What do you think most women look for in a wedding dress? This was the question posed by Grace Loves Lace, the Australian bridal label currently responsible for the most-pinned dress on Pinterest. Given that Covid-19 has left many couples worldwide forced to cancel or postpone their weddings indefinitely, it's a tough time for designers specialising in bridalwear. Despite this, Grace Loves Lace has just launched its new collection, comprised of three different dresses, all designed by over 80,000 brides across 80 countries.
The feedback was taken over a year and included women from six different continents, from the age of 18-60 years old. The brand also ensured the women participating represented all shapes and sizes, from XXS to XXXL and – crucially for a wedding dress – different bust sizes.
You possibly won't be surprised to know that one of the key points that arose was that of price and, as a result of that, the three gowns in this new capsule collection are all under AUD$2,500, which is around £1,376. But would you have guess the other key findings from the survey which led to the production of the new gowns?
According to Grace Loves Lace, the dream dress, as imagined by its customers, should have the following: stretch lace, a high neckline, covered arms, an A-Line skirt and a slip-on fit. This has translated to the Vita dress, a long-sleeved gown with a low neckline (apparently also in-demand) and full skirt, the Anais dress, which has no sleeves and an A-line skirt and the Luca dress, which has a more fitted silhouette and all-over lace.
Megan Ziems, founder and creative director of the brand says: 'Because we are locally produced and manufactured [in Queensland], we are nimble and able to respond to our customers at a rapid pace. All our brides' feedback comes to head office and we listen. We are fortunate enough that our business model allows us to deliver what they want from us, even during a global pandemic.'
One of the reasons the bridal market has been hit so hard is that over 90% of manufacturing occurs offshore in countries where the virus emerged early on. So, brands like Grace Loves Lace which produce collections either in-house or locally have been more in-demand as brides make alternative arrangements for their wedding day. In fact, since the outbreak of Covid-19, Grace Loves Lace reports that its online sales have increased by 70%.
Indeed, the new collection is now available online, as well as in the brand's showrooms – the UK showroom is located in Shoreditch, in East London, and has just reopened for appointments.
SHOP: Grace Loves Lace Wedding Dresses
1 of 3The Vita Dress, £1,980
2 of 3The Anais Dress, £1,900
3 of 3