Luxurious, minimalist bridal with design and direction from Andrea Hawkes Bridal

We’re so excited to have Andrea Hawkes back for our London 2020 show as our SPONSOR! Andrea and her team create the most incredible wedding dresses and outfits, with designs that are super directional, featuring stunning silhouettes and using the most delicious of fabrics. We love their approach to making, as they make everything in house in a stunning bridal showroom in Clerkenwell - right in the heart of the artisans and makers. But instead of us butchering what they do, we chatted to Andrea herself about her work - and we think you’re going to like it very much…

Tell us about your business – what do you do? What do you do differently to everyone else?

Our brand ethos is to provide a personal and professional service in a welcoming and relaxed environment, and it is this exact concept which I believe sets us apart from our competitors and means that we appeal to so many different people. The concept of simplifying the bridal experience by offering an honest approach to having a beautiful wedding dress made is the most important thing for us.

Why & how did you start?

Growing up I was always really into making things and particularly sewing - I always wanted to be doing something creative and to do something with my hands. This then led on to me studying for a degree in Fashion Design, and getting back to basics with regards to sewing, making, tailoring and construction. It was around the same time that I also got myself a part time job in a local bridal shop in St Albans, and it was here that my passion for bridal was born. The shop was an independent boutique with a personal touch, focusing on British designers with a luxury minimalist aesthetic, which ultimately inspired me to grow Andrea Hawkes into the brand that it is today.

Who or what inspires you? / What’s your fave part about what you do?

I am constantly inspired by the people I meet and the conversations I am lucky enough to have with my brides. I love that I get the opportunity to get to know my brides on a personal level during the dress making process. Whether it's a small tweak here and there to one of our existing designs or a fully bespoke gown, working alongside our brides to create their dream wedding dress and hearing about their plans for the big day is what it's all about for me.

We specialise in modern, simplistic bridal designs, and have done since day one. All the collections are crafted with fit and precision, made using natural silk fabrics, beautiful French lace and delicate beading and sequins. Our designs classic couture shapes into modern contemporary designs, using the finest natural fabrics and attention to finishes and details creating a simplistic and strong aesthetic.

Talk us through a day at the office/studio/wherever you work from.

As well as being the Creative Director and Founder of Andrea Hawkes Bridal, I am also a mother of two (both of which are under 3 years old) and so spend the majority of my time juggling work and Mum life. I split my week between our bridal showroom in London where I touch base with my lovely team, and my home in Bedfordshire where I am very excited to soon have a dedicated creative workspace. My partner and I have been renovating our house over the past year and it's now almost finished, and I can't wait to have my lovely workspace finished so I can get started on the next collection!

What are you excited about for your business?

We have recently had some exciting new additions to the Andrea Hawkes team including our new Marketing Manager, and so will be looking to drive the brand forwards with regards to various events, talks and collaborations over the next 12 months. We are working to bring all these things back in house focusing on inhouse events where we can curate and collaborate with other brands we respect. We are currently working on our new collection which is due to launch next March to stockists, so that is a real focus from now on. We are launching with our first stores in the US and Japan, so that it's exciting to see the brand growing into new markets. There are lots of very exciting plans for 2020 so watch this space!

Who are your fave 3 wedding suppliers?

We believe it to be extremely important to build genuine working relationships with our suppliers, and we always ensure we make the effort to meet with them personally to ensure the quality of the fabrics we work with. We are lucky enough to now have ongoing relationships directly with silk and lace mills which ensures we can ask the important questions and guarantee the quality we are renowned for. We also love nothing more than to visit various fabric exhibitions in the UK and Europe for new inspiration.

The quality of the fabrics we work with is something we are extremely clear about and deem to be integral to our brand. We will only ever work with traditionally woven silks using natural fibres and French lace, meaning that each of our designs has a naturally luxurious look and feel.

What’s your top advice for couples getting married?

We design luxurious minimalist dresses with a playful and slightly alternative undertone - dresses that can be styled and worn with various Andrea Hawkes tops, jackets, capes and veils, so that our brides can discover the look which best suits their individual style, reflects their personality, and whereby they feel themselves - and this is a piece of advice I would give to any bride, it is important that you feel the best version of you on your big day. Our brides are always a consideration when we are designing a new collection, are therefore its something we are always considering. Our bride is understated, modern but classic, appreciates beautiful silks and fabric, want to be themselves on their big day and for their look to feel timeless and elegant.

If you want to see these gorgeous dresses in the flesh, make sure you grab your tickets from the shop now!