An Interview with Anna Campbell, Wedding Dressmaker

Tell us a little about what made you want to become a wedding dress designer?

 My journey into bridal began when I was creating formal dresses for young women, I had so many brides requesting that I make these pieces in ivory so that they could wear them on their wedding day. This natural progression led me to creating my first range of bridal gowns and I have never looked back! There is something so truly rewarding about creating a dress for one of the most important days of many of our brides’ lives, I wouldn’t change it for the world.   

Where does the inspiration for your collections come from? Is it travel, current fashion trends, books, family, friends etc. 

 As a designer I draw inspiration for my collections from a plethora of elements, from botanic influence, to architecture and beyond. Each lace or embellishment is designed from a creative vision which is then crafted into an incredible fabric and used to create one of our Anna Campbell dresses. I am endlessly inspired by the beautiful brides that wear our dresses and I design each piece with her in mind, aspiring to create timeless gowns that our brides feel beautiful wearing on their wedding day. 

What is your favourite dress type at the moment? 

 This is such a difficult question to answer as I fall in love with many of my designs and when I see a bride feeling incredible in her dress, that design becomes an instant favourite for me! At the moment we are having a lot of fun with our daring bridal separates. We love seeing brides across the world wearing these pieces and adding their own authenticity to their styling. I would say our bridal separates are a favourite amongst the entire Anna Campbell team. 

Any special moments during your time as a wedding dress designer that have stayed with you? 

 There has been countless pinch me moments throughout my career as a designer, from my first experience having a collection stocked internationally or walking out on the runway after showing my collection in New York. The moments that stay with me however are the moments that are shared with the bride and her family, working together and finding the perfect dress for her wedding day, seeing her thrilled to have found the one, nothing quite beats that. 

Over the years, you have created thousands of beautiful wedding dresses for brides and we've been so lucky to see so many of them at Stones. What advice would you give future brides looking for their perfect wedding day dress? 

Choosing to work with a designer who understands your vision and truly cherishes working closely with their brides can make the wedding dress process that much more enjoyable. You want to feel comfortable working with the team who are creating your wedding dress, whilst ensuring you honour your own personal style and stay true to your vision for your wedding day. I always recommend to our brides not to overthink it, if you love the way you feel in the dress, then go for it! 

And lastly, what did you think of Princess Beatrice's wedding dress?! The ladies of the Royal family are known for making headlines then it comes to their wedding dress. Do you think we will see any trends rising from Princess Beatrice's wedding? 

I love that Princess Beatrice looked so genuinely happy and excited in each photo from her wedding day. Beatrice’s dress was such a beautifully modern adaptation to a vintage piece, I am always a fan of embroidery detail and the square neck is a truly flattering trend which you may see from us later this year!