HAPPY HARROGATE Next year will be the 40th anniversary of the Harrogate Bridal Show. Wendy Adams was there from the start, organising and building what would become one of the most important and internationally-respected bridal industry trade events
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n 1983, six brands got together and showed their collections to UK retailers at the St George Hotel, directly opposite where today’s megaforce of trade show is held. This September, at the first show since the pandemic brought everything to a halt, including, of course, weddings themselves, 300 brands vied for attention, 60 of which were new to the market, a signal, says Wendy Adams, that things are moving forward once again, and that momentum is gathering. Interestingly, the dedicated designer arena attracted labels that traditionally create a single collection a year but want, it seems, to take every opportunity to reach out to existing and new stockists, and
see Harrogate as the ideal playing field. The environment, of course, is different to that of White Gallery which, while incorporated into London Bridal Fashion Week, is a show within a show, with its own individual personality and audience looking for the very best names. However, Harrogate September saw more designers this year than ever before, and White Gallery London is already 70% full for 2023, with some fabulous designers on board. One of the big attractions at Harrogate is the advisory clinics programme where retailers make appointments to see and question established experts about everything from staff training to instore display,
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to social media. But without question, the big formal catwalk shows are a huge pull, and not just for the sheer theatrics but for the opportunity to see gowns on stage, moving and swaying and creating impact. “We start to sell scenes in the show year to year, so this year’s participants are already booking for Harrogate 23,” explains Wendy. “The production team is pencilled in and we start to consider the set for the new season about six months ahead. Decisions about the models and the music take place some three months prior to the show, but the fittings and rehearsals can only take place once we are onsite, and that’s just two days before we open.” Approximately 100 dresses take
