Caroline Arthur -From Bridal Designer to Repurposing expert.
Has your career taken a few twists and turns?
I bet it has, and whether it was intentional or accidental, I think it’s interesting to reflect on how and why we get from where we were to where we are. As an advocate for circularity in the bridal industy I’m spreading my wings a bit more as a public speaker, YouTuber and writer, so I wanted to share a little behind-the-scenes peak at how I got from being a bespoke designer to being regarded as a wedding dress repurposing expert.
For over twenty years, I've worn more than one hat in the job I do, and this unique perspective has given me some fascinating insights about how we approach waste as an industry. For me, it was a very straightforward “Uh - oh!” moment when the penny dropped a few years ago and I saw the extent of my contribution to the problem as a bridal designer.
As a bridal seamstress, I have the perspective of being closer to the coal face of production. I know how long it takes to make a dress, and I see the impact of each bride's family and community on that individual's dress in every bridal fitting I do.
My bespoke atelier has flourished during the last couple of decades, within my peaceful oak-framed bridal studio, nestled in the Surrey Hills, where I live with my young family. Here, I've created countless wedding dresses from scratch, understanding intimately every seam, every bead, every delicate detail that goes into these precious garments. I didn’t use to pay that much attention to the environmental impact of all the new fabric I was ordering from my suppliers.
But as time has passed and I’ve become a more experienced business owner, I’ve been able to zoom out and observe a couple of decades of fabric developments, budgeting constraints, skillset obstacles, and the reality of keeping a successful bridal business evolving to fulfil the requirements of today's brides in a deteriorating environmental landscape.
Having these two perspectives, (dressmaker and business owner), along with my links within the industry, mean I understand both the artistry that goes into creating these gowns and the impact of what happens to them afterwards.
This dual understanding led me to experiment with repurposing wedding dresses, starting with a rail of old unwanted bridal gown samples donated by generous boutiques like Abigails Collection, Bride By Aster, Wedding Frox, May and Grace, and Miss Bush. By experimenting on behalf of brides everywhere, I show an array of inspiring examples in my book, Relovable, which was published last year, knowing that many will relate to your gown.
Follow my blog or my YouTube channel and you’ll discover much of what’s in the book. There aren’t many copies of itk left - it is a hardback coffee table book (print only) and sales and press interest has been great. But my aim has always been to get as much of the content out into the world, so I’ve donated some copies to libraries and am a passionate Speaker and writer on this subject, as well as writing regularly for publications like Bridal Buyer magazine.
Here on my website (check out the REPURPOSE tab on the menu) and on my socials, I share tips about tapping into your own creative community, so you can benefit from the shared skills needed to remodel something as complex as a wedding dress, along with plenty of practical, wearable solutions to get your gown out of the attic and back into your life. If you don’t know how to sew but are interested to see what you could do with your dress, have a look at Loom…it’s a new app that matches people who want something repurposed, with designers who can help!
I’m not looking for another twist or turn in my career. I think there’s enough to do in the bridal circularity space to last a lifetime, so watch this space, or even better, dive in and join me!
Ready to explore what's possible for your dress? Access my FREE guide to “Beyond the Big Day” HERE which is a video and PDF giving you an overview of where to start and what to do with your old dress - the first steps toward giving your gown the second life it deserves. If you’re a bride-to-be, then download my FREE "Peaceful Dress Journey" guide HERE to discover answers to the most commonly asked questions from all my brides. After your wedding, I’ll then send you some ideas for what to do with your old dress.
You’ll find more about the bridal world in my book which you can buy HERE. It makes a perfect gift for a bride-to-be, or for anyone who loves sewing, upcycling and wedding dresses.
