Charlotte Balbier ~ The 2012 Candy Kisses Collection…

I thought I'd sneak in another little post today before preparing my 'good news' post of tomorrow – something pretty, courtesy of the delightful bridal wear designer, Charlotte Balbier.   It's funny, Charlotte was one of the very first designers I interviewed for Love My Dress – I've always adored her very evident passion for excellent customer service.  And it seems many of my readers share this appreciation.

With every collection Charlotte Balbier strives to create and deliver a range that will wow her brides and the Candy Kisses collection does not disappoint. This collection really is as sweet as it sounds, rose pink pure silk gowns that are dreamy and romantic, slinky red carpet glamorous styles in creamy soft satins, rich taffeta’s that have timeless elegance with a classic cut and fit, sit alongside Charlotte’s signature vintage inspired French lace gowns.  New fabrics and beading, a fresh new colour palette and exquisite photography style will truly elevate this collection to a whole different level so that it can make its mark on the bridal fashion industry…

"For the 2012 collection I wanted to create a collection that would give my brides and also my retail customers something that was a little bit different without being too different…. this is a hard task as there is a fine line between between being different good and different bad!

I worked for over twelve months on the collection, I listened to both my retailer owners and also my brides about what they love about my collection and in what ways I could improve my designs going forward…"

Love My Dress Wedding Blog – Photography Copyright (c) 2012, Charlotte Balbier

Tutti Frutti from the Charlotte Balbier Candy Kisses Collection...

I am known for my fabulous fit but I knew there was room for improvement so I used not one but three muse’s for the candy kisses collection. Sarah who is a tall and very slim size 8 with a small bust size, Louise who is a curvy size 10/12 and works as a fitting model for some major underwear brands and Nina who is one of Gok Wan’s ‘Gokette’s’ and has curves to die for and is a plus size model at a size 18.

Using three very different silhouette’s/shapes was fantastic as I could make sure I had gowns suitable for all brides and that the fit was perfect whatever size or shape you are. A Charlotte Balbier gown guarantee’s to make you feel and look one size smaller and that in it’s self is a unique selling point.

As well as improving the fit, I also wanted to explore new fabrics and embellishments, everyone knows I love a bit of lace and for 2012 I introduced several new laces that all French and all exclusive to Charlotte Balbier. Also new for 2012 are 2 new silks, one is a soft silk that feels like liquid to touch and the other is a slub silk, this is a bit like marmite as it has the imperfections so you either love it or hate it. 

I love it! 

Love Heart from the Charlotte Balbier Candy Kisses Collection...

My main inspiration for all my collections is always my wonderful brides, I feel so blessed that so many brides choose a Charlotte Balbier gown for their special day and each year I learn from them what makes a wedding dress so special to them.

I also took inspiration from my first love that is fashion, I am obsessed and always have been with fashion. 

I am a keen fashion spectator and keep my eye on what’s new but I like to think I am not a slave to fashion and I wear what suits me rather than just what’s in fashion. I really enjoy taking run way trends and incorporating them into my gowns, it may just be a nod to a certain trend like my love of puff ball skirts (yes I am still living in the 80’s a little!!)…

Harriet from the Charlotte Balbier Candy Kisses Collection...

I named the 2012 collection Candy Kisses as when I saw all my girls (the dresses) together when I had finally finished them all I thought that the collection looked so sweet and girly with it’s soft Pink shades, big soft tulle skirts and beautiful French laces that the collection was almost so sweet you could eat it (that sounds a bit weird!!).

My brand colours are pink and I have always loved candy stripes so I combined this all together and came up with the name candy kisses.  I had a few names in my head but this just summed up the collection perfectly. The ladder that we used on the photography I got on eBay for £12 and sprayed it Pink as I wanted some pink ladders for my garden and then thought they would look cool in the shoot!

Ava from the Charlotte Balbier Candy Kisses Collection...

The Charlotte Balbier collection is now stocked in just over 40 boutiques in the UK, Scotland and Wales and I am absolutely delighted to announce that it is now available in Dubai in a new and amazing boutique…. yes Charlotte Balbier is now international!  The full list is on the Charlotte Balbier website and is under stockist’s.

The Candy Kisses gowns are now in all the boutique’s listed on the web-site.

The collection is priced from £1,120 – £2,000 for the ready to wear styles and bespoke designs start at £2,000…

Clementine from the Charlotte Balbier Candy Kisses Collection...

Pearl from the Charlotte Balbier Candy Kisses Collection...

Dolly from the Charlotte Balbier Candy Kisses Collection...

Dora from the Charlotte Balbier Candy Kisses Collection...

Ellie from the Charlotte Balbier Candy Kisses Collection...

Lavendar from the Charlotte Balbier Candy Kisses Collection...

Liv from the Charlotte Balbier Candy Kisses Collection...

Lollipop from the Charlotte Balbier Candy Kisses Collection...

Martha in Gold from the Charlotte Balbier Candy Kisses Collection...

Trixie from the Charlotte Balbier Candy Kisses Collection...

For further information, visit the Charlotte Balbier website.  Charlotte Balbier is also on Facebook and Twitter and has her own blog.

And watch out soon for some rather exclusive images from Charlotte Balbier that will be gracing these pages very, very soon!

Much love all,

Annabel

Annabel

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.

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