The first large bridal event for their collections, the Kate Fearnley team showcased a selection of their latest designs on the catwalk. The most recent collection, ‘Awaken’, includes romantic designs with modern, fashion-forward silhouettes with the brand’s signature bohemian edge evoked in the form of delicate feathers, dripping tassels, hand-finished embroidery and three-dimensional embellishment.

The gowns were luxurious and relaxed, with movement, freedom and comfort at the forefront of Kate’s mind. Using feathers, embroidery and sequins, coupled with vintage inspired lace and the softest of tulles, the dresses showcased on this year’s catwalk were symbolic of everything the British brand seeks to embody.

We caught up with Kate Fearnley, multi-award winning designer, at the show:

What were your inspirations behind the latest collection? Can you give us an insight into the design process?

I have been an occasion wear designer since 2002 – so almost two decades now. A couple of years ago, I won best wedding designer by the bridal industry awards, and so I thought it was the perfect time to launch and get the brand out there, on everyone’s lips. This is actually our launch at Harrogate, as our collection, Awaken, was supposed to be launched and showcased at White Gallery two years ago. Since the pandemic struck, I have taken some time and space to get my creativity back, so the lockdown was actually a blessing in disguise! Thrown myself into this launch and reassessed the brand, so we have since fully rebranded. Our collection holds all the traditional elements of bridal, but my inspirations for the Awaken collection really lay with adding that twist and a relaxed, bohemian edge. Awaken was showcased on this year’s runway. We saw an enormous amount of interest, some of which from retailers who had never even heard of us – I think the tassels worked a charm!

What are your top three bestsellers?

Pixie: You may have seen one of our models wandering around in the Pixie gown capturing everyone’s attention – it certainly is a showstopper! Pixie is a softly fit and flared, fully embroidered gown with stunning tassel arm detail. This is one of our bestsellers.

Petal: The Petal gown holds a crepe satin, full circle skirt with pockets, fitted waist and 3D floral embellishments: ultra-feminine and romantic.

Orchid: The Orchid dress happens to be one of the first designs I completed over 4 years ago now, and to this day remains a favourite for brides!

And finally, how has the Harrogate Bridal Show been for the brand?

As this was the first large show for the Kate Fearnley collections, we came with no real idea of the magnitude or attitudes of buyers, especially post-pandemic. We had a wonderful catwalk, and had a lot of interest from press who hadn’t ever heard of the brand, so we are delighted our name is getting out there. We now stock in 9 stores, and hope to see more!

Click the link below to watch Kate Fearnley’s full catwalk: