rachel Simpson shoes?
My favourite pair of shoes at this minute and it changes regularly is Roxy in hot pink. I love a bit of pink and I have the perfect vintage pink diamante necklace to go with them.

Pick a pair of Rachel Simpson Shoes and match it to something you sell, why this combination?
I would pick Duchess from the stunning Pearl collection and I would match this with Rosa. Rosa like Duchess was based on a 1920’s regal theme. The marcasite would work really well with the ivory brocade detailing.

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Describe Rachel Simpson Shoes in three words
Vintage, Elegant, Stylish

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