Interview: Wedding dresses and designers in times of COVID-19

If you are already starting your wedding preparations, undeniably one of the first things you will have thought about is your wedding dress.

But we are also sure that, apart from looking everywhere for inspiration to get your perfect dress, with which you’ll feel comfortable and beautiful on your big day, you will also have a lot of doubts about the effects that COVID has had on weddings and the wedding dress sector.

But, as at Perfect Venue we always want to help you with everything you need so that your wedding is as you’ve always dreamed it and so that you put aside the fear and uncertainty caused by the COVID situation…we have contacted four great professionals in the sector and we have asked them the questions that interest brides the most at this moment!

The professionals, whom we admire for their work and ability to make wedding dresses, who tell us everything about wedding dresses are Laura Escribano, Jordi Anguera, Impúribus and Beatriz Álvaro.

You can’t miss it! You will remain much calmer and trust that finding your wedding dress in times of COVID is nothing to worry about.

1. In the middle of this pandemic, how is the business at the moment?

Laura Escribano:  Like most companies at this time in our country, we are not going through the best of times due to the pandemic, in addition our sector that is dedicated to events is being particularly affected. However, I think the wedding dress sector is one of the least affected in the bridal sector. The truth is that we are facing a completely different scenario to last year and our atelier has understood it since the beginning of the pandemic. For this reason, we are adapting to all of the requests of our clients, facilitating our services and completely transforming the company to respond to this year and the next. We are really using it as an opportunity to reinvent ourselves and explore new business avenues.

Jordi Anguera: Fortunately, the company is doing well. We have been fortunate that it has caught us in a good moment as a company.

Impúribus: Well the first weeks and even months have been full of uncertainty, given that some of our clients were also not sure whether to go ahead with their desired weddings this year. The moment we found out how many would be getting married in 2020, we began work with more enthusiasm if possible, with the dresses. Right now we are already working on 2021 weddings and we are having the first visits of the new brides. From our experience, it seems like 2021 is going to be a year with a lot of weddings!

Beatriz Álvaro: At the moment we are at 50% of the workforce.

2. Have there been many wedding dress cancellations?

Laura Escribano: Cancellations we have not had any, but displacements to 2021 of approximately 85%.

Jordi Anguera: Only one cancellation. 70% of the dresses have been postponed to 2021.

Impúribus: Fortunately, we haven’t had any cancellations, but postponements of the wedding date to 2021, and we are already working with a lot of excitement on the dress fittings of the brides who marry first.

Beatriz Álvaro: There haven’t been any cancellations, what we have had have been postponements until 2021. About 75%.

3. Have you launched a new bridal collection for 2021 or have you thought about keeping this year’s 2020 collection?

Laura Escribano: We don’t work by collections, but instead we have permanent collections in which we add new designs every year. Therefore, this has not affected us at all when creating, but quite the opposite.

Jordi Anguera: Of course. We have launched a new collection for 2021. Brides who are getting married this coming year have new models to try.

Impúribus: The business model of our atelier is not to release a collection per season. We design new models every year, as part of a line consistent with the brand, inspired by our own essence. This year we will continue with the same idea and we will have new models in the coming months. These designs are always available, so that brides can see examples and can try on a shape, etc., but they understand that their exclusive design will be personalised and that is precisely what they want and what defines us at Impúribus.

Beatriz Álvaro: We don’t make collections as such, but we do present several new models every September to give brides new ideas. We are a little late, but we want to present it next week.

4. We have seen brides with masks, have you made bridal mask designs so that brides match their look?

Laura Escribano: Yes, we have made them for our brides who have needed them free of charge and to match their outfit. We have not made masks in a general way for the public because we are not clear about the materials and the way to produce them so that they are really protective and useful.

Jordi Anguera: Of course! Depending on the design and fabrics we make matching masks.

Impúribus: Yes, this year we have designed masks for both our brides and guests (always woven and with a pocket for a TNT filter) and others who already had their dress have also asked us.

Beatriz Álvaro: Yes, of course! Each of the brides we have dressed has had the mask to match their dress, with the same fabric and made to measure, since we have several mask models.

5. Have you noticed a greater presence of traffic on your website? Have you ever thought about selling wedding dresses online?

Laura Escribano: Our commitment to the present and the future is to further enhance our online presence through website and social networks, platforms in which we are very active and we are constantly bringing ourselves up to date. We have just launched a redesign of the website adapted to the new needs of clients and we are exploring new ways of communication through videos, live videos and virtual appointments. Online commerce is an idea that has been around for a long time since we have a lot of demand from brides who live outside of our country.

Jordi Anguera: The traffic remains the same. I really don’t believe in online wedding dresses, especially if you want it tailored. Absolutely all the charm is lost, all the magic client-designer relationship. The value of the atelier is this magic of being able to create with the bride.

Impúribus: In these months we have noticed more visits both on the website, and on social networks, more consultations by phone and even online appointments with video calls, etc. But due to our working procedure with brides and guests, with exclusive designs and made to measure, we do not propose a standardised ready-to-wear line.

Beatriz Álvaro: Traffic has increased, because brides come to see the dresses on the websites and on Instagram to get ideas and see models. But in the end, they always end up coming to the atelier and trying on what they like the most. Our clients like to wear an exclusive dress made for them, and have the unique shopping experience in their life, where they can touch and see it. 

6. How will you face the return to the production of dresses?

Laura Escribano: In the same way as before, we are working the same. Before we had clearer and more focused programming, now we accept the situation and we have a constant adaptation to each stage that comes.

Jordi Anguera: Well, a little more overwhelmed for sure! We will have all the deferred brides plus the new clients. So this year, the shop is going to smoke.

Impúribus: As I was telling you, we have already been resuming the fittings with the clients and having visits from new ones for months, with all the recommended sanitary precautions and above all with great excitement.

Beatriz Álvaro: We believe that as soon as this situation improves, brides will get married with the same excitement as always and will celebrate their weddings in style as they have been doing. In fact, many comment that they are looking forward to everything moving on, so that they can get married and they and their guests can enjoy the wedding. 

7. What is your most important challenge these days?

Laura Escribano: To maintain the excitement, mood and passion for our work.

Jordi Anguera: The most important challenge has been to be able to maintain ourselves as we were without being able to deliver the dresses. Having to hang on to all of the postponed dresses until next year and continue with the same excitement and desire.

Impúribus: I think our challenge in the bridal world in general is to convey to the bride and groom that despite the special circumstance we are experiencing, “THEIR WEDDING”, can and must continue to be the priority. They can celebrate it, different from how they had in mind a few months ago, but not worse for that reason. I even think, from the experience that our brides who have married in 2020 are transmitting to me, that they have chosen every detail of the wedding in a more leisurely and more personal way, (by having more limits), and this has made their wedding more in their style and more related to themselves.

Beatriz Álvaro: To continue having the same excitement up to now, so that brides can enjoy their experience of making a unique dress for their wedding.

8. What would you say to brides who want to start choosing their wedding dress?

Laura Escribano: It’s important to know when they are getting married, to speak in depth with them, to see what they need and want in their dress. What we are doing is warning that, if they marry in 2021, keep in mind that they are going with the entire 2020 season, that is why we ask that you do so at least 7 months in advance so that we can do it well, calmly and be able to absorb all of the work. 

Jordi Anguera: Don’t delay in choosing the dress. We are not a clothing chain. All the dresses I personally try on and are made entirely in the shop-atelier itself.

Impúribus: For our part, we continue with the same enthusiasm, creating each design proposal from scratch. My advice is that they continue to enjoy every moment and every choice of the wedding with the professionals who make them feel like themselves and with those who they have the most personal connection. That is synonymous with success and will remain forever in their memory, related to one of the best moments of their life.

Beatriz Álvaro: I would tell them to do it as soon as possible, because it is true that now they don’t have much desire and they see it as very far away, but this will pass and they will need a wonderful dress for their big day.

Many thanks to the bridal dress companies Laura Escribano, Jordi Anguera, Impúribus and Beatriz Álvaro for your time and willingness!

And don’t hesitate to go to Perfect Venue to start with your wedding preparations, get in touch with any of these professionals and find the dress that best suits you as soon as possible.

We’re waiting for you!