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This afternoon I am proud to introduce lovely Brides Up North Featured Supplier Becky of Bradford based The Little Bridal Company as she debuts her first complete collection here on the blog. Becky is fiercely proud to be a Northern bridal designer and draws heavily on design influences from bygone eras to create beautiful and distinctive designs. And we are all for that around here!
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Get ready to twirl, girls!
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Becky says: The photo shoot took place in the simply stunning The Midland Hotel in the centre of Bradford. The idea behind the shoot was to bring together up and coming bright stars of the bridal business based in and around Bradford. Bradford has had a bad press over the last few years, resulting in a lack of jobs and opportunity. I wanted to show that there really is something good happening in our city so watch out!
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My first complete off the peg collection is named ‘Starlets’ and my muse a young actress, especially one working her way up through the star system. This rings so true in so many ways. The Little Bridal Company with myself at the helm is at the beginning of its own journey through the star system. So too is a bride.
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The inspiration behind The Little Bridal Company has many origins.
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Thanks to my grandparents the love of musicals is deep-set: ‘Seven Brides For Seven Brothers’, ‘Wizard Of Oz’ and ‘Some Like It Hot’ (to name but a few). Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland and Sofia Lauren graced the screens with their true beauty – no air brushing needed – and they had womanly, hour glass figures. No wonder we are seeing a vintage revival with so many smoke screens in the world today! These films take you away to a fantasy world where the good prevail, the bad lose and everybody lives happily ever after. Isn’t that what we need to pick us up in this time of austerity?
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It isn’t reality but who wants reality 24/7 and what better time to embrace this feeling than on your wedding day were you do get your happily ever after and your knight in shining armour?! You are the star in your own show for that one day and just maybe if you work at it that feeling will stay with you for your entire marriage just like in the good old days.
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The Little Bridal Company harps back to the days of elegance and sultriness of the 1940′s and 50′s glory days, with echoes of the war time ethos ‘make do and mend’ when dresses were made from old bed sheets and curtaining during the war and grow your own and self sustainability were encouraged.
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In this current age we are encouraged to spend, spend, spend and told that new is best, but in the world of weddings this is not always the best way to go. Embracing the old and fashionably labelling it ‘vintage’ has helped the modern day bride personalise every element of her special day. ‘Something old’ and ‘something borrowed’ has now taken on a whole new role and I applaud this.
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‘Starlets’ is a soft, feminine collection created for my 2013 brides to be. The collection is heavily influenced by ‘The New Look’ collection of 1947 by Dior: this post war collection brought back the femininity, soft rounded shapes and full flowing shapes which had been lost during the war when women went to work to aid the war effort and fabric was in short supply.
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The term fit or flounce was first penned around this time describing the quintessential silhouettes of the era. The dresses placed great emphasis on the narrowing of the waist, creating a feminine and curvaceous silhouette.
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Little Black Book
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Dresses – The Little Bridal Company
Suits – Pins Bespoke Tailors
Photographer – Karen Spencer
Location – The Midland Hotel
Make up – Holly Hutchinson
Florist and props – Greenhouse
Bouquets and headpieces – Urban Bride
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Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Images © 2013 Karen Spencer
The Little Bridal Company is a Brides Up North Featured Supplier
Contact Brides Up North to submit your business as a Featured Supplier
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