Why do you exhibit at Bridal Week Harrogate, and how did you find this year’s show?

Bridal Week Harrogate is the main event in our calendar to showcase our collections. September is the natural launch date for our new designs and works well for the bridal shops to facilitate delivery of new collections in time for the busy Jan/Feb peak season. This year’s show was fantastic for us, the stand looked great, the dresses went down well with the boutiques and we really enjoyed the atmosphere in the halls.

How did you decide on which designs to put on the catwalk?

We always choose dresses that we believe will make the most impact and show just how diverse our collections are. Ultimately we choose the dresses that we like the most, which is how the shops should be buying their dresses. You will never sell dresses that you are not confident about and that you don’t love.

What was it like seeing the designs come to life on the catwalk?

It’s always magical seeing your designs on the catwalk. Up until that point, many of the dresses have only been seen on mannequins and on paper, so to see how the dresses really move is very important. It’s great to see the reaction with the retailers too, and it’s a true test after the first show to see if the retailers come straight from the fashion show to your stand to place an order. There is an immense feeling of pride when the music starts and your designs take centre stage for the first time.

Where do you look for creative inspiration, and how do you keep your designs fresh season after season?

Each year we set off with a theme that we believe defines the collection. This year our whole collection was themed “English Rose” and we drew inspiration from classical British styling including bishops sleeves, soft satins, sweetheart necklines and intricate button details. We have seen a real eclectic mix of styles popular with our retailers this year. Simple elegant styles with bell sleeves and bishop sleeves have proven very popular this year along with simple A-line strapless bridal gowns.

Can you pick out your top three designs from the runway and tell us a bit about each of them?

Our top three include W254 from the White Collection, which is a fantastic ballgown with everything from sparkle to lace and a stunning v-neckline. The huge monarch length train is adorned with lace and glitter throughout. Second would have to be the very popular “glitter” dress 2075 from the Signature Collection, a simple A-line gown with a ruched bodice in an all over glitter fabric that cannot help but be the centre of attention. Lastly it’s so hard to choose between the two chiffon bishop sleeve dresses, we love them both and they are so on trend at the minute.

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

Brides are still loving sparkle but the dresses are getting plainer, soft satin gowns are going to be popular, especially with elaborate sleeves. There are a lot of 80’s vibes coming through at the minute, we aren’t going to see all over lycra but sleeves are going to get larger. Bardot necklines will feature heavily and ruching is making a comeback.

Click the link below to watch Victoria Kay’s full catwalk: