Tell us how you fell in love with the bridal industry, and how your brand has evolved since.

My career started when I graduated with a first in fashion design and headed for the big city! London was a thrilling place to be in the early 2000’s and I had some amazing experiences working at publications like Marie Claire and in fashion production for the likes of Topshop. But a more settled life was eventually calling me and I relocated to the coast where I by luck, landed a job in a bridal boutique. I adored selling wedding dresses, what a feeling! This led onto further opportunities and 10 years later I found myself head of design/marketing for a leading bridal wholesaler. I fell in love with bridal and the rest is history! I took a break to adopt my children and then my life became a bit of a rollercoaster due to personal circumstances which was followed by the covid-19 pandemic. I had always wanted my own label one day but I had a bit of an epiphany, which drove me to develop my own collection and launch Miabelle. I started in my spare bedroom with nothing more than a hope and a dream. But I had all the experience and knowledge to design and manufacture a collection successfully and I had retailer contacts. I pitched my collection to them and I was fortunate that they loved the product and believed in me. Our first show was Harrogate September 2021 and I signed up 5 new stores that weekend. It was incredible! Since then, we are proud to now have over 20 stockists of our bridesmaid collection. We launched an occasionwear line last year which has been very well received and we now have 4 exclusive stockists. To introduce a bridal collection was always in my long term plan but one day last year i woke up and thought "now or never!" and put pencil to paper there and then! Needless to say, we’re delighted to be showcasing the bridal collection at The White Gallery this May.

What is the creative process like? Can you also tell us more about your studio and creative space?

We are a family business and all but me, are based in Surrey. Therefore our studio is based there and is where all our samples are held and production management takes place. It is also the perfect place for buyers to visit us. I am still based in Brighton and work between my home office and the Surrey studio. In terms of the creative process for our bridesmaid collection, I am continually designing and sampling. Since covid buyers are doing things differently and the feedback we receive is that they simply cannot invest each season in a full collection. So I introduce new styles throughout the year rather than a full piece collection each S/S and A/W. We may do that a bit differently with our bridal but as a new face in the market, I wouldn’t expect buyers to invest in large numbers of samples each season. I design everything myself and have a wonderful, trusted team based in Vietnam whom I’ve known for many years. They develop patterns for me based on my sketches and we work together to create the toiles, to samples and eventually, production orders.

What do you consider to be signature design elements of the brand?

What inspired Miabelle’s current collection?

BRIDAL COLLECTION - The Miabelle bridal collection embraces the house’s classic signature style, with rich and romantic fabrics and lightweight laces. I was inspired by the confident women of the 1950’s with their black eyeliner, big hair and chic dresses.
When I was imagining what my bridal collection would look like, I had one thing in mind – it has to be wearable for ALL body shapes. There are so many beautiful dresses out there right now but not many of them work on any size over a UK10. So, I wanted to be mindful of this. Add a plunge front but keep the back high so there is still a level of support. A full tulle skirt with a fitted stretch one underneath to create a sultry fitted look which balances a fuller hip shape. All bridal fashions come in and out but this collection is timeless, rather than overly trend driven. To create a look that will date gracefully, rather than overnight. I have used a mix of satins, mikado, crepe and the softest tulles, delicately embellished. I have taken elements from current trends and blended them into a classic, forever piece. For example, our Sorrento dress is a play on the minimalist trend. I gave her a pleated bodice which is ultra flattering and a traditional full ballgown skirt with pockets (for sass!) but added a thigh high split for drama. Flower corsage straps which drape off the shoulders add a certain romance. What you have is a beautiful and stylish, yet wearable gown, with timeless appeal.

What do you predict will be the next big trend in bridal and what is on the way out?

Minimalist elegance has been around for a while now but I don’t think it is going anywhere just yet. Clean lines, sleek silhouettes, and minimalist embellishments to create a refined and timeless aesthetic will continue to be popular. Fabrics like satin, silk, and crepe will be the designers choice for simplicity and beautiful drape. Bows and pearls are still set to be trendy into 2025 but I think we will start to see the return of sparkle; glitter fabrics, crystal embellishments... bridal tends to be a couple of years behind main fashion, so it would make sense that shimmer and shine will be back in a big way soon!

Why is White Gallery so important to you?

How can retailers get in touch to book an appointment with you at the show?