Tell us a little bit about the brand’s history.

Anna Georgina is a sensual and cosmopolitan brand that aims to make women feel confident. Having been a women’s dress designer for 30 years, one of the most underplayed aspects of women is their inherent power and beauty. Anna Georgina collections explore the play between masculinity and femininity, between structure and fluidity. The name Anna Georgina comes from my mother - she did not think much about her name, but I always thought it was lovely. My mother designed for years before me, focusing mostly on wedding gowns. I was in awe of her patience and generosity towards women of all shapes and sizes - she felt everyone deserved a stage once in their lifetime. These are some of the values that are now part of the Anna Georgina brand.

Why did you decide to enter the bridal industry?

I was a couture/bespoke designer and wedding gowns held very little interest for me. After 25 years designing for clients, it became a bore as I was in the end just an extension of their own hands and personalities. The fun for designing was fading fast. A friend told me to try and design a wedding collection and come to the UK to exhibit. This is when I decided to take my mom’s business, re-name it, and started focussing on wedding gowns. In 2009 Anna Georgina was created as an ode to my mom.

Where do you look for creative inspiration/who are your biggest influences?

My grandmother always said: no amount of style comes without some form of discomfort. I make it my all to make sure we minimize the level of discomfort when I design and look for inspiration. Travel and the movement of the body is but one of the main attributes. So, my main arena to search for inspiration is anything but bridal. If it comes to actual designers who influence then there is so many, but my clients are my biggest influencers.

Let us into some design secrets/the process behind creating the pieces.

Tricky - we do not want to give out all our secrets now do we? I read a lot and love fantasy, so I make up my own ideas of how scenes and characters would look and how the writer must have visualized them - I draw it and then see where it leads me. 

How do you keep your designs fresh season after season?

Step back and breath. One thing I have learned is to stay true to your designs and your personality. We live in a rushed society, and we lose ourselves by trying to be all to everybody. You will burn out.

Do you have any trend forecasts for the year ahead? What’s going to be popular with brides in 2023?

Simple but architectural, be it flowers or special draping. There will be something spectacular in the simplicity.