Retailers and brides alike enjoy viewing the final product of a wedding gown either on the catwalk of a fashion show, at international exhibitions or in showrooms. The creation of a wedding gown is an extensive process and Michael Bristow of Michael Bridal Fabrics is available first hand to assist designers and manufacturers select the most beautiful fabrics for their vision.
Michael’s bridal fabrics has been in business for over 23 years and sources a vast selection of fabrics from all over the world and from places that specialise in certain products. “We buy a lot of lace from France. From Italy, we buy a lot of plain high-quality fabrics, such as silk or silk blends and even some embroidery. Most of what we buy from India is edgings and motifs that are embroidered or adorned with crystals” said Michael.
So what kind of fabrics are designers choosing for their bridal gowns at the moment? “The fabrics that we sell the most in number of meters are duchess satins, chiffons – crepe type fabrics have become quite popular as well as the lighter weight and softer satins.” said Michael. “We now starting to offer more fabrics that are soft and drapey, as this seems to be more in demand as we’re seeing a lot more understated dresses starting to appear.”
When asked about the wedding gown colour trends, Michael says the movement of colours in bridal tend to be slower that in the normal high street fashion but he adds, “At the moment we have two colours of pink which sell very well. One is a Shell Pink and it’s like a shell you would find on a beach. The colour is so soft that if you just look at it quickly you would think it’s Ivory. The other colour is a stronger version of this which we call Dusky Rose.”
Michael also offers a variety of Mikado silk fabrics which is currently a popular pick amongst designers. “Another fabric that we have which is quite popular is an Italian quality silk blend and it’s quite unusual since it has a different colour on each side. Of course, that is not going to be used particularly for the wedding dress but for the mother of the bride or special occasion. Not everything we do is just about Ivory wedding dresses. We cover other high-quality fabrics for people who are attending the weddings as well.”
100% Silk Crepe PS4001, Example of one of the many accessories A1211
Michael’s vast selection includes brooches, buckles, clasps, pearl and crystal buttons, 400-500 designs each of edgings and motifs, which are used as small embellishments or heavy crystal pieces for belts. “What has also become quite fashionable and expensive are the crystallized pieces to put on to dresses with an illusion back. This creates a lot of interest when we put them on a mannequin at the trade fair, and you can see everyone walking towards our stand pointing directly at the mannequin – it creates a lot of interest.”
Back Motif T910
Choosing fabrics for the first time can be a challenging experience, especially for young and upcoming designers. Michael advises to develop a clear idea of what kind of dress you have in mind as well as the price range. From there, he is able to provide the right options to choose from, offer products to give the gown a certain effect and even time-saving solutions.
Michael’s team travels all over the world to personally assist their customers, and attributes his business’ success to the great relationships he has with his clients. At the end of it all, Michael adds, “It’s rewarding to know that we have contributed to the most important day of many people’s lives.”
Michael’s Bridal Fabrics can be seen at further trade shows later in the year:
Sydney Bridal Wholesale Showing, Sydney, Australia – 24th – 25th February
Bridal Roadshow, Harrogate, UK – 3rd – 4th March
Bridal Roadshow, Droitwich, UK – 10th – 11th March
Textile Forum, London, UK – 13th – 14th March
London Bridal Fashion Week, London, UK – 24th – 26th March
European Bridal Week, Essen, Germany – 30th March – 1st April
Paris Bridal Fair, Paris, France – 13th – 15th April
Interbride, Dusseldorf, Germany – 4th – 6th May
For more information, please visit Michaels Bridal Fabrics