We absolutely fell in love with the work of Caroline Matthews from the moment we crossed her Twitter page. It’s impossible to believe that such a talented designer has been under our noses for so long. That’s why when we discovered Caroline, we knew we had to chase her down! Here’s how we got on…
Hi Caroline, you’re an Irish based designer from London, what made you decide to jump the pond over to us?
Hi Aileen, initially I moved here as I felt that the Irish wedding market was one that was still quite un touched in terms of offering women something different and unique to wear on their wedding day without the heavy costs involved in purchasing a full bespoke gown from a designer.
Originally I was living in Kerry and built up a name there and have been lucky to win a number of awards for my business ranging from the Best New Business in Ireland to the Irish Fashion designer of the year, which is a great achievement!
Well done! How would you describe your style?
The Caroline Atelier style is for a woman who wants to be stylish on her wedding day, unique but still feel like a bride. Our signature style is backless wedding dresses and slim silhouettes but we do cater for all brides as we also offer a bespoke service where brides have full input to their gown from design to the final dress which works very well for us.
What’s your favourite summer bridal trend so far?
I have so many favourite trends but as a designer I try not to conform too much to “bridal styles” as I feel a woman will wear what she wants ultimately for her wedding and doesn’t need to feel pressured into following the latest trends. Saying that, I love the vintage inspired dresses that still have a modern feel to them, heavy corded laces that we use are also a favourite of mine as they are timeless and always look fabulous.
What trend would you like to banish from the catwalk forever?
The trend I would like to banish from the catwalk is culottes, I think they are so unflattering and suit very few people. I wouldn’t banish any bridal styles as I think there is style to suit any bride and shape!
What do you do when you’re not creating and designing?
Is there anything else for me to do when I am not designing??? I spend my life designing and producing dresses, if I wasn’t designing then I am thinking about a new style. When I do have some free time I love to enjoy the gym and cooking, travel would also be high up on my enjoyments but I don’t get a huge amount of time for that at the moment but hopefully soon.
Who is your all time favourite bride icon?
My all time favourite has to be Grace Kelly, what can you say… she is so stylish, elegant and never afraid of wearing new designs but always looks beautiful.
Can we find your pieces in boutiques or is it best to contact you directly?
Our bridal collection is stocked in a number of exclusive boutiques across Ireland and the UK. To see our full list of stockists you can visit our website at www.caroline-atelier.com. If there are brides out there who want to come directly to see us at the studio we are based at No. 7 South Mall in Cork City.
Caroline Atelier is an award winning bridal designer from the UK now living in Cork. Her dresses are made from the finest of silk satins with bespoke art deco embellishments used for shoulders or belts. Caroline also works with brides on a one to one basis to create bespoke wedding dresses to suit a brides own personality and vision of how they want to look on their big day. Our contact details are – info@caroline-atelier.com or you can reach us on 087 7704341.
