SECOND OPINION

Sue Lovell on her buying spree... and her love affair with both product and people

How was it for you? For me Harrogate was brilliant. I fell in love with Jupon accessories, Morilee did not disappoint – in fact, it truly excelled – and my hard and fast plan to stick to a budget fell away like conkers from the tree outside my office. I went in focused and determined to be ruthless, placed my super large order in record- breaking time and with such ease, even Mr T looked impressed at my no-nonsense approach! No dithering about, I just went for it!

I like to think I’m a woman of my word; if I take a stand, I usually stand firm. I can hold a grudge though; in fact if grudge holding was a sport, I’d be right up there with Serena Williams, world class and dedicated.

So this trip to Harrogate came to me as a bit of a shock. I have held firm to the decree I issued in my store a few years ago that Hell would freeze before I sold another pair of shoes. After stock issues, poor customer service, customers getting a better service online or in a department store than we as a shop got from the very same supplier, I deleted shoes from BridalLive and the shop floor.

Financially for me at the time, it didn’t stack up and the stress caused from a particular supplier was just irritating to me. Life is too short to be arguing over a heel falling off a bridal shoe at the altar, to be told “well, she obviously wore it”. I do not forget these things, it may seem petty, but customer service is key, and if you can’t get that right over something so small, then the trust is gone. So, “begone with you, bridal footwear!”

But… I DO love shoes, and shoes had brought a lovely man into my life. As firm as I usually stand in my conviction, I am loyal and once someone gets into my battered old heart, I hold them dear.

Seeing the warm and smiling face of old friend Graham Lewin at The Perfect Bridal stand changed everything. He greeted me with a hug and a welcome that made me melt, and I stepped onto, yes, a shoe stand!

We chatted as old friends do, and he expertly turned the conversation to the joy of shoes. Oh, he’s so slick, he knows me so well; he enticed me in with a gorgeous pair of ivory leather bridal boots. From there he smoothly guided me to bridal trainers and before I knew it, I was falling back into a relationship with footwear. As with any rekindled love, I am taking it slowly. I’m no fool, I’ve been bitten before, but I’m hoping that dipping the proverbial toe back in, it may be a good thing for me and my brides.

I am certainly seeing more bridal trainers at fittings, and these ones from Perfect Bridal are so cute! So, although I said baby steps, Graham has already visited me in my studio, and shoes will soon be back in my shop floor. Hell may just have experienced a cold snap, but Graham is one of the good guys, and I trust him to lead the way, and he

understands that being a rep is more than just selling, it is about building relationships, and cups of tea over a Jaffa cake.

It’s all about the people Reps make or break a brand in my eyes. A good one, one you trust, can bring with them an army of independent shops; a bad one can sink a label for a season – or forever if changes aren’t made. But often the relationship with a Rep will transcend a brand… relationships run deeper than a product. I remember one Rep, and how they were with me and my staff, and even if I don’t stock the brand they represent now, I will always recommend them. People buy from people, so a good rep is a fantastic investment any designer can make. We may be independent shops, but we talk, we recommend, and we share our good and bad experiences.

For me, this is what Harrogate is about. Not just product, but people. I love Lucy from Kenneth Winston and Dando, Kirsty from Maggie Sottero is just a joy to be with, Phil Collins is a living legend, and if you met Raveem from Lore, you will be buzzing with his enthusiasm as it’s infectious! (I thought Lore’s catwalk show was electric, and the dresses just came alive in front of your eyes. I feel it may be a very good year for your shop if you took on Lore, and if you haven’t, and there is still money in the pot for a new label, check them out, or make a note in your diary to see them in London in the Spring.) And the product… It was great to See Anna Hare exhibiting. Full disclosure here: Anna and I have shared a jacuzzi and a massage, but that doesn’t influence me when it comes to being taken with Olympia Sposa, and given how busy the stand was, I think many others were impressed too. Harrogate was perfect for their UK launch, and Anna told me that there “was a real buzz around the stand, with stores loving the chic, clean styles”. The collection is fresh and different, but very commercial, with a real European vibe. Unique Italian fabrics and an incredible cut and fit, combined with limitless pattern changes and an amazing price tag made “this a real no brainer for buyers” as Anna points out: and it is, because we as buyers want to give our customers more choice, without confusing them.

One new label not only caught my eye, but was one of the most talked about:Josephine Scott. Josie was inspired by her first visit to Harrogate at 19, on work experience with Ellis, and that led to her career in bridal and ultimately the launch of her very own label. And that is why Harrogate isn’t just another bridal show for me, it is embedded into so many of our psyche, we are inspired, thrive and encouraged by it. I met daughters who are taking over the family business, who came to Harrogate as children, and are now there as buyers, and that just proves that this circle of life exists, even in bridal. We grow and adapt. Shops do close, but new ones emerge, others evolve, and the same enthusiasm carries us all through. Taking responsibility On that note, I was heartened to see less waste at Harrogate. We don’t need mountains of paper brochures; we have instant access to the internet. A good website to promote a good product, an eye-catching stand and a good rep is all we really need to engage. Glossy straight to landfill, unable-to- recycle literature is not sustainable or

responsible; not if we want our kids to follow in our industry footsteps. I was pleased to see suppliers trying out more ethical marketing, and packaging, but we need to do more. Not just us, but the venues do, too. We all probably have branded reuseable, refillable water bottles in our cupboards, and we need to use them. After a day’s hike around the halls, we need to refill them. Yep, we can all knock back the prosecco and gin, but we need to stay hydrated, too. All the stress of running a business causes wrinkles – water combats that, it’s a proven fact! People buy from people, so a good Exhibition halls need to provide more places for water bottles to rep is a fantastic investment any be filled, reducing the waste of designer can make. single use plastic bottles. I am sure there must be some there, but I didn’t see any. That may be because I was focused on other things, talking too much, or it may be because there was nothing visible. We need to use these items regularly and bring them into everyday use, or else they too will become landfill sooner than expected. More thought also needs to be put in to the ‘sustainable’ products. People remember websites, we are pre-programmed it seems to Google or Bing everything, so companies are easily searched for and found within seconds, and secure areas for pricelists for stockists are so easy to add to a site. Zero waste, easily updateable, and you can track who has visited. The thought is there with some of these promotional ideas, but make sure it sends the right message when it comes to being sustainable. The changes we make will help to ensure future generations of designers, suppliers, retailers and customers are able to enjoy all that we do now. We all want to leave a mark, a little legacy of our time here, but let’s do it without leaving a dirty stain on the planet! Buying and selling pretty things should not create an ugly imprint on environment.