Archive for October, 2010

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!

Blink Photography_Lo#85CCD8

Blink Photography_Lo#85CCD9

Blink Photography_Lo#85CCDA

Blink Photography_Lo#85CCDB

Blink Photography_Lo#85CCDC

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.

Isabella pair low res

Take a look at the whole article here.

Thank you Queen and Bowl, you are truly fabulous!

Wear it Pink, Wear it Proud

Friday, October 29th, 2010

pink ribbon magentaIn honour of our newest addition to the Rachel Simpson Shoe collection and of Breast Cancer Awareness month, it’s National Wear It Pink Day today and so here is another look at our fabulous Mimi in Fuschia Pink satin!

Pink Mimi (pair)150 of these beautiful pairs of shoes are on sale to help raise funds for Breakthrough Breast Cancer and if that’s not enough pink for one day, we’ve got the magnificent Roxy too to make you blush all shades of pinky gladness!

Roxy Hot Pink pair low resIn the New Year, we also hope to speak to one of our brides, who has recently bid for a pair of Mimi Fuschia Pink at a Brides at Work charity auction and is planning on wearing these beauties on her wedding day on New Year’s Eve! So watch this space for some yummy pics.

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.

ISjaponica

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

Rock Chic Glamour

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

In our previous blog you will have caught a glimpse of the brand new Rachel Simpson Shoes limited edition collection Noir, which launches next month, just in time for Christmas parties and winter weddings!

We think our brand new girl Sabine from Noir looks stunning in this Rock Chic Glamour feature in County Weddings Magazine.

RS County Weddings - rock chic glamour

You will be able to rock your wedding or party this year too, when Sabine goes on sale from 1st November along with her other Noir friends.

Sabine pair low resSabine side low res

Worldwide Weddings Bonanza!

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

While we are in the ‘showing you our magazine features’ flow, here’s an amazing run of editorial from our friends at Worldwide Weddings Magazine.

We had the pleasure of providing shoes for one of their beautiful photoshoots on some far and distant, sunshine island and we also appeared in the pages of their Get The Look section, where our beautiful Duchess was featured in the Queen of the Castle feature and the gorgeous Isabella appears in the Get The Look City Slicker pages.

Here’s the pages up close and personal for you to look through if you didn’t manage to pick up a copy. Thank you to Worldwide Weddings for such a blummin’ good spread!

WW Weddings 2

WW Weddings 1

WW Weddings 3

WW Weddings 4

WW Weddings 6 - get the look

WW Weddings 7

Red Hot Party Feet

Monday, October 18th, 2010

You can’t help but notice the lovely Kelly Brook in this stunning red Marchesa cocktail dress, pictured in this week’s Look Magazine and so we couldn’t help thinking that the perfect shoe to go with this party frock is one of our brand new, limited edition girls from Noir, our mini collection launching next month.

18-10 Look - Red dresses

Amarante is the real show stopper of the collection – an ivory satin peep-toe with asymmetric scarlet satin roses cascading across the foot. Deliciously high heels and a glimpse of black lace exposed platform, married with jet black lining and sock makes Amarante the ultimate extravagance.

Amarante pair low resAmarante side low resNoir launches 1st November, so watch this space for more details and how to order this stunning shoe.

You and Your Wedding

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

We love it here at Rachel Simpson Shoes HQ when we find ourselves in one of the bridal magazines. Especially when it’s a real life wedding and the gorgeous bride has chosen one of our girls for their shoe of choice!

In the Sept/Oct issue of You and Your Wedding this beautiful bride chose Mimi to complete her wedding attire and we couldn’t agree more that she was the perfect shoe!

RS Mimi You and Your Wedding Sept-Oct 10

Mimi Ivory pair low resMimi Celeste pair low resAnd don’t forget, for a limited time Mimi is available in Fuschia Pink to help raise money for Breakthrough Breast Cancer, just 150 pairs have been made and they are on sale now!

Pink Mimi (pair)

Great Heights!

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010

A big thank you to Perfect Wedding for featuring us in their Great Heights page of sexy court shoes and chic peep-toes in the October issue.

Here’s a peek at the page and a close up of our lovely Marilyn in all her glory and three available colours!

RS Marilyn Perfect Wedding Oct 10

Marilyn Teal pair low resMarilyn Mink pair low resMarilyn pair low res

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.

carolines cake co image

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…

Carmen champ pair low res
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!