Well, what do you know, it's Friday night and I'm blogging! This is a first for me – and to be honest, this post was supposed to have gone live at lunch time today but I won't bore you with the reasons why it didn't. I thought, to heck with it, I'll try a Friday night thing and leave this up through Saturday too, to make sure all of ya'll turning off from the interweb tonight get a chance to see it tomorrow.
This week, as part of my new feature on inspirational women in business, I am interviewing the super lovely bridal accessories designer and fellow North East wedding fanatic, Rosie Willett. Rosie inspires me for having set up a business from scratch and having followed her dreams…
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Who are you and what do you do?
I'm Rosie Willett of Rosie Willett Designs. I design bridal headpieces and jewellery, which are individually handmade in silks, lace and Swarovski crystal and pearl…
Love My Dress Wedding Blog – Photography Copyright (c) 2012, Rosie Willet
When did you realise you wanted to run your own business?
I made the decision as soon as I graduated from university. Most of my friends were applying for design jobs and I was offered interviews in London and America, but I just knew I had to pursue my dream. I started designing and selling my headpieces while I was still at university and it wasn't something I wanted to give up. I wanted to see how far I could go with it and once I had my degree under my belt, it was wonderful to be able to dedicate all of my time to starting the business properly.
Did you have any business experience before setting up your business?
None whatsoever. There was a lot to learn, but I just took it one step at a time and took advantage of any help that was offered. Northumbria University was very supportive and I learned a lot about the marketing side of business from my Fashion Marketing degree…
How did you get into the business of designing accessories for the bridal market?
I first became interested in jewellery and wire work on an Art and Design foundation course in Manchester. I made a collection of hair accessories using wire, beads and dried flowers. I think this is where my love of floral headpieces began, but they have become much more luxurious now! My mum told me she thought my work would appeal to brides and encouraged me to do some research. I felt I had something new and different to offer the bridal market, but I wanted to travel and get my degree first.
I continued my studies in Newcastle, but couldn't shake the idea of designing bridal headpieces. The workload at university was pretty heavy, but somehow I managed to find time to start selling my headpieces to brides via some of my local bridal shops, alongside studying for my degree. I remember feeling so excited that brides were actually choosing to wear my designs!
Rosie at the Love My Dress Summer Soiree last year…
How did you approach setting up your own business?
I had a very clear vision for my business. Coming from a fashion background, I was confident that my designs would appeal to stylish brides, so it was essential that my pieces were placed in the right boutiques with the very best designers. I worked closely with a graphic designer to produce a beautiful brochure and sent it to selected independent bridal boutiques.
Luckily, there was a lot of interest in my work and my collections can now be seen in some gorgeous boutiques, selling alongside the likes of Jenny Packham, Temperley, Suzanne Neville and Stewart Parvin. The next stage was to set up my own online boutique and this has been my best decision to date...
What would you say are the essential skills required to run your own business successfully?/Best business advice learned so far?
Organisation is absolutely essential. You must also be very motivated, but this will come naturally if, like me, you are passionate about your business and your product. Don't compromise on quality because it always shines through.
Your ultimate top 3-5 tips for any woman looking to take a leap of faith and set up her own business?
{1} Believe in your own talents and vision for your business.
{2} Be prepared to dedicate a great deal of time and energy to your business. During busy periods you may have to put your personal and social life on hold for a while.
{3} Understand that not everything will always go to plan. Sometimes there will be knock backs, but stay positive as there is often something better just around the corner. The buzz you get from something good happening in your business is like nothing else.
What is your biggest business lesson learned so far?
When I started my business, I thought that I would make money straight away. It really doesn't work like that though. To create a successful business, you have to be prepared to reinvest most of the money you make in sales to ensure that your business becomes better. There are a lot of other people offering services to help your business to grow but you have to be quite selective about how to invest your money.
What tips do you have for balancing work/personal and family time?
It can be very easy to let work invade your personal life and I don't employ staff so I do everything myself. Hours of work go into making each headpiece by hand which is, of course, what I enjoy doing most. This often means that things like paperwork and marketing have to be done in the evenings and at weekends.
I always make time for the most important people in my life. Working alone makes you really appreciate your close friends and I don't know where I'd be without my giggle and gossip sessions. I also like to dance at least a couple of times a week. Dancing has been part of my life since I was three and it still brings me a great deal of pleasure and helps me to switch off from my work.
What/who inspires you/how do you stay inspired?
I am always inspired by positive people who work hard to achieve their goals. In terms of design, I am inspired by so many things – nature, beautiful places, fashion, illustration, photography and film. I can't wait to see The Artist and W.E later this month, particularly because of the 1920s and 1930s costume. I think both films will have a huge influence on fashion and that vintage is most definitely here to stay, both in the fashion and bridal industries.
I also look to the bridal gown designers for inspiration. The fabrics they use can inspire a collection, because many of my brides choose one of my floral headpieces to coordinate with the fabric used on their dress. The fabrics used in Kate Middleton's stunning wedding dress has influenced my new collection, Innocence, which includes beautiful hand stitched flowers in luxurious silk satin and French lace…
What us your opinion on wedding blogs and what impact do you think they have had on the wedding industry?
Wedding blogs are now an integral part of the wedding industry. At one time, brides could only look at wedding magazines for inspiration, but now wedding blogs provide something more interactive and diverse. I think it's great that brides can share their wedding photographs and inspire others. I also think that wedding blogs have a real sense of community, bringing brides and suppliers together who may not have otherwise found each other.
Career high? ……. and low? And how did you recover from the low?
I think my career high has to be when my Darcy headpiece was selected for the front cover of Brides magazine. I felt such a sense of achievement and was honoured to have been recognised by such a prestigious magazine. It also brings me a lot of joy when my brides send me lovely comments about their headpieces and photographs from their weddings. I love to see a look come together!
I set my business up at the start of the recession in 2008, so there have been a few low times times when I've struggled financially. The winter months can be particularly difficult as there are less weddings. I recovered from this by bringing out a range of Swarovski crystal and pearl occasion jewellery this Christmas which proved very popular. It's available in a wide colour range and the pieces are high quality and classic in design, so it's ideal for special occasions and gifts. I hope that the range will not only be popular at Christmas and that sales will continue with spring and summer wedding guests and ladies attending race days, parties and events.
Books/magazines you would recommend?
I was given the most gorgeous book for Christmas, called The Vintage Tea Party Book by Angel Adoree. It's full of recipes and tips on creating vintage make up and hair styles. It's so beautifully illustrated by Adele Mildred, with little drawings of owls, rabbits, mice and foxes next to every recipe. I do have a penchant for woodland animals! I also read the Sunday Times Style magazine every week and keep up to date with bridal trends through the main bridal magazine titles.
Music you are listening to now?
My taste in music is quite eclectic. I like hip hop, classical piano, indie, soul, jazz and swing. Perhaps that's because I'm a dancer. I'm loving Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller at the moment – my friends refer to this as my 'war tunes collection'!
Your favourite Rosie Willett design?
My favourite headpiece is Beth from the new Innocence collection. It combines a silk satin and French lace flower with a curled feather, on a Swarovski crystal AB and ivory pearl headband. Like all of my headpieces, it is individually handmade, right down to each hand stitched petal. It is soft and delicate with a touch of 1930s vintage style.
Any exciting plans for the future?
I have just launched my very first range of bridesmaids' headpieces to complement my bridal collections. It includes fashionable hand stitched bows and flowers and delicate Swarovski crystal and pearl combs and headbands. Each piece can be made in a wide colour range to complement the bride's colour theme.
I have also designed a range of Occasions headpieces, corsages and jewellery for wedding guests, Mother of the Bride or Groom, race days and other special events.
Again, these pieces are available in many colours to coordinate with the client's outfit. I think that what I can offer through these ranges is quite a special package. I can't wait to provide my first bride with her own beautiful headpiece and jewellery, as well as some gorgeous coordinated pieces for her bridesmaids and a stunning headpiece for her mum. Now that will be a very stylish wedding party!
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Thank you so much Rosie for taking the time to share a little bit of your story with my readers, which I hope will inspire them 🙂
To find out more about Rosie's beautiful bridal wear accessories, visit the Rosie Willett website. You can also follow Rosie on Facebook and Twitter.
Are any of my readers looking to establish a bridal accessories business? Or do any of you share a similar story to Rosie? I'd love to hear your feedback on this interview.
Have a lovely Friday evening and Saturday everyone. I'll be back on Sunday with another Sunday Serving 🙂
Much love all,
Annabel
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Annabel View all Annabel's articles
Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.
