Bridal wear brands
There are so many options we (boutique owners) go through when deciding on which bridal wear brands to stock and offer to our customers. The first and foremost being who my customers are and what do they like to find in my store. Secondary to that is my business ethos and style which makes it vital to find a brand that fits in well with these. There are many other factors we also take into account, such as having a varied curated options which offer inclusivity and account for all budgets.
So why did I choose the brands that I did? Read on to find out.
A little background!
Let’s talk about the Brand choices I made when I opened my bridal boutique and why I made them; but to begin, I must first give you a little background context to the story.
I pretty much knew what I wanted to be “when I grow up” from a very young age, but my journey to bridal wear was not a straightforward one, it liked to zig and zag a bit before landing on where I am now. And that’s ok, because sometimes life likes to throw hurdles in your way that may delay you (it’s never too late though – believe me!) and some other times, life gives you opportunities and opens doors that you simply need to leap into.
I grew up always drawing and designing dresses from a young age (I still have some of my sketch books from when I was as young as 10 Years old - see an example of those design in this image). I wanted to study fashion design, but a school career advisor told me that it’s an incredibly competitive and difficult market and that I should focus on something more attainable (the worst advice ever! But I listened to her) so for my further education, I went for my second favourite type of design; Architecture. I completed my education, whilst still drawing dresses throughout my course!
That’s when I made the decision to switch things up and go for my dream career.
What’s Special about the bridal industry?
I found myself to be incredibly drawn to weddings and the idea of being a part of someone’s most important outfit that they would wear on their most special day was such a humbling feeling. I also LOVE hearing people’s “get together” stories and how the proposal happened, these stories make me feel emotionally invested, so I just want to help capture their dreams in their wedding day look.
It started when someone close to me got engaged in 2002, we immediately started working together to create her wedding dress and that was me hooked from then on.
There was also the appeal that bridal fashion is ‘Slow Fashion’ with some brands focusing on ethical production practices and using sustainable/ eco-friendly materials in their collection construction. Bridal wear production mostly leans towards making quality pieces over cheaper quantities, not to mention, their sentimental value can propel them to become timeless pieces that are cherished and potentially passed on from one generation to another. That longevity game is music to my ears.
Bridal wear simply made sense to me
Evolving
When I decided on opening my bridal studio, the first thing on my mind was “Let’s go wedding dress shopping” (and I absolutely loved that ride!)
I looked for brands with a business ethos that aligns with my own, brands that were passionate about the brides who wear their dresses and have real care, heart and soul, you already know, by now, my love for hearing others’ stories, so finding out about brand startup business stories was also a key motivator in choosing who to partner with.
So, who am I currently stocking in The Studio?
GAIA Bridal
Oh the wonderful brand that is GAIA Bridal!
Maria, the designer of GAIA Bridal’s stunning gowns is the friendliest, most approachable, and caring woman I had spoken with from the industry. She is bloody creative too and knows exactly how to dress real women for their wedding day! I immediately connected with her from our first conversation and knew I wanted to work with her and her amazing team (go check out my Instagram chat with Maria to find out more about her).
Ok, so what does GAIA do differently then? They see us boutiques as their partners not just a stockist. That allows us to work together very closely which in turn helps us serve our Brides even more, especially when they want dress customisations or certain things altered within GAIA’s dreamy designs.
I have yet to work with another brand that offers the level of customised options that GAIA Bridal does, and I just love how flexible they are. Being a British brand is a bonus as these communications can happen very quickly and allow us to better support our brides that way. If you see a GAIA design that I do not stock, get in touch as I may be able to get that dress in ready for you to try on at your appointment.
Check out GAIA Bridal’s designs here.
Kelsey Rose
You can’t help but fall in love with Kelsey Rose!
This free-spirited brand is the younger sister to the stunningly elegant Ellis Bridals Brand. A London based company that has been established since 1912 and has that truly English heritage feel that is timeless, yet so modern.
Although they have over 100 years of design experience under their belt, this family run company maintains it’s connection to the brides who wear their dresses and love to celebrate them and connect with them.
This friendly and approachable ethos drew me to them when I met one of their team members who visited me at the studio to chat about their gorgeous dresses. I was also very impressed with the gowns’ amazing quality, and you can truly see the talent and level of design detail that goes into each piece. These dresses are effortlessly beautiful.
You can find all Kelsey Rose designs here
Rasha Kashou
Yes, that is my name! Did you know that I also design and create made-to-measure bridal wear and accessories?
As I mentioned earlier my bridal wear journey started with designing bespoke bridal wear for friends and family, eventually expanding to offering my services to all brides within my small Oxfordshire studio. This led me to needing to expand and that’s when I sourced this wonderful converted barn for my studio where I introduced even more (the above mentioned) brands into the mix.
My humble beginnings started in Oxfordshire, UK where I designed and make each piece by hand, I focus on using British companies when sourcing my materials (my latest Mai Collection is largely made with eco-friendly fabrics) hence my wanting to solely work with British Bridal Brands at The Studio (you can read more about this in my other blog here).
More about bespoke designs here.
The Future
What further developments can you expect from Rasha Kashou Studio in the future?
Well, there are so many ideas in the pipeline! I can easily say “you’ll just have to wait and see what surprises are in store!” But that’s just not fun!
Even though I'll hold back a little on some of these surprises (gotta wait for the right time), I’ll be nice and tell you that I do have my eye on some more cracking Bridal brands that I have spoken to and hope to introduce to the RK Studio family soon. Nope I will not be naming them just yet, so keep your eyes peeled for these announcements as well as the other fab projects coming soon.
Contact me, Rasha, via telephone, WhatsApp messaging or email to chat about your bridal look ideas when you’re ready.
I’ll be here happy to support and celebrate you as always.
Rasha X
07460 120 957