Because we can never resist gorgeous wedding dresses, we’re thrilled to welcome bridal fashion designer Anna Campbell for our latest Styled Day feature. Anna is from Australia, and we were so fortunate to be able to attend a private showing of her latest collection during Bridal Market. We love how she mixes glamorous beading together with simpler silhouettes and delicate lace to create beautiful gowns that feel completely effortless.
In addition to being a top designer, an Instagram pro (her feed is lovely!), and one of the nicest people, Anna is also a bride-to-be and a horseback rider. We’re sure you’ll love her just as much as we do after reading all about her day below. PS: Anna designs custom gowns with brides, but she also has a collection sold locally at Lovely Bride in Philly!
Every day is a little different, but – variety is the spice of life, when I’m not in work mode I’m out riding my horse Lindy, tending to my new kitten and whipping up tasty treats in the kitchen.
7:00 am – I am woken up by my fluffy little British shorthair kitten Charlie who wants to play. I quickly check my email to see if anything urgent has come through overnight, and go through my calendar for the day so that I can dress accordingly – between bridal fittings, designing, boxing classes and horse riding after work I generally have to bring more than one outfit!
7:30 am – I never spend that long getting ready, and I don’t wear that much makeup, so I am already out the door with breakfast on the go.
8:00 am – I arrive at our studio and greet the studio early birds that have already been sewing for an hour and a half! We are all good friends and love to have a chat as I make my much needed coffee.
8:30 am – I get the lap-top started and scan through the emails as they come tumbling in, we have been featured on the gorgeous Hello May blog with a beautiful editorial by the stylist Hope and Lace. I love it so much I post it onto our Instagram feed, and then email the notification across to Kitty who works with me to handle our media, who puts it up on our blog.
11:00 am – Time to meet my bride and send her off with her dress as it’s her final fitting, which is really special and exciting, however sad as our journey together is coming to an end. The hand-stitching team in the studio have done a perfect job stitching down all of the layers of lace, and I can’t wait to see my bride try it on for the last time before her big day.
12:30 pm – My bride is ecstatic and loves her dress! Now the long wait begins for her wedding photos to hit my inbox. Unfortunately I don’t have the time to work with many clients anymore, so I treasure the ones that I have, and love meeting the brides who are in-store at the same time as me for their fittings.
1:00 pm – I head back to the studio to change into my riding gear. I often spend my lunch break riding my horse Lindy who lives about half an hour from our studio.
2:30 pm – No matter how crazy work can be, I always feel centered and calm after spending time with Lindy, and am so blessed to be able to have an incredible team to support me at Anna Campbell so I can leave the studio without a worry.
3:00 pm – Each Tuesday our Management team meet to work through the past week, the week that lies ahead, exceptional staff, projects and training. Today I am presenting them with my initial concepts for a new bridal collection coming out in around a years’ time. I adore our staff and their opinions are so important to me. In the team are the managers for promotion, production, retail, wholesale and online sales, so I get a view from each perspective, and their respective teams.
6:00 pm – The meeting is finished, and I am feeling inspired, and full of ideas to build on the concepts that I presented. Its time to get designing and I start with an incredible sequin fabric, which I am working into an illusion neckline, with a fit and flare skirt, so dreamy!
7:00 pm – Home time! Most of the time I only drag myself away when Murray my fiancé texts me for an ETA!
8:00 pm- I love cooking, and no matter how late I get home I always try to eat really well, and cook Murray something that he loves too. Tonight we are having slow cooked pork rice paper rolls.
9:00 pm – Pinterest Pinterest and more Pinterest, a few cups of tea, maybe a little dark chocolate, some emails and then some social media, some more pinning and a flick over Instagram. Finally I collapse into bed.
