The head of Bridal

Friday, November 19th, 2010

“As Jasper once put it, a bride’s entrance to the church is like an actor’s first appearance on stage – you’ve got to go for it”, says our Head of Bridal, Deborah. And as someone with a background in theatre, this is something she understands more than most. Luckily for us, Deborah left the world of costume to become the mistress of made-to-measure here at Jasper Conran, and for the past three and a half years she has overseen the creation of many a bride-to-be’s wedding dress.

Based at 36 Sackville Street, Deborah is the first point of contact for all customers – whether they are looking for a wedding dress, a bespoke suit or a piece from Jasper’s catwalk collection. “Once an appointment is made”, explains Deborah, “we meet in the drawing room and browse photos of dresses”. It is there that the journey of the dress begins – from initial trying on, through numerous fittings and alterations until the final gown is ready.

“Brides are usually surprised at how enjoyable a fitting is”, laughs Deborah. “Compared to the hectic pace of wedding planning it’s an opportunity to relax, be pampered and have a chat. They’re often sad when the dress is finished and they don’t have to come back again!”

No one bride is the same and all have different ideas of what their dress should look like. Whether it's sleeves or a train that needs lengthening, having a dress made-to-measure not only means a bride can have exactly what she wants, it also keeps long-standing traditions going. But if there’s one piece of advice our Head of Bridal would give it would be “Think about the wedding photos. You want to make sure your dress is timeless”.