6 minute read
JAYE APPLEWAITE
PHOTOGRAPHY: AMBER DAWN PHOTOGRAPHY, SOFIE WARREN & ELIZABETH AUSTIN PHOTOGRAPHY
BRIDAL DESIGNER:
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You may have seen her gorgeous designs featured in international and regional publications such as Brides, MACO People, Munaluchi Bride and of course Adriana Weddings over the past few years and fell in love. Starting off her career as a civil engineer, and then flipping the script to become one of the top Bridal Designers in the Caribbean, this amazing creative has become such an inspiration to both brides and wedding professionals from around the world.
Jaye’s bespoke designs are truly unique, sophisticated and effortless. They are inspired by destination weddings and modern bridal fashion and lend perfectly to the beauty of the Caribbean. We sat down with Jaye to chat all things bridal and the inspiration behind her new brands “Analie Bridal” and “Bliss Bridal”.
PHOTOGRAPHY: SOFIE WARREN
AMBER DAWN PHOTOGRAPHY, SOFIE WARREN & ELIZABETH AUSTIN PHOTOGRAPHY BRIDAL DESIGNER: JAYE APPLEWAITE
You may have seen her gorgeous designs featured in international and regional publications such as Brides, MACO People, Munaluchi Bride and of course Adriana Weddings over the past few years and fell in love. Starting off her career as a civil engineer, and then flipping the script to become one of the top Bridal Designers in the Caribbean, this amazing creative has become such an inspiration to both brides and wedding professionals from around the world.
Jaye’s bespoke designs are truly unique, sophisticated and effortless. They are inspired by destination weddings and modern bridal fashion and lend perfectly to the beauty of the Caribbean. We sat down with Jaye to chat all things bridal and the inspiration behind her new brands “Analie Bridal” and “Bliss Bridal”.
Tell us about the Jaye Applewaite brand. What are the main things that you want brides to feel when they look at your designs and your brand as a whole?
Jaye Applewaite dresses are effortless, stunning and sexy, made with gorgeous laces and intricate details. They are inspired by beautiful destination weddings and modern bridal fashion. My style is light, airy, feminine, effortless, romantic and beautiful, much like how I believe a bride should look and feel on her wedding day! My passion is to translate brides’ emotions, style and overall vision for their wedding day into the perfect dress. I pay very close attention to all the details and the fit of each dress. Each piece of lace is meticulously applied by hand, and each dress is fitted individually to the bride’s body — this is what makes the Jaye Applewaite design and fit process so unique.
Your journey to becoming a Bridal Designer is quite amazing. Please share a little bit about it with us and explain how you think it has influenced your work and your drive to become one of the very best within the bridal fashion industry.
In 2016 I left my career as a professional civil engineer to pursue a career in the bridal industry, regardless of having no formal training in fashion nor sewing. Being self-taught means that I have to use my problem solving and observation skills to determine how to design and create my dresses. My methods are not always traditional/formal and are quite unique to me. This is why my dresses have such a unique element. I have freedom to design and create, and am not bound by traditional/formal methods of sewing.
by Jaye Applewaite” and “Bliss Bridal”. Please share the inspiration behind these beautiful brands.
Analie Bridal was created as an extension of the Jaye Applewaite brand to offer brides beautiful sexy dresses at a lower price point. The dresses are effortless, sexy and easy to wear, and perfect for a variety of weddings, from intimate elopements to larger luxury weddings.
Bliss Bridal is a more conservative and traditional brand inspired by local (Barbadian) brides. Bliss Bridal offers classic, timeless and elegant wedding dresses and allows brides to mix and match tops, bottoms and accessories from the collections to create their custom bridal look. The fabrics used are luxurious duchess satin, classic embroidered floral applique laces, and bridal tulle.
It’s safe to say that the new normal of isolation and social distancing has certainly changed the way that brides-to-be can now search for that perfect dress. What advice would you give to brides who have no idea where to begin?
Your Inspiration
When searching for dress inspiration, a few good places to start are the internet, Pinterest and Instagram. If you are wondering how a certain style or detail would look on your body type, find inspiration in photos of women with a similar body type to yours. Once you have all your inspiration, it’s time to narrow down to find your perfect bridal style which can be a combination of a few dress styles. Finding your wedding dress style is very personal. Deep down you know you want a particular look and feel, and you will naturally gravitate toward certain dresses and styles. Look for a designer whose style and aesthetic matches your dream dress style. That way you will be confident he or she understands your vision and is capable of designing and creating your dream dress. Visit the designer’s website to learn more about the designer, their design style, order times, pricing, etc.
Your Budget
If you are still unsure about your budget or the designer’s price point, now is a good time to contact the designer with your pricing query to find out more about their pricing and determine if it suits your budget.
PHOTOGRAPHY: ELIZABETH AUSTIN PHOTOGRAPHY
Website: www.jayeapplewaite.com Instagram: @jayeapplewaite
One of your main specialties is creating unique custom pieces for your beautiful brides-to-be. Do you think that as time progresses, you will still continue to offer this service, or would you eventually produce collections only?
I will definitely continue to offer custom dress designs, alongside with dress collections. I love the idea of a custom dress and working one on one with my brides to design and create a dress that is uniquely theirs! It’s amazing how special and intimate the process is, and the end result is a dress that perfectly reflects the bride and her overall vision for her big day.
What would you say are the main challenges that brides will face in trying to find their dream wedding dress during covid-19?
The main challenges are not being able to travel and try/fit dresses and ordering wedding dresses online.
How do you think they could get through the issues, and still find/ design the dress that they have always envisioned?
Some brides feel unsure of what style dress would best suit their body type, or they feel torn between different dress styles and would love the opportunity to try the dresses and select their favourite.
Going custom is the perfect way to solve this challenge. Be aware of knock off websites that sell low quality or imitation designer dresses. Where possible, order directly from the designer or look on their website for boutiques that stock their dresses.
Do you think that going custom is the better decision, especially during this time?
Yes! The beauty of custom design is that you get to combine your favourite elements into one dress, and work closely with a talented designer to create your perfect custom dress!
PHOTOGRAPHY: AMBER DAWN PHOTOGRAPHY
What is the goal for the jaye Applewaite brand for the future?
The goal is to create an international luxury bridal brand catering to brides worldwide through custom designs and annual collections stocked in various luxury boutiques worldwide.
