One of comments we hear time and again from brides is that not only did they love the design of their bridal gowns, but they loved that they were comfortable in them. With her background in swimwear design, Amy of Amy New Bridal has an understanding of comfort as well as style, and her love of bohemian luxe with a hint of vintage style ensures that the gowns are constructed with luxurious laces, with hidden, stretch elements and soft fabrics to allow movement and above all, celebrating your day with ease. With an innate sense of style and bringing out the femininity of every woman she designs for, Amy brings a sense of individuality and ease to her collections. And as Amy says so beautifully “If you envision yourself as a lover & dreamer, a wanderlust gypsy, a beach beauty, a vintage soul, or a modern bohemian, then our gowns are for you.” Here’s Amy’s story.

Why did you decide to start your bridal gown business Amy New Bridal?
Many years ago, while pursuing an exciting career in swimwear design, working for some of Australia’s biggest labels, I had a secret love of everything Evening and Wedding-gown related. I loved the glamour and style of these special dresses. So I had a day job working in lycra and prints, and made Evening, Bridal and Bridesmaid gowns for friends and family (including my own) at nights and on the weekend. A few years down the track I moved overseas with my young family to the Middle East, taking a hiatus from my design career – a friend there couldn’t find the relaxed, modern style of gown she was after for her destination beach wedding and asked me to make it. It was here that I fell in love again with dress design – the process of making her wedding gown was fun and rewarding for both of us. It became obvious to me that creating these timeless dresses for a brides’ big day was the next natural step in my career. So here I am!

Image by Daniel Baci Photography

Where are you based?
I am based in the beachside suburb of Cronulla, in Sydney’s south.
How would you describe the style of your bridal gowns and the bride they would most appeal to?
My gowns are designed with beauty, luxury and comfort in mind. The styles are a fusion of modern and vintage-inspired silhouettes, using beautiful fabrics and trims – I tend to design when I find a fabric I absolutely love, rather than a prescribed collection of “x” number of gowns, and with my swim design background I use stretch components where I can for a beautiful fit. My ideal bride is someone who is just like me – a relaxed modern bohemian who loves vintage eras (especially the 70s); she loves music, art and culture, and lives a coastal beach lifestyle.

Image by James White Photography

Where do you find (and what are) the influences of your bridal gown collections?
My influences are wide and varied – I love a good fashion editorial spread (both old and new), vintage dress styles, an eclectic mix of music, seeing what modern girls are wearing on the streets and beaches of our area, and of course your usual suspects – Instagram and Pinterest trends. All of this inspiration I consider and use when designing for our brides.
Where do you source your fabrics and laces?
I would love for there to be local suppliers for our fabrics and lace, but there is no Australian manufacturing of fabrics any longer, which is sad. So, our fabrics and laces are sourced from overseas – I use a wide range of quality suppliers from all over the world.

Images by Amy New Bridal

When you buy a particular lace or fabric that catches your eye – do you find that a dress design springs to mind – using that as a catalyst for the design?
Yes – this is usually how I work – I find a fabric that I absolutely fall in love with and think “what style would this look good in that suits my brides’ vibe?”!
How do you ensure that the gown is comfortable for the bride?
I love comfort in my own clothes, so of course it is something I value in the gowns I design. I use stretch components and soft, luxurious fabrics wherever possible and ask the brides who visit our studio and models during fittings alike how they feel with the dress on to ensure they feel comfortable.

Image by James White Photography

Are brides from Australia and worldwide able to order your gowns?
Our gowns are sold both through our Sydney studio and our online boutique – we are pleased to be able to offer delivery to our gowns to bride all over the world.

How do brides go about choosing the embroideries or lace that you’ll use on their gown?
I offer a custom design service to those brides who visit our Sydney studio and go through our available fabrics with them via appointment. We are also able to offer customisation to our current collection for brides who order online – for example changing necklines, sleeve lengths, hem & train lengths, and swapping laces & fabrics between gowns.

Image by Nathan Hopkins Photography

You say that your gowns are made according to the exact measurements of the bride. When measuring themselves before placing their order, is it advisable for a bride to be professionally measured, rather than do it themselves?
We offer a detailed measuring guide for brides who order online once they place their order – it allows them to be specific when taking their own measurements and offers advice as to how best to take measurements. We are also available via Skype and chat to discuss measurements before brides place an order.

Image by Amy New Bridal

Are you able to customize a gown?
Yes! – and this is one of the features I love most about being a small, flexible bridal label. We offer a complete custom design service to brides who visit us in Sydney, but we are also able to offer changes to fabrics, sleeve lengths, necklines, train & hem lengths etc to brides who order online from us. We have a Skype and chat service for online brides to make this process easier – you can talk to me as a designer and work out what will work best in the style you love.
What are the logistics of ordering online from you?
Ordering online from Amy New is a simple process – choose the gown, and gown options that you love and place your order. We take it from there, getting in contact with our brides and filling in any further details we need from them. After this gowns are made in our Sydney studio and shipped within 3-4 months. We also offer a Rush order service for brides who need their gown quickly, as elopements and micro weddings are common these days and we understand, and work to, that need!

Image by James White Photography Image by Amy New Bridal

What happens if the bride needs alterations made to the gown?
We offer complimentary alterations to brides who brides who visit our Sydney studio and choose any of our collection gowns.
Are your gowns Australian made?
Yes and this is something we are very proud of – our gowns are designed, cut and constructed in our Sydney studio.
You also offer a veil in several colours. Would you please describe it?
We offer the “Angela Veil”, named after one of our beautiful brides. It is a simple, modern-boho floor length veil, which looks gorgeous worn on its own, or under a low bun with flowers. It is available the 4 colour ways of White, Off-White, Nude and Oyster for our brides.
What do you love about your chosen profession?
I love being able to create gowns that are so special in a woman’s life, the one dress that represents her completely for this major celebration of marriage. Creating pieces that are cherished and remain in a bride’s memories of for her lifetime is the best reward for me as a designer.

Image by James White Photography

What do you like to do in your leisure time?
I am lucky enough to live near the beach so most of my free time is spent here with family and friends. Travelling is also a love – seeing different cultures and parts of the world is always inspiring to a designer.
Do you have any hobbies or hidden talents that you’d like to let us know about?
My hobby is my work most of the time! Not really any hidden talents but I do enjoy drawing and I love to stitch and sew pieces other than bridal gowns, mainly things for my kids – quilts, school dress up costumes etc – of course this is all time dependent as a small business owner!!

Thank you Amy for sharing your story. We’re loving that these gowns are made in Australia and are available worldwide  – that’s special! To find out more about Amy New Bridal visit the website.

Headshot courtesy of Amy New Bridal.