Market Positioning: Over the last few years the bridal industry has introduced many new trends and changes.The most drastic change to the bridal industry has been the casualisation of attire. Wedding dresses have evolved with ready-to-wear fashions and have distanced from heavily couture designs to more sleek and slim silhouettes. to cater towards same sex marriages, informal brides and women who want to express there personality.
My market is aimed towards 21st century brides who want a more relaxed bridal outfit that is more affordable and is more individualised towards themselves. brides are becoming more conscious about the environment and what they spend their money on, so struggle to rationalise spending masses of money on a dress for one occasion-
I believe “A little Less Bridal” will sit very well in the market today. My collection has been created with both “ready to wear” and Bespoke services in mind. Reaching out to a wide range of consumers that sit within the mid end to luxury and custom made level. “A little Less Bridal offers designer bridal wear at an affordable price. My collection showcases itself as bridal wear but it does not limit itself to this specifically, “A little less bridal” also reaches out to mid-high end special occasion and evening wear. My pieces are appropriate for bridesmaids and wedding guests, and suitable for the bride to wear at any stage of her wedding whether it be to the ceremony, as an engagement party outfit, reception dress or all throughout. I position myself in the market as more affordable than Karen walker and Juliette hogan bridal, My collection is more in line with Ruby Boutiques made to measure service of special occasion dresses and separates
Competitors- A local competitor is Karen Walker- who has launched her atelier bridal collection in August this year. In line with my collection- her designs aren’t all considered bridal gowns, they are outnumbered by mini and ankle length dresses and ivory suits. I see my collection reaching towards the same market as Karen Walker - however my point of difference is that my pieces are made in signature colours with very little white present, allowing me to reach an even wider market. My collection also offers a jumpsuit and bridal separates with skirts and tops, alongside dresses and suits.
Karen Walker Atelier
International Competitors:
The first name that comes to mind when you think of bridal wear is Vera Wang. She is a competitor of mine in terms of using colour in bridal wear, from the beginning she has pushed the idea of bridal from something customary to innovative and creative. However being a couture designer her designs feature a lot more extravagant details than my collection. She likes to put emphasis on hand craft and reintroduce classical elements like corsets and ball gown silhouettes in a less traditional way. Whereas my collection pieces don’t work to resemble these silhouettes.
Vera Wang spring 2020 bridal
I looked at two labels when I was undertaking my research proposal to analyse other designers work and how they are currently approaching the subject of non-traditional bridal wear themselves. I wanted to align my collection alongside the same values these labels hold.
Katherine Polk who founded a sustainable, non- traditional bridal brand under the name of Houghton. the objective behind the brand is a great framework for what I aim to achieve. Houghton’s Bridal fall 2017 collection shows a case of looks that could not be considered bridal at all, Her designs are introducing sustainability into the bridal industry as they are made for the wedding, the reception and for days long after the wedding night and this is exactly how I see my designs working.
Houghton Fall 2017 Bridal
Another direct competitor is the label House of Ollichon. Their designs are for anyone, the brand is the first “dress-less bridal collection in the world offering brides and bridesmaids a range of luxury bridal jumpsuits and two-pieces” her designs erase the notion of deciding who wears the dress and who wears the suit. What makes my collection different from these non-traditional brands is that I want to converge both of these labels values together, creating both coloured and versatile bridal wear. Both these brands are international so bringing these ideas into a local scene is what I hope to achieve.
