It is the end of another eventful year in my business and looking back I have enjoyed this year more than any other since starting my business in 2014. I am not going to write much as I want you to enjoy the images, but just to say I have achieved so many things in my business this year and apart from the obvious highlights shown below, I have trademarked my brand! I hope you enjoy the pictures!  

enquiries info@carolinebruce.co.uk
07835 983 018
​ 

Earlier in the year I was invited to an open call in London, to apply to design a dress for a Miss Caribbean finalist, to be worn for the Grand Finale on 25th  November 2017. At the beginning of July I took some of my dresses to show a panel of judges who would decide if I had been chosen as one of this years designers. I was thrilled I had got through and was asked to make two dresses, therefore dressing two finalists, who were at this point still  yet to be named.      

Later in July, I attended the Finals of the London heats at the stunning venue of Shaka Zulu in Camden, which created a wonderful backdrop and atmosphere to the competition. There, the fate of the London contestants were  to be decided and as this was the last heat of the whole competition from various locations around the UK. We would now know who all the finalists for Novembers Grand Finale would be! 

In August I was invited to the Miss Caribbean photoshoot in London to meet the two finalists I was going to sponsor their evening dresses. Above are the ten finalists with  Jackie Brown, top centre, who along with her husband Clayton Brown, created the Miss Caribbean UK brand and whose hard work  and passion, has created an ever growing competition and an amazing annual event, now in its fourth year.
 Miss Caribbean is a beauty pageant set up to promote all the Caribbean countries under one umbrella and the event is a platform to promote, educate, celebrate and inspire the historical and cultural impact of the Caribbean on the United Kingdom. The pageant aims not just to look for a pretty face, but for a young woman who is able to demonstrate a far more holistic image of beauty, poise, personality, confidence, grace knowledge and personal vision and sense of self worth.

Once I had met the young ladies, I thought quite a lot about how I would approach this project, after all it is a competition and it would be fantastic to have designed and made the winning dress...
However I also wanted to stay true to my own handwriting as it were, plus dress them in something that I thought would suit their personality, stand out above the other entries, plus still be a very glamourous evening dress!  

So I had a few ideas on the designs I wanted to use and finally decided I was quite happy about them. Next was sourcing the fabric... I was very short of time by this point, with only three weeks to go, which quite often happens when working on these sort of projects and I decided to source some fabric from a local supplier, rather than either take a chance online, as I did not have time to order samples, or take a trip up to central London and take a chance on finding what I wanted on that one day. I knew the colours I wanted but actually finding what I wanted was the tricky part. I had a selection of diamante trimmings, some I had already and some I bought with the dresses in mind.

I had only two, ten minute fittings with each of the girls before I was to produce the finished dresses on the night of the show, so I was obviously a little anxious as to whether the dresses would fit properly and be the correct length. Also I wanted the girls to be as excited to be wearing my designs, as much as I was to have them wear them for me!  

Back stage before the show I was so pleased not only did the dresses fit but both the girls loved their dresses, which pleased me as I obviously wanted them to feel comfortable but also elegant and confident! 

Above left Kamara is preparing for the first round of the finals, the carnival dance section. On the right I am in the makeup room having my makeup done and all the contestants have been called out one by one to go on stage.  

Above Eshiva is performing her  amazing solo dance.
Below all nine finalists are performing the carnival dances together and it looks so spectacular!

After the carnival round the girls were each escorted on stage by a young gentleman as they showed off their elegance, deportment and evening wear dresses. Then a few of the designers including myself were invited onstage to talk about our designs.

KAMARA THOMAS

ESHIVA WRIGHT

Apart from the various rounds in the competition the evening held some brilliant entertainment, music, dancing, shown below, and comedy, which made the whole event a really good night! So much work goes into the preparation of this event, especially in the work that is done individually with each contestant, and is growing year on year!   

Above is the final line up of all the finalists in their evening dresses.
In the last round the girls were asked a series of questions and were judged on how well they answered them. Everything was considered and eventually the winners of the various categories were announced, including best evening dress, best personality, second and first runners up and of course the who was to be crowned Miss Caribbean UK 2017!

  I love this in the moment picture of when this years Miss Caribbean 2017 was announced! Neither of my lovely ladies won the title, but Best Personality 2017 did go to Eshiva Wright one of my ladies, which was well deserved, but then all the girls deserved to win in my opinion! I did not win best evening dress, there were so many lovely dresses to choose from,  but I  enjoyed taking part in this competition, working with the ladies and the team and being involved in such a worthwhile event! Looking forward to next year!

Caroline
​

​tags #misscaribbeanuk #misscaribbeanuk2017 @misscaribbeanuk #pageants #beautypageants #eveningwear #bespoke 

18 months from the original idea, Amanda Flanders of Butterflies and Dreams events, Jane Mucklow of Jane Mucklow Photography and myself of Caroline Bruce Designs, finally created the fantastic charity fashion show we had been planning all that time! The Gorillas and Gowns Charity Fashion Show was held within the grounds of the Port Lympne Wildlife Reserve at their amazing mansion house, now Port Lympne Hotel. When I first stepped inside this incredible building I knew this would make a great location for a fashion show, it has to be seen! Whilst appreciating the interior herself, Amanda Flanders told me that she could arrange a fashion show for me and I was delighted at the prospect... and she did! We joined forces with Jane Mucklow who took some incredible photographs of not only my dresses but of the location and the evenings events!

As Port Lympne was our stunning venue, we agreed that our only charity for the evening had to be Aspinall's Foundation and the funds were to be donated to their work with the gorillas, hence Gorillas and Gowns! We realised that four endangered western lowland gorilla brothers, will be sent to a gorilla orphanage in Congo by Aspinalls, to rehabilitate them back into the wild and this was what the funds raised will be going toward. When you go to Port Lympne Reserve, they have a list on display near to the entrance,  with all the wild animals that are close to extinction mentioned, that's without all the other species of animals, and it is desperately sad to think that within our lifetime we could, and already have, lost many species that will not be there for future generations to see, gone forever! That is why our event was so important to all of us, even though I'm sure it's a small drop in the ocean to what is really required to make a difference.

Just some of the items donated are above. Below is just one of the three 'Gorillas and Gowns' limited edition 100% silk georgette gorilla print scarves I designed and made. I had the design for the gorilla print but needed help with the technical side of printing and so luckily I found textile print graduate Lauren McArthur  and I put her  creative skills to use and she enabled me to have my gorilla print on the silk I wanted! I love the effect the repeat print gives.     

By chance also I happened to know Josh Birch Jones and that he had a great deal of designs drawn up and I thought it would be a brilliant idea if he could have some of his designs made and launch both our collections at the same time... Joshua being only twelve years old of course, but his mother was thrilled and it made for a great concept for this charity event. I was keen to use the fashion show as a platform to show potential clients my new designer ethical evening and occasionwear range. Among the items were my a few bespoke pieces and a couple of leopard print pieces just for the show! ​

My theme for the collection was The Power of a Woman and this was a continuum of the pieces I created previously. I love using fluid fabrics like soft satins and chiffons as well as fabrics which take on more form, like organza and duchess satin. My evening wear designs are often inspired by the 1920s and Hollywood glamour with my own narrative. Movement of fabric around the body is intriguing to me, therefore I think in three dimensions, figuring out how the design will work as an actual garment and how  I can construct each piece.  Luckily I am able to work on all stages of the process from design to finishing, which gives me total creative freedom.          

Young Joshua Birch Jones was also showing his capsule collection, inspired by the need his mother had to change from boardroom attire to evening attire without carrying extra clothing around all day long, as she went to various meetings. He had the idea of making reversible pieces that would coordinate and be suitable for both scenarios. He did fabulously as you can see below!   

I have been working on the lovely Mrs Joan Collins' wardrobe, on and off for over a year now, so I knew animal welfare causes are very close to her heart. When Joan, who appears on The Only Way Is Essex with her daughter Gemma, said she would like to come along to our fashion show with Gemma, star of TOWIE  and with her own fashion collections, I was so excited! Gemma also made a generous donation to the charity,  which we are most grateful for! Having mother and daughter celebrities there made it an extra special event for me!    

We were also lucky to have another mother and daughter attending as Mary-Louise Chandler  came along to support her lovely daughter Lily Chandler who was modelling for me. Mary-Louise herself  is a model and ambassador of plus size clothing. Both pictured below!   ​

Below I am taking my bow at the end of the show with the final line up!

Apart from the two fashion shows, there were amazing body painted ladies by the living art show who entertained the audience and there was a grand auction with some very generous  pledges. It was a fantastic evening and we raised an amazing  £6,500 for the Aspinall Foundation so a massive thank you to everyone who made this possible. Below are my amazing models who I am extremely grateful to for putting on such an amazing show!   ​  

Special thanks goes out to Amanda Flanders, Jane Mucklow, Paul Andrews of The Business Bunker, Joshua and Joanna Birch Jones, Molly Wright from Molly Moodle Media, Port Lympne Hotel, The Aspinall Foundation and everyone who attended and donated!  
All amazing photography by @janemucklowphotography 

 enquiries info@carolinebruce.co.uk

Well here I am in my third year of business, looking back  on my journey so far, it seems a little like a course you take, but learning to steer your own ship. No one can tell you exactly how to go about it but at the same time guidance and support is gratefully received and I have been very lucky to have had both! Quite a few eventful things have been going on behind the scenes recently and finally I can write about everything!  

Back in July I had my trade mark officially approved and am glad to say I am now an official ladieswear brand! It is quite a long process to go through but definitely worth the wait!  

I had a really proud moment when I finally received my official woven garment labels after years of wishing I could! Below are previous examples on my road to being myself, above is the beautiful new one! It has taken a long time but I decided never to give up.

By now I think you may have seen the initial marketing images for the Gorillas and Gowns Charity Fashion Show, but if you haven't, below is a preview of one of the images being photographed for the brochure, by the amazing Jane Mucklow of @janemucklowphotography!  

Below is the official media marketing poster designed by Jane Mucklow and it has all the organisers and participants logos on it, including the amazing venue Port Lympne Hotel! If you have never been, look out for some photographs of this stunning venue in future posts! We have @butterflies2019 the fabulous Amanda Flanders as event organiser, @vanillaweb the brilliant Business Bunker radio show host Paul Andrews as compere, @janemucklowphotography event photographer, @MollyMoodleUK the lovely social media marketing expert, Joshua Birch Jones an incredible twelve year old ladieswear designer, yes you heard it here first... and myself @cb1dresses!

Apart from the preparations for the fashion show, mostly of which means that I will be making some spectacular new eveningwear dresses, I have been busy working on various bespoke projects for summer weddings and mostly mother of the bride dresses and outfits, hopefully I will have some photos to share with you of one or two of those soon! Below is a glimpse of a special hand beaded trim I will be using on one of my new one off pieces for the show. I have come a long way in the last few years and still have much to learn and much to create, not least for the show in September.  

For the last three years, I have been trying to balance two businesses within one, working for clients on bespoke projects and as a studio for other fashion businesses, whilst trying to create my lifelong passion of an eveningwear collection. All the work I have put in has been a learning curve for me, no one can know how to do everything, but what I don't know I have been learning how to do, which is an ongoing process but I never get bored!  Infact I love what I do and look forward to many more years creating and evolving my business and my British, ethical eveningwear brand!    

info@carolinebruce.co.uk
07835 983018
#GGCharityFS
@GGCharityFS

I was so excited to be nominated for two categories in this years Kent Women In Business Awards #KWIBA2017 and I certainly did not expect to be a finalist! I knew the date for the awards evening was approaching, however, as I was busy working on my customers outfits and dresses I wasn't really thinking about what I would be wearing, anyway I thought I must have a dress suitable of a black tie evening right? Actually I was wrong and so thought I would make something special for this big event! 
It started with fabric and colour for me and so I decided to take a trip into town where I know there are a couple of fabric shops, maybe not my favourite Berwick Street shops and as I was short for time and definately no time to order online, it was only two days away... so I had to settle for a trip to my nearest town where there would be at least  one fabric shop!​      

There were many colours to choose from and I did have my eyes on the purple, my business brand colour, however the advice from my stylist friend Siobhan Atkins of Wellstyled, was not to have purple for this event, which was some what a relief as I wanted something different and so I considered metallics, bronzes and rose golds which I love, but the fabric was just not inspiring to me for this occasion.  

Finally I decided on something more classic and versatile, black. I felt black on it's own would have been too harsh for me so I decided to go for a little sparkle with a silver sequined mesh to give it the evening gown look. 

Next I had to decide on a design for myself, I had so many ideas that I sketched out, but it came down to what shape I thought would be the most dramatic but also flattering for me too. ​

I was also slightly limited by a little thing called time as I only had about 2 days to make my dress from scratch! In that time I had to buy the fabric, design the style, make the pattern, cut out the fabrics and make, fit and finish the dress for the Friday early evening, bearing in mind I wanted to have my nails and hair done... but I would not a little thing like that stop me!  

I decided on something with two skirt layers so that I would reveal a hidden skirt and create a dramatic effect when I walked, but was also covered and elegant. Also I love long fitted sleeves and so I wanted make the most of the lovely sequined fabric and had this nearest my face rather than the harsh black satin.  

I spent some time working on the pattern pieces as this makes life much easier when sewing a garment together especially when you are in hurry. Once it is cut there is no room for error, if you make something too small and do not have any spare fabric then this will be a problem! I also had to make it bespoke to my measurements, which was fun trying to fit it to myself in the mirror...

Finally the dress was finished after much hard work and a tight deadline, just enough time to get mself ready!  

Photogragh above @janemucklowphoto

Above are pictures of me having a twirl in my new dress! 
Below are my friends who were runners up in one of their categories, from the left stylist Siobhan Atkins from Wellstyled , next Jane Mucklow from Jane Mucklow Photography and myself,  Caroline Bruce designer and dressmaker!  

I had a great time, even though I was not a runner up or winner, being a finalist in two categories was an achievement for me and being among so many talented business women who all deserve to be winners was very inspiring! It was fabulous to be part of such a great event and to be networking with  all those like minded business women all in one room. What a great excuse for a new dress!

07835 983 018
​info@carolinebruce.co.uk

Spring 2017 has been and gone so quickly for me, so now is the time to show you a few projects I worked on during the last few months.
​    Below is my spring bride Sara in the beautiful wedding dress I made  for this lovely lady. The design has a bohemian accent, I used a delicate hand made cotton lace inserted in the sleeves and bodice and a traditional embroidered broderie anglaise fabric for that vintage look.

Now for something very different and a first for me, but an interesting project nonetheless! I was commissioned to make this set of neck, waist, wrist and ankle ruffles as props for the incredible 'Living Art Show' who specialise in face and body painting exhibitions and courses.  

 I have again had the pleasure of working for Joan Collins, Mrs Joan Collins as she refers to herself , now a TOWIE star (The Only Way Is Essex) in her own right, as this season she has appeared along side her daughter Gemma! I create the styles that Joan envisions for herself as she has such a creative hand, she loves choosing fabrics and trimmings with me as we build up her wardrobe. For Valentines Joan wanted to create a special window display for Gemmas boutique in Essex, so Joan decided to use a bomber jacket I made for her with the lips print on and along side other seasonal items she put  together this shop display! 

Apart from my bespoke work, working on my own designs and the KWIB Awards I took part in, I have been working as a fashion studio for the new ethical label Chikezie- Rose. I was excited to be asked to take part in the 12th Screen Nation Awards 2017 in May, after my technical involvement in Miss Caribbean UK 2016 last year for the same label. With very little time but no lack of enthusiasm, Chikezie-Rose and I, agreed to take up the offer of dressing last year's lovely Miss Caribbean finalists, who were due to chaperone the celebrities and guests at the awards on the red carpet at The Plaza Hotel in central London. It was a real privilege, not only dress these talented ladies, who themselves are ambassadors for their own country of origin, but to have been invited to join in this fantastic occasion! There I am enjoying the event and getting some great photos on the red carpet!         

Apart from the nine one shouldered African print tie dresses, I also made the mens cravats and ladies pins for the Miss Caribbean UK production team which are pictured below.

After the excitement of the awards event, I was soon busy again creating this beautiful silk scarf. I wanted to donate a special item I had created to Linda Garcias 'Pink Charity Gala Ball', to help raise some money for her chosen charity 'Breast Cancer Now'. I chose this 100% silk crepe de chine geometric print to make this sumptuous scarf, as a luxury classic one off  piece for the lucky winner to treasure and enjoy wearing. 

 The last few months have been very busy for Caroline Bruce Designer Dresses, but in the background there are lots of great things happening with the development of my own eveningwear brand which I will reveal very soon! 
info@carolinebruce.co.uk
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 I was so pleased to be invited to write a guest blog by the highly talented and lovely Julie Davies of Julie Davies Flower Workshops, The Florist That Teaches, so here it is!   

 A LIFE WITH FLOWERS, MEET THE CREATIVE

​This week I’m handing over my blog to Caroline Bruce. We first met at Women’s Enterprise Kent – a scheme devised to digitally empower entrepreneurial women.  Caroline’s post was scheduled a while back and I’ve just updated it to let you know that Caroline is a finalist in the Kent Women in Business Awards 2017 in the arts/creative and entrepreneur categories.
Over to you Caroline …

BRITISH DESIGNER AND DRESSMAKER 
​Hello, I’m Caroline Bruce, a British designer and dressmaker. My business was born out of a lifelong passion to design, make and sell my own designs. I create bespoke outfits for women who need something unique to wear for a special occasion and can’t find anything off the peg. I also design my own unique range of evening and cocktail dresses. Luxury, glamour and individuality are the essential elements that go into each of my elegant designs.

VALUING CREATIVITY AND SKILLS 
I aim to have my garments hand produced here in the UK - embracing slow, sustainable fashion.  My fabric is mainly sourced through local suppliers. This ethos is also behind my belief that we should value the creativity and skills within the fashion industry and provide quality training in order to keep the industry alive for future generations.  
I don’t know about you - but I’ve always wanted, not only to wear beautiful clothing, but to design it as well! When you’re wearing something special it totally transforms how you look and feel. I aim to capture this magic for my clients. My dresses all have an element of wow about them - whether it’s the movement of the fabric, the way it drapes or the cut. Every piece creates an individual magic for the wearer.

HAND ME DOWNS 
​I grew wearing hand me downs from my older sisters and watched my mother sew some clothes for me on her hand powered sewing machine. While my friends had wardrobes full of lovely new and fashionable clothes, I really appreciated the few new clothes I had! I realise now, that by playing with the fabric scraps from my own hand made dresses, wrapping them around my dolls and trying to fit the fabric on them, that I was actually figuring out how garments were made.
At secondary school I developed an interest in the arts and decided to follow a creative career path. My interest in fashion, art and design grew into the dream to be a fashion designer. I went to college and learned how to design and make clothes. I completed my diploma and left with plenty of new skills and great hope for the future.
I started my career in London by working as a sample cutter and worked my way up to become a  toilist and pattern cutter at Nicole Farhi. During my years as a mother and home maker, I often made garments for myself and my family. I returned to work in the industry several times during those years - assisting the pattern cutting tutor at the college where I’d trained. Eventually I decided to start my own business.  And here I am looking back at my first two years in business and building my own future.

​NATURE IS A GREAT TEACHER
One of the things I love the most about being in fashion is having the creative freedom to create my own designs. I love being able to make something from just a thought, a feeling or a flash of inspiration. I like finding patterns in nature - a flower or a leaf that gives me the initial idea for the shape of a dress or part of a garment.
Looking at the natural world from a different perspective provides inspiration that can be translated into my designs. I also like to model or drape fabric on myself or on a mannequin so I can visualise the movement of the finished garment, making sure the end product is wearable. Not all my ideas start in this way but I do find that nature is a great teacher and shows me endless possibilities for colour, texture and design.

THE EVOLUTION OF IDEAS
​A jacket I designed earlier this year was originally inspired by an image I found of some waves breaking on the shore. I thought the wave ripples could be used as the outline on part of a garment. From here I collected similar images and tried various ways to use the wave design.
Next, I sketched out the shapes and working out how I could create the waves in fabric form. From this the waves became pleats - which I wanted to be soft and full of a fabric to hold their shape. However once I started modelling the design on the mannequin, the look of the crisp flat pleat looked better and this is how the initial idea for my jacket design was formed.
This is just one way in which I explore new ways of using nature to inspire my work. I’m looking forward to creating many more unique designs in the future and never fail to find inspiration all around me. This continual evolution of new ideas is what keeps me motivated and passionate about my own design business and the fashion industry as a whole.

 Caroline ​

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 2017 was kicked off for me with something different, as I was asked to take part in a community event run by the group Ashford Undivided at the beginning of January. This is a group of 'community change makers' led by Georgina Cooper ​and Francesca Baker, who wanted to give their local community a chance to have their say in a creative way!
​ My project was just a small part of a very full day of creative events taking place at The Bauhaus Cafe in Ashford town centre. Attendees were invited to take part in various creative projects to help express how they felt about where they live now and how they wanted the community to change for the better. With the affects of Brexit on their minds, how, as mainly young people, would they would like to shape their futures? In small groups they used the arts and crafts workshops to make bold statements of how they felt, for the MP Damien Green to see when he came to speak and to post on their website. MP Damien Green spoke for some time on the subject of the affects of us leaving the European Union and answered many questions, responding to peoples fears for the future.        

 The workshops ahead of me that day were Make a Postcard, Poetry, Using the Uke, Urban Sketching and then the Question and Answer with MP Damien Green and  there was some lovely live music too!     
​I began my project with a short talk about why and how I am creating my own sustainable fashion business. As I was invited to create a project for the event, I wanted to talk a little about recycling, eco freindly clothing and sustainability within the clothing industry. One of the things I talked about was how to be more eco freindly with your own clothing. Top tips included repairing damaged garments, by replacing zips for example, restyling a garment or reusing the fabric from an unwanted garment to make something completely different! I also discussed the pay and working conditions relating to the factories, where many of the cheap high street fashion stores have their garments made. Also up for dicussion was the fact that globally, we consume 30% more natural resourses each year than our planet can replenish, the fashion industry, unfortunately, is also one of the highest poluting industries in the world. Therefore, I decided to create a project using old t-shirts to either recycle into something else, a bag for example or to use the t shirts provided to get everyones individual messages across for the community and government to see!  

I just wanted to say thank you to Ashford Undivided for inviting me to take part in this positive, creative and community based event and I hope that the messages of the people will be heard. Create a better future!
​​
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https://www.facebook.com/AshUnCCC 

 2016 is almost over, so now is the time to take stock of all this years achievements and share some of my highlights with you! 
I started the year by taking part in my first fashion show at DISTRKT nightclub in central London! I showed a capsule collection I had designed and made specifically for this show, with other new designers invited by LSE Fashion Society. This was an amazing experience and a great opportunity to show a few of  my designs to a new audience! 

DSTRKT nightclub in London was an amazing venue for the fashion show, with it's long and narrow dance floor it was a perfect catwalk! 

Also in February, I was suprised to be nominated by West Kent Housing Association for the TPAS awards, Tenant of the Year for my  entrepreneurship. I went with other nominees in our local area to The Hilton, Wembley to attend the ceremony. I had a fantastic time and I was honoured to be nominated and to get that recognition!

April saw the end of the Womens Enterprise Kent course I took part in, such a shame that it had to finish! I met so many amazing fellow female entrepreneurs aswell as making some new friends. We had various seminars, sometimes in beautiful locations and we learnt  about marketing our businesses, financial and business skills.

Which leads me nicely on to tell you about the photographer Jane Mucklow, who I met on the course and who took the stunning new images you can now see on my website. We arranged a photoshoot in a local historical site which made an amazing backdrop for my dresses.

During the spring months I had several clients who wanted bespoke garments made and I worked on four weddings, well actually four mother of the bride/groom outfits which I specialise in. In this capacity I create the bespoke garments from the very beginning, from my design through to the finished garment, working on every stage myself. This one shoulder cape dress was a particular favourite of mine, due to the stunning asymmetric design and it started my wedding season off nicely!   

Some of the projects that I work on require my technical support skills,  working as a creative pattern cutter and as a seamstress or sample machinist. So in May, I worked with designer and fashion industry consultant Carol Rose, to create her daughter's prom dress that she herself  had designed and choosen fabric for. I saw the sketch and knew I would love making this dress, especially as we were using stunning African fabric, silk finishing touches and with an elegant back waterfall detail. This dress was actually made up of 46 seperate components that needed to be sewn together! All the outside pattern pieces had to be placed strategically on the fabric before cutting out in order to make the design of this garment work.    

I was also thrilled to be asked by Carol Rose, to take part in a fashion show (my second of the year!) at London's Docklands on the Sunborn Yacht Hotel for a Christian ladies website launch!  This was a chance to show off my own designs as well as Carols, we each showed three looks. My garments were Dana my chiffon asymmetric dress, Isobel my two piece cape and layered dress and Oriana my silk satin and leather jumpsuit. This was a fabulous experience for me, plus an education on how to put together a small scale fashion show!

​I also had the pleasure of working with a couple of celebrity clients during the summer months, one of whom was Joan Collins, no not the one from Dynasty, but Gemma Collins' mum from TOWIE! Joan commissioned me to make most of her holiday wardrobe as she was taking a special holiday in August. Joan loves unusual fabrics and sometimes bold colours and although the dress styles were  quite simple, Joan wanted to be creative with them by mixing the colours and textures of fabrics in a unique way. Some fabrics we used were from remnants from Joans' previous projects, but used as part of new dresses we created. Not only does Joan enjoy experimenting with the fabrics and trimmings, she also likes to make good use of eveything that is available to her so that nothing is wasted. This was a new challenge for me and taught me a lesson in upcycling!        

To round the year off nicely, Carol Rose ask me to work with her on another exciting project, the grand final of the Miss Caribbean UK 2016 pageant, positively promoting the Caribbean. Carol collaborated with award winning hair salon owner Anastasia Chikezie to create the Chikezie-Rose collection for the event. The designers bought some amazing heritage fabrics and sketched out their initial ideas. I worked again in a technical support role for this design collaboration as creative pattern cutter and seamstress. I was  lucky enough to be invited to attend this spectacular event and look forward to seeing it grow in future years!   

It made my evening when one out of the two beautiful ladies wearing the dresses I made, Cheniel Henderson, won second runner up prize overall!  (seen here on the right)

Some of the carnival costmes for the first section of the pageant were laid out in the dressing room and of course I couldn't help but take a photograph of these!

 The beauty pageant marked the end of a fantastic year for me and there was plenty more to tell. I would like to say a massive thank you to all my clients from this past year and for all the advice and support I have recieved from various individuals and organisations. Next year I look forward to growing the ready to wear side of the business, desingning evening wear pieces, which needs to be nurtured too! I hope to see many new clients booking for bespoke garments to be made and the technical support side of my business. Look out for further new developements and have a creative 2017!

​Caroline