LUXURY LIFESTYLE THROUGH LACE

Born and raised on the island, Elena Capel Cure left Malta’s shores years ago to move closer to her friends in West London. Little did she know that this would be the first step she made towards the launch of her luxury lifestyle brand, Blue Ribbons and Lace. She chats with Teri Spiteri to share more about the brand’s journey so far, and its plans for the future.

“I love styling, fashion and interiors, and I’m always looking for something quirky and unusual,” Elena “When I moved to West London, most of my friends were getting married and would call me to help them with the styling of their wedding dress. Some did not opt for a traditional wedding dress, but a number of separates in white,” she recalls.

She remembers that others were purchasing white, ivory or cream evening dresses from designers and platforms such as Net-a-Porter or Moda Operandi, but both Elena and her friends still felt they needed that something special – that extra push to convert them into a bride. “I remember one or two were very lucky to have heirloom tiaras or a lace veil, or in one case both. But many had neither to fall back on,” she laments.

This was the start of something special. Elena had helped out numerous friends by offering styling advice on their wedding day, and had listened to every one of them. She understood what they liked and didn’t like, and could tell that they were looking for something particular which was not widely available ‒ namely, lace veils. Lace veils have an interesting backstory, as it turns out. They used to be a wedding accessory that was only available to the lucky few who had one in the family. Throughout the years, they remained a rare but coveted statement piece, with one or two popping up occasionally on the fashion runways of Paris or Milan. Inspiration struck, and Elena set about launching a brand to fill the gap in the market. The result is lifestyle brand Blue Ribbons and Lace, inspired by chic, paredback aesthetics and timeless staples. Lace veils were the cornerstone of the business, the first in a series of products that set the brand apart from the competition. “Our lace veils are “Making these lace unique on the market. They are veils by hand is a flawless and perfect,” she states with confidence. dying artform, as not Yet sourcing the veils was a many people want to challenge in itself, as Elena was determined to use only the best take up this skill.” for her brand. “We managed to convince an international lace atelier, who works closely with international designers, to produce

the veils especially for our brand. They, in turn, had to convince specialists to come back to work from retirement and set up the framework. Making these lace veils by hand is a dying artform, as not many people want to take up this skill,” she notes sadly.

This is surprising, as the brand’s pieces are in high demand, particularly among the millennial generation. Elena’s customers are brides who want a wedding look that celebrates their personal style. They are fashion forward women who are looking for something unique and individual, while remaining traditional. In her own words, they are “girls who want to be a cool princess bride, without being over-the-top Disney.”

As the business grew, Elena continued to draw inspiration from those around her. The same group of friends who requested her styling services for their weddings went on to have children. “They asked me to source christening gowns which were simple and not over-the-top, made out of luxury lace and fabrics,” she remarks.

This led the brand to evolve and grow to accommodate a whole new area of business: a product line dedicated to children’s pieces. “One of my friends wanted something reminiscent of a royal christening gown. We asked the lace atelier to create a fabric with a vintage feel and gold thread, and the Czarina Christening Gown was born,” she smiles. Many orders followed, and the line was a success, leading to the creation of two other gowns in the range: the Dauphin and the Princesa.

“Work, children and travel will all form part of the brand. Blue Ribbons and Lace aims to be a lifestyle brand that reflects the way we live.”

The children’s line was only the beginning of the brand’s evolution, however. Today, the brand develops curated collections in the worlds of wedding accessories, girls’ party dresses and home accessories, always maintaining classic and vintage design as its core values.

Moving forward, Elena has plans to continue growing and expanding the business in the coming years, and new lines and categories are already in the pipeline. “We will definitely have more lace and new accessories which reflect the different aspects of life,” she explains. “Work, children and travel will all form part of the brand. Blue Ribbons and Lace aims to be a lifestyle brand that reflects the way we live.”

www.blueribbonsandlace.co.uk