If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Twenty percent of all brides walking up the aisle this year will be pregnant.
Natalie Gladman, the UK’s first designer of maternity wedding dresses, has revealed that she has seen a large increase in the sales of her dresses, up by 107 per cent since this time last year.
Her company, ‘Does My Tum Look Big In This’, was set up in 2002 to help pregnant women have access to formal maternity wear for hire, an area which has also seen a 153 per cent rise in demand as the trend for black tie functions increases and the credit card squeeze means women are reluctant to buy a maternity evening dress which may only be worn once.
In 2004, she set up Europe’s first dedicated maternity wedding dress studio and has now dressed around 1000 brides for their big day, launching her own-label collection in 2007. The most popular designs in her madeline isaac-james collection (named after her children) are the floaty chiffon over satin hand-beaded ‘Grace’ gown for brides; and for bridesmaids it is the empire waisted chiffon ‘Dani’ gown.
“There are still those tutting traditionalists who believe it is wrong, but all the women I see want to celebrate the fact that two of the most exciting things in their life are happening at the same time!” said Natalie, director of the company.
And it is not a ‘sign of the times’. In the 17th century it was positively the norm in rural England with between 33% and 50% of brides bringing an extra hidden guest to their wedding.
“What have changed are social attitudes. No longer are brides hiding their bump under strategically held bouquets and smocked meringues - they now want to wear their bump with pride” she added.
Natalie also has the only specialist bridal maternity shop in Europe. Based in Farnborough in Hampshire, it attracts clients from all over the UK and abroad.
“As our clients have expanded outwards, so have we,” she added. Turnover has increased year-on-year. It was up 86% in 2006-2007 and is forecast to grow by 150% in 2007 -2008.
Jacqueline Barlow flew in from the Netherlands especially to visit Natalie’s shop and bought two maternity wedding dresses from the collection, “I couldn’t make up my mind so decided to take both,” she said.
Notes to editor
Natalie Gladman has a background in the software industry. She began designing maternity dresses after spotting a gap in the market during her own pregnancy. Her maternity dresses are now stocked in over 20 bridal outlets, as well as on-line and in her own boutique.
The Does My Tum Look Big In This maternity range is also available through local agencies based in Aberdeen, Derbyshire, Wiltshire, Cheshire, Cambridge and Glasgow.
For press enquiries please contact Loop PR at hello@loop-pr.co.uk
For Natalie Gladman please contact:
natalie@maternityweddingdress.co.uk, or telephone 01252 377725.
http://www.doesmytumlookbiginthis.com/ (maternity formal wear hire and online boutique)
http://www.maternityweddingdress.co.uk/ (own label maternity wedding dress collection)
http://www.bridesnbumps.com/ (retail maternity bridal wear online boutique)
0 Comments on “Loop PR News release: Bearing the Bump”
Leave a Comment