Timeless elegance for modern brides by GENTLY INSPIRED

"Our vision is born out of a love for the romantic vintage appeal of the past and a desire to work with our clients to create the dress of their dreams.”

We bring you Gently Inspired, a collection of vintage inspired couture bespoke gowns and occasion dresses, handmade to order in London using the finest European silks and genuine vintage embellishments.

Bespoke gowns may be a luxury but this is your wedding day, ladies! This is one day that is ALL about you (what do you mean, two people involved?!! ) and you deserve the dress of your dreams.

Enter stage left - Carole and Sarah Riggs, the duo behind Gently Inspired, who have created a limited collection of signature silhouettes inspired by, and cut from, original vintage classics for not just the bride, but also her bridesmaids and mother too.

To ensure that every gown is unique, each client selects fabrics and embellishments reflective of their own style creating their bespoke and timeless garment. 

Your Gently Inspired experience combines glamour, elegance and personal service as experienced in the couture houses of earlier decades.

Carole, please talk us through a typical day in your life

One of the things I love about my work is that there is no such thing as a typical day.  

As well as the Gently Inspired couture line we also have our well established Gently Worn Vintage brand plus a Ready To Wear collection launching in December so variety is definitely the spice of life at GI Towers!! 

We have just launched the couture line and are currently putting the finishing touches to some bridal additions to the collection so there is a lot of running around with samples, and meetings with our seamstress and pattern cutter, selecting fabrics and trims and fit sessions. 

With the RTW collection in sampling stage we will also be liaising with our production team, selecting fabrics and checking samples for this line too.

The best part of any day is always the client fittings, our dresses are bespoke and the service very personal so we have the opportunity and time to get to know our clients and build relationships through the process. 

Each client chooses their own genuine vintage embellishment, the signature of any Gently Inspired piece, we have a large treasure trove from which our ladies can choose, always a fun part of the process!

In between there is PR & Marketing for the brand, we tend to have those meetings away from the studio at one of our local cafes, somehow chai lattes and cake always make brainstorming so much more productive!

All of our gowns and dresses are vintage inspired so we are constantly researching, visiting exhibitions and trawling vintage stores and fairs for design inspiration… and opportunities to snap a picture of our theme colour #gentlyred

Who or what is inspiring you right now?

I have and always will be inspired by beautiful dresses, embellishments and couture finishes, they have always been the signature of the Gently Worn Vintage collection and the Gently Inspired line too.

For me the construction and finish of a gown or dress is the most important aspect, a well made piece will not only look good it will feel even better...

The workmanship of the past, hand beading and embroidery, hand painted silks and home made pieces of such quality always have me mesmerised.

As a collector of vintage dresses for many years I love the glamour and femininity to be found in earlier decades and it is these feminine silhouettes that have inspired me to develop the Gently Inspired collection.

I have an absolute passion for fashion books and magazines from earlier decades and they are a constant source of inspiration, I have been known to get lost for many an hour among books! 

Whilst the couturiers of the past continue to inspire and influence, Ralph & Russo are an inspiration in the couture world. The intricate detailing in their embellishment and embroidery work, the soft femininity in their shaping, we love Tamara Ralph’s work. 

The fact that they were a small business founded in 2007 and are now one of the World’s most famous fashion houses and the first British house in a hundred years to be accepted into Paris Haute Couture!

They are so inspirational for us, to think less than 10 years ago they began with a sewing machine and an ironing board…how could we not be inspired?!

Describe a Gently Inspired bride

The Gently Inspired lady has a true appreciation for timeless classic style; she loves the elegance and glamour of the past and is a lady who has developed her own style and is true to that rather than a follower of fashion. 

A lady who wants the overall experience of glamour, elegance and personal service as experienced in the couture houses of earlier decades.

So come and meet the Gently Inspired team and buy your tickets here now ladies and gents for the Most Curious London show 2016.

And you can find out more about Gently Inspired here:

www.gentlyinspired.co.uk
www.facebook.com/GentlyInspiredCouture
instagram.com/gentlyinspired/