We’ve made no secret about our girl crush on the fabulous Kat at Rock ‘n Roll Bride and so when she approached us recently and asked if she could borrow a pair of our shoes for a photoshoot she was involved with, we said ‘Hell Yeah!’ and here is the result…
Our beautiful Marilyn on her tootsies and our very talented friend Sharper Millinery‘s bow and detachable veil combo on Kat’s head.
The images are courtesy of Eye Imagine Photography.
Last week was a busy one, starting with a fabulous day at The Vintage Wedding Fair last Sunday. The venue was The Assembly in Leamington Spa- a spectacular fifties music hall, complete with Venus inspired wallpaper designed exclusively by Laurence Llewylen-Bowen (really!). Not my taste for your average bedroom, but worked in the setting.
As ever there were a great selection of exhibitors, with a great choice of original vintage dresses and accessories. Out stand over looked the main hall so we had a prime view of The Polka Dot Dolls- a truly amazing three piece band who looked and sounded more than the part! Some songs made you want to dance whilst other brought a tear to your eye (We’ll meet again..sniff).
Another unusual find was The Wedding Sonneteer, who used to work in Stratford re-enacting scenes from Shakespeare but now travels the country performing live poetry. Great fun for an unusual addition to your wedding or event.
Monday was an early start, flying out to our fabulous factories in Spain to put the finishing touches to the new collection. It really is looking delicious (if I say so myself) and I can’t wait to show you some pics. Not too long to wait and should be launching a few exclusives over the next few weeks- watch this space!
This weekend saw the first Designer Bridal Show at the very gorgeous Hotel Du Vin in Birmingham. Some fab exhibitors once again, including Harvey Nics (resisted a pair of nude Louboutins), Steve Gerrard and The Boutique Baking Company (resisted delicious cakes..must be ill..). Fashion shows from The Wedding Club showed a stunning variety of gowns with shoes from yours truly. Oh, and thank you to the fabulous staff for keeping visitors and exhibitors topped up with delicious pink cava (hic!)..
This week how can I start with anything other than the fact that… EMMA CASE got married!! The photos on our yummy new website are courtesy of the very talented Ms Case, and we were invited to her 30th birthday party on Saturday.
The theme was 1950s High School Prom, so along we all tottered petticoated and red-lipsticked up to the hilt, and enjoyed gorgeous yummy treats from the ever creative Boutique Baking Company.
The stunningly styled room was full of fab peeps including the funky Kat from Rock n Roll bride, the lovely Annabel (Love My Dress), the elegant Lucy Ledger (of the beautiful stationery!) and the beautiful Debbie (of the lovely DC Bouquets!) amongst many others! Cheeky Mr Steve Gerrard photographed the event, complete with photobooth and comedy props..oh dear watch this space for very amusing pics coming soon…
As if a 30th birthday party wasn’t enough, halfway through the night everyone gathered on the dancefloor, where a stunning Emma re-appeared, wearing a beautiful vintage wedding dress from Fur Coat No Knickers and thus their marriage earlier that day was revealed. After the most beautiful speeches and the most romantic first dance EVER, there wasn’t a dry eye on the dancefloor. Congratulations to Emma and Pete and we wish you all the love in the very sunny world..
Also this week we popped up to the British Bridal Exhibition in Harrogate, to have a nosey at the show and also pop along to the Bridal Buyer Awards 2011, for which we were nominated as Best Bridal Shoe Company. We didn’t take the trophy (although were pleased with the cheers!), but did have a very enjoyable evening sharing a table with Jenny Packham, Halo and Co, Anthony Formalwear and La Boutique. Congrats to all the winners, but especially Jenny Packham and Anthony Formalwear, as we got to share their winners champagne! 
New samples new samples new samples..! How excited were we when a nice big box of samples arrived at RS HQ earlier in the week? These are for the brand new Rose Collection, which launches mid-May and we can’t wait!
There are some out and out beauties as well as a bit of a new direction so watch this space for more reveals! You can always join our mailing list and be among the first to know! Wish we could post a piccie but it’s a bit early at the moment so we’re going to stay all secretive but as soon as we can I promise we will!
Last Thursday I had a great time at the very stylish Bonne Fete’s designer evening at The Wedding Club. The lovely Amanda had decorated the shop as beautifully as ever, and once again I had to resist nabbing all the vintage style candlelabras, tealight holders, place settings, candles.. the whole lot to be honest! The evening was also shared with the fabulous Amy from Little A florists and Terry from TerryTerry jewellery, who kept us all amused with stories best not put into a blog..;-)
Thanks to everyone who came to the incredibly busy Sutton Vintage Fair yesterday- what a great way to spend a Sunday, eating cupcakes and rummaging through beautiful vintage goodies! I chatted to lots of our lovely brides and met lots of new ones, whilst managing not to buy the whole place (See, I’ve been good this week!). We fell in love with Laura’s handmade ceramic hearts which would make fab favours or decorations- mega creative lady! Thanks to Sabina and Ava for organising the event, and watch this space for details of the next one.
Big vintage love to our friends at Vintage Frocks n Crocks and Sharper Millinery too for just being fabulous and always flying the flag for gorgeousness.
Right, I’m off to Harrogate to visit the British Bridal Exhibition..and hopefully fit in a cheeky visit to Betty’s Tea Rooms time permitting..;-)
Have a great week!
There’s nothing better than the smell of freshly made..shoes! Seriously. And how happy we were to receive delivery of several hundred pairs last week (apart from the lovely Karina, who unpacked every last pair onto the shelves, wow)! We’re now pleased to announce we are back in stock of all your favourites in all sizes and spent a busy day dispatching shoes to very patient brides who had backorders!
It’s been a busy old week on Twitter as ever, and I’m thrilled to see we reached the 1000 followers mark- whoop! Not quite Stephen Fry just yet but I like to think we’re getting there.. Follow us @rachelshoes..
Facebook’s also been buzzing, with everyone getting excited about this weekend’s Sutton Vintage Fair. We’ll be there in the brand new bridal room, with the likes of Terry Terry (loving his new season Vintage Bling range- fab!). But don’t think it’s just for brides-to-be, the fair is a veritable Aladdin’s cave of gorgeous vintage goodies, and we’ll be bringing a few bargains from our discontinued styles- while stocks last!
Why not pop along to Sutton Town Hall this Sunday? It starts at 11am but we’ll fight you for the best bargains..elbows at the ready..
Rachel xxx
This morning I just have to tell you about Sadler’s Wells’ fabulous new musical Shoes which opened in London earlier this month. What can I say? Two hours of toe-tapping, foot-stomping, laugh out loud fun, including numbers such as “Imelda Argues With The Nation’, ‘Flip Flop Paradigm’ and ‘Sneaker Addict’- I was hooked!
Thanks to Louise and Vicky (pictured) from the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre for a great day out. Naturally after all those shoes we just had to squeeze in a bit of retail therapy, followed by dinner in Soho. Got my eye on Priscilla for the next trip..or maybe just a 20ft fairy light drenched shoe over the front porch.. Shoes runs until 3rd April and I would thoroughly recommend a trip.
This week I’ve also fallen a bit more in love with the beautiful Emma Case- if you’ve not already checked out her amazing photography of last weekend’s Designer Vintage Bridal Show, have a look at the fab blogs from Rock n Roll Bride and Love My Dress on our Facebook page. To top it all off I was uber excited to come into work today to a CD of images packaged so beautifully I just had to share it with you- complete with cute little EC magnets!
I’m also getting ridiculously excited about our very new, very fabulous website which will be launching tomorrow (exclusive!). The fabulous Matt has worked his magic once again and made it even easier (and more fun) to shop at our online boutique. Keep an eye out tomorrow and let us know what you think via our Facebook page.
We’re still busy sending out beautiful shoes, but are keeping our energy levels up with never ending cups of tea and biscuits.. I personally think it’s pro-longed withdrawal symptoms from last week’s afternoon teas from the Boutique Baking Company..
Rxx
Ps- also bought the cutest little t-bars from Bertie, positively edible!
You know the feeling you get the morning after an incredible day or an amazing party? That combination of contentment, tiredness and slight post-event blues? Sitting at my desk after the weekend of the very first Designer Vintage Bridal Show feels just like that.
Where to start? When we came up with the idea we wanted an event where people would stay all day, meet new people, see some lovely stuff for their wedding and generally have a great day out. About 3pm on the Saturday I walked into the bar and right into a scene from a 1940s party, with groups in vintage clothing, sat sipping cocktails to the sound of vintage gramophone records, whilst Rock n Roll Bride and Love My Dress blogged away in the corner.
Earlier I’d had another ‘pinch me’ moment, looking over the balcony to the beautiful afternoon tea party going on below, with lovingly themed tables courtesy of Bonne Fete and Little A and delicious cakes your grandma would be be proud of from The Boutique Baking Company.
When you plan something you do all you can to set it up, but it really is the people who make it. I am humbled to work with such creative and talented exhibitors, each with such a passion for what they do. I apologise for my emotional ramblings, but I want to say a huge THANK YOU to each and every one of them for making the event such an amazing weekend, and to all the others who worked away behind the scenes- you know who you are.
Thanks too to the hundreds of visitors who braved the drizzle and came to be a part of the show. We had so many lovely comments and we’re so pleased you enjoyed it as much as we did- it makes all the hard work worthwhile. It was great to meet so many of you and we were delighted to send so many of you home with shiny new shoes for the big day! See you at the next event- Sutton Vintage Fair on 13th March.
Much love, Rachelxx
Photo is of just a few of the RS team and personal thanks to them for all the hard work.
Fancy finding out what it’s like being a shoe designer? Do you want to know what goes on behind the scenes, what makes us tick, what we get up to day after day here at Rachel Simpson Shoes HQ?
Well look no further dear friend, every Monday we look back on the seven days before and give you some highlights from our working week. Snapshots of where we’ve been, who we’ve met, what we like and dislike and what we’ve been doing.
It’s to give you an insight into how we work, what makes our brains whirr and ultimately to show you that we don’t just dance around in pretty heels all day (that’s just in the afternoons!) and that there is quite a lot of hard work that goes into the team that is Rachel Simpson Shoes!
We’ve love to know what you think to this new feature and if you want to perhaps be included in our regular blog of Highs, Lows and Peeptoes, just get in touch and tell us about you!
So here is last week in just a few words and pictures….enjoy!
- We LOVE the new collection from Matthew Williamson (my absolute FAVE attached!)
- We met up with the fabulous Clare Yarwood-White, who showed us her beautiful new collection
- Attended the Designer Wedding Show and checking out the fab catwalk show with some interesting colours coming through including a very pale bluey grey and pale peach, some super slinky dresses from Maria Grachvogel and some beautiful unusual creations from David Fielden
- Had far too much fun having our pics taken by Boothnation- props provided!
- Thoroughly enjoyed champagne whilst oggling the gorgeous dresses at Temperley
