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Today on the wedding blog I am excited to bring you something rather special – and oh la la we are going all couture here at Brides Up North – as we talk exclusively to wedding dress design house Stewart Parvin about their beautiful bridal collection and latest collaboration with stockist and Brides Up North Featured Supplier LOVE Bridal Boutique, Cheshire. 

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Why are you so excited to stock Stewart Parvin at LOVE?

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Emma of LOVE Bridal Boutique says: When we first started planning for the launch of LOVE Bridal Boutique and drawing up our ‘wishlist’ of designers, Stewart Parvin was high up (if not top of!) that list. My husband and co-owner of LOVE, Jonny, had previously photographed a couple of weddings with brides wearing Stewart’s creations, and they really stood out for me as the finest classic couture gowns I had ever seen!

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Our attraction to Stewart’s collection was cemented further when we were lucky enough to see his catwalk show at The White Gallery last year. It was the opening show and as it was also our very first trade show buying for LOVE, emotions were running high! The new collection completely blew us away and we knew instantly that they would be perfect for our new boutique. But it wasn’t to be…well not at that time anyway, as we soon learned that they already had a Cheshire stockist so unfortunately it wouldn’t be possible for us to stock them at that time.

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It just goes to show that all good things come to those who wait… fast forward 8 months and here we are, the new Cheshire stockist for Stewart Parvin and we couldn’t be happier! A real dream come true.

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Why are Stewart Parvin so delighted to be working with LOVE?

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The team at Stewart Parvin say: We are absolutely thrilled to be working with Emma and Jonny from LOVE Bridal Boutique! Emma has long been a huge fan of the Stewart Parvin collection, and she represents the brand perfectly. The combination of a real passion for her collections and the care and attention she offers to each bride means that her clients can have the utmost confidence in working with her on the run up to their special day. The boutique is beautiful and the perfect environment for brides to try on the Stewart Parvin collection.

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Tell us about the design house, it’s history and it’s gowns?

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Stewart Parvin: Stewart launched his first womenswear collection in 1995, simultaneously opening his own boutique in Knightsbridge. Shortly after that he was commissioned to create a wedding gown for the daughter of a private client. That one gown was so successful it became immediately apparent there was a real demand for Stewarts unique design aesthetic to be translated to bridalwear. He made a full bridal collection which was stocked initially in his own boutique, then later was offered to hand selected boutiques across the UK. Now Stewarts collections are housed in their own standalone boutiques, womenswear on Motcomb Street, and bridalwear on Beauchamp Place in Knightsbridge, with bridalwear also being stocked in the UK’s leading independent bridal boutiques. Designing and making everything in London, Stewart oversees a small specialist team to create each and every piece – some of whom have been working with Stewart since the beginning! It’s a real heritage business, and one that has a deeply rooted commitment to UK manufacture and the nurturing of skilled and specialist experts.

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Tell us about the collection by Stewart Parvin?  What was the inspiration behind the collection?

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Stewart Parvin: The bridal collection is chic, understated, impeccably cut and well made. Stewart Parvin dresses have fantastic corsetry which creates an amazing silhouette, whilst still being light, wearable and comfortable. The collection echoes his womenswear aesthetic, albeit in a slightly different way – when Stewart designs it’s all about what is best for that one particular garment, about what is perfect for that particular gown. If a piece of embroidery or the addition of a bow or flower isn’t going to enhance the finished product then it is left off. Less is most definitely more for the Stewart Parvin bride and the collection of wedding gowns reflects that. We also do a collection of accessories that complement each gown really well. Adding a lace bolero to a beautifully simple silk crepe fishtail gown creates a stunning, sleek and sophisticated bridal look. Producing each bridal gown in a new collection is a real labour of love, with every seam and panel being very carefully considered and perfected before the gowns are created in fabric.

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Which fabrics and cuts were chosen for the collection and why?

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Stewart Parvin: Stewarts fishtail cut has been honed to perfection over the development of the collection. The cut really is crucial if you are wearing this shape, every curve on the pattern has to be subtly and sensitively handled to make the most of the female form! We’ve played around with the fishtail idea with some really soft shapes without petticoats that look fabulously slinky – “So Amazing” is a great example of this – it’s a tradition fishtail cut with a corset inside, but using soft Chantilly lace and a silk satin lining means it has a real vintage look to it, and without a petticoat the skirt drops really softly. Stewarts classic A-line is also featured which is a super flattering silhouette and so wearable in lace or in a solid fabric such as duchess satin, or our stunning flower brocade. A classic silhouette has been given a new twist in one of Stewarts signature gowns “Wild Horses. It has a beautifully full circle skirt in Silk gazar, which is an amazing fabric as it manages to have some body and hold yet still be featherlight and gauzy. Stewart designed this gown with no petticoat which creates the most beautiful line on a bride, and is a modern take on that classic ballgown shape of the 1950’s.

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Everything is chosen with the client in mind, every pattern is perfected with a view to making the most of the bride, both in terms of fit, and maintaining Stewarts strong design aesthetic.

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Who does Stewart Parvin design for?

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Stewart Parvin: Stewarts bridal gowns really work across a huge spectrum of clients in terms of who they are! All of our clients share an understanding of what makes Stewarts bridal gowns so wonderful – the cut and quality of fabrics used. Our clients want a wedding dress that has been crafted for them from scratch, and they really appreciate the quality and care that goes into the creation of them. The aesthetic is clean, chic and sleek so our brides are confident enough to pull off that understated look. Funnily enough we tend to get a lot of brides who work in the fashion industry themselves, which is wonderful.

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What sizes are available?

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Stewart Parvin: We offer a range of standard sizes, but the majority of our gowns are sold as made to measure which we offer in both our own boutique and to all of our stockists across the UK. The client will be measured, and a calico cut to their specific measurements. The calico is fitted on the bride – and then the pattern perfected before the dress is cut in the proper fabric. This means we can work with a brides exact proportions and ensure everything is in the right place. This also means we can accommodate a number of bespoke changes to a gown which means a bride really can personalise her look!

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What sort of price point?

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Stewart Parvin gowns stocked at LOVE start at £2,575.

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What can brides expect when they book and appointment at LOVE? 

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Emma: When brides book an appointment here at LOVE, they can expect a fabulous experience from the first moment they step through our doors, choosing from an array of carefully selected, stunning gowns from a variety of designers and having exclusive use of the entire boutique during their appointment. We know that choosing your dream dress can be a tough and often emotional decision so brides will have my undivided attention throughout their appointment to offer help and advice, and if that means trying that favourite dress on again (and again!) then so be it!

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Refreshments will also be offered to a bride and her family and friends in the comfort of our dressing/sitting room with inspirational books to flick through whilst they are eagerly awaiting for that next dress to be put on. And what happens when they find the dress of their dreams with us? Well, there’ll be a big celebration of course!

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Something which my brides also really love and appreciate is my knowledge about other venues and suppliers so that I can easily make recommendations about tried and tested photographers, florists, make-up artists, hair stylists, caterers etc, all of which can be pretty daunting choices when planning a wedding.

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With a Stewart Parvin gown, what is the process from finding “the one” to final fitting?

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Emma: When that eagerly awaited moment comes when a bride-to-be has found ‘the one’, aside from much excitement, emotion and celebrating for all, the next step would be for me to take the bride’s measurements in order to submit her dress order. Timing-wise this should be at least 6 months (preferably 9 months minimum) before the wedding date. A bride can also choose at this time whether she would prefer to go with the made-to-measure option, custom fit to her measurements.

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At the time of ordering, I will also discuss other options with the bride, for example any requirements for accompanying accessories such as boleros or belts/sashes, plus any required modifications to the gown, which will be submitted with the order.

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The bride will then come back into the boutique roughly 8 weeks before her wedding date for her first fitting with our seamstress, and the second fitting will take place roughly 3-4 weeks after this point, allowing time for any additional fittings if required before the wedding.

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What was your inspiration for the shoot and why did you choose the venue/ styling?

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Jonny of Jonny Draper Photography says: It was really important to use a location that really suited the style of Stewart’s dresses. Often putting a classic design into a contrasting, modern environment can work really well, but we really wanted to embrace what Stewart Parvin is all about. Our model Izzy, is a real girl rather than a professional model which was really important to us. We loved Izzy’s classic English Rose look and felt that she would suit Stewart’s dresses perfectly. It was important to allow the dresses to be the stars of the show and not get lost in the scale of such a stunning location and from minute one of planning this shoot, we had Brides Up North in mind. What would Brides Up North readers want to see? What was important to them? We felt that keeping things elegant and simple and giving the dresses the opportunity to be ‘front and centre’ would really appeal to Brides Up North’s Stewart Parvin fans. 

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Who was involved in the shoot and how did it go on the day?

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Jonny: It was freezing and Izzy was a trooper! We had a great team around us, Emma did an amazing job styling Izzy and our gorgeous friend, Gemma Hallowell MUA was responsible for Izzy’s English Rose look.

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How can brides find out more about the new Stewart Parvin collection at LOVE Bridal Boutique?

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Emma: Brides can contact me for more details either over email at emma@lovebridalboutique.co.uk or alternatively they can call me for a chat on 0161 941 6446.

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We’ve also got an extremely active facebook page where they can keep up to date with all our news, events, photoshoots and just indulge in pictures of gorgeous dresses and pretty accessories!

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Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Images © 2013 Jonny Draper Photography

LOVE Bridal Boutique is a Brides Up North Featured Supplier

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