Introduction

My Elite Experience

I first started my placement in August and was based in their Brighouse boutique (one of their five stores in Yorkshire), where I was taught all about the business and how the stores are run. Elite Bridal stock all their own dresses and they are all designed in-house in Yorkshire, this means that all the dresses can be modified and changed however the bride desires to make it unique and special to them. It is a family run business, so a lot of love goes into each dress, and they are especially critical with their trading and manufacturing standards.

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My main duties to begin with were to run my own bridal appointments which was a huge responsibility as choosing a wedding dress is something people dream about, so it is important to make their experience memorable and make the bride feel special. Getting such a personal experience with so many brides made me realise how important my job role was and how perfect everything needed to be leading me onto the best advice I was given by my supervisor; “Treat every dress as if it was your own”. This has made me a perfectionist when it came to each dress as I wanted to make sure I was 100% happy with every aspect of it, this really improved my attitude towards the jobs I didn’t particularly find enjoyable such as steaming the dresses as if it were mine, I would want everything to be perfect.

Once I became confident with bridal appointments, I was given the opportunity to do my own designer appointments which take place when the bride is either wanting to add some changes to one of our dresses or design their own. The main objectives of a designer appointment are to take measurements, make notes on the desired changes or design the customer is wanting, and complete a quick sketch so the bride can see their vision come to life. Continuously sketching out dresses in these appointments has made me much faster with my drawings and I have learnt to create an aesthetic but still technical drawing, which will help me with my final collection. These drawings are very important, so it is crucial that they accurately represent any changes to the dress as they are sent factories overseas so most communication is made through images and measurements. It is important whilst conducting these appointments that you make sure all design changes made by the customer are still functional and if they’re not to formulate quick solutions. For example, the most wanted design change with a fishtail dress is for it to be taken in underneath the bum however if the fabric is not stretchy then this alteration would result in the bride not being able to sit down. The solution to this is to go for more of a sheath style skirt which will give the illusion of it being more nipped in, or a stretchy material can be used to give the desired silhouette whilst still being functional.

After spending a few months in Brighouse and learning all about how the company is run on the shop floor, I was moved to the head office in Wakefield to learn more about the sewing and design side of the company. I was introduced to the Creative Director of the company, who is incredibly talented, and I had such an amazing opportunity being able to shadow her throughout my placement. By shadowing the Creative Director, I was able to learn so much when it came to alterations and in-house customs, this really helped me gain knowledge on the construction of each individual dress and how that can be used to easily make customisations to the gown.

When it came to alterations, I started by completing work that had been pinned by other seamstresses within the company, mostly bridesmaids and chiffon wedding gowns. Then as I gained more confidence I began working on larger dresses and eventually onto the satin gowns which require much more care as they can be easily marked due to pins making small holes in the fabric, which can create pulls. Each dress is unique, and every bride needs different alterations, so I have really expanded my sewing and pattern cutting knowledge whilst working on all these dresses. During the last couple of months, I have been able to carry out my own alterations, pinning my own brides and completing the sewing work which has been incredibly rewarding, especially when I have been fortunate enough to see my brides at their last appointment with their dream dress fitting perfectly.

Another one of my main duties whilst working in the design department was to make or fix custom made designs in house. Most custom orders are sent to factory as it is cost effective however if the design changes are simple sometimes, they will be sent to head office to be completed in-house. In-house customs often consist of sleeves or sparkle layer being added, all of which helped improve my pattern cutting skills. Unfortunately, not all custom orders arrive correctly, and some mistakes can be made at factory, therefore it is fixed in-house this involves coming up with innovative and quick solutions whilst still making sure it is cost effective. Having to make these decisions under time pressure has really built my confidence in my abilities as I have been able to show I can formulate successful solutions to difficult problems.

In the most recent weeks of my placement the brand has been working on launching their own accessories, so I have been working on designing and manufacturing these with my colleague Isobelle; another student on placement from Huddersfield University. Together we have designed many sleeves, veils and capes making sure to have continuity amongst them all as not only will they be sold in store, but eventually they will be sold through the wholesale company worldwide. Each accessory was pattern cut from scratch and we shared out the workload when it came to sewing stock to be more time efficient. Once we had made some stock, we began timing ourselves to create a costings sheet for management so a profit margin could be made. Having such an important role within this new venture of the business has meant I have been able to oversee how the production line works within a company, which I’m sure will help me in the future.

The most exciting project I have been a part of this year is designing for our 2024 collection. I was initially set the task in December to come up with a series of designs taking into a count that they must be wearable, easy to alter and have a timeless look. After handing in these designs, I had my first design meeting in January where we spoke about them more in depth for example fabrics and beading, then my boss and creative director chose a few of my designs to be made at factory. These designs should be arriving any time and will soon be sold in the Elite stores. This was such an exciting project to be a part of and really gave me an insight into designing for a business and how the process works. It also improved my sketching ability and made me think about the smaller details when designing to make something wearable rather than just artistic.

To evaluate, my experience at Elite Bridal has been incredibly informative and I have successfully been able to improve my knowledge of how a fashion house is run, whilst developing my pattern drafting, design and sewing skills; all of which will be a valuable asset in my final year. I have been lucky enough to work alongside the creative director and CEO of the business, learning how to run a store and make bridal appointments magical and memorable to learning first-hand how to repair dresses and formulate quick solutions for designs and manufacturing mistakes. Not only have I gained transferable information and skills, but whilst working at Elite my confidence in my abilities has grown tremendously which has made me acknowledge my talents and how much I have achieved this year. Upon reflection I believe my placement has been a success as I have been able to improve my skills in all areas and been fortunate enough to work in all aspects of the business; it has been such a valuable experience and I know it will benefit me throughout my final year. 

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