Archive for the ‘Tiaras’ Category

Find out more about our company representatives

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Now you have met our customer service team, we introduce you to our sales team, including company representatives and their co-ordinator, who play such an important part in building relationships with our customers, travelling all over the UK and Europe. To find out which representative covers your area click on the map below.

UK Representative map

Reproduced from Ordnance Survey map data by permission of the Ordnance Survey © Crown copyright 2010.

Having a personal one-on-one session with a company representative has many benefits:

  1. Gives you the chance to see veils, tiaras, jewellery and hats in all their glory, to try them on and to see their real-life size – something that buying from brochures cannot provide.
  2. Your staff can make the best choices to match your wedding dress stock, as you will have the dresses to hand throughout the appointment. Our company representatives have knowledge of all the latest wedding dress styles and can pick out accessories which are made to match!
  3. With a great knowledge of the latest trends, company reps can provide short ‘workshops’ on what is hot this season and how to sell to brides – great if your shop has recently hired new staff!
  4. The company representative will get a feel for your shop and show you the products that are relevant to you – saving you valuable time.
  5. Our company reps love to get to know you personally! The relationships that are built up between company representative and customer are invaluable, enabling us to do our job better, and enabling you the customer to get a real feel for us as a company, our values and our dedication to making your shop a success.
  6. Our company reps are not there just to sell to you – we like to see how you are getting on with our products, find out if there is anything else you would like from us and have a catch up on what is new in your regional marketplace.

For those of you who already know your local company representative, this is an opportunity to learn more about them. If you have never seen a Richard Designs representative and would like to then please call or email Vicki on 01353 661600, and she will be happy to help you. All of the appointments carry no obligation to buy, and there is no minimum order.

Vicki Sales Coordinator 2010Name: Vicki Hansford
Job Role:
Sales Co-ordinator. I manage the representatives’ activity, which includes booking appointments with the customers as well as planning their travel – so we have probably spoken on the phone a few times!
How long have you worked for Richard Designs?
For just over 6 years.
What do you find to be the most rewarding part of the job?
Building a relationship with old and new customers alike.
What is your background?
After leaving college, I was a nursery nurse for 4 years. I then worked in retail for 18 months before starting at RD. I worked in the tiara department for a year and in the hat department for a year before joining the sales team.
Tell us a fun fact about you! I am getting married on 7th August, the church will be filled with Richard Designs accessories! In my spare time I make sock creatures. I also co-organise a monthly craft fair with Charlotte who works in the customer service department.
Contact: vicki@richarddesigns.co.uk


Shaun Walker Company Rep 2010Name: Shaun Walker
How long have you worked at Richard Designs?
Oh, it must be four years now.
What do you find to be the most rewarding part of the job? I love providing innovative designs and quality products to brides.
What is your background?
I used to manage a designs and cutting department for a leading bridal dress manufacturer for 13 years.
Tell us a fun fact about you!
I love cooking for my wife and three daughters. I also like travelling to and exploring different countries.


Ben Allen Company Rep 2010Name: Ben Allen
How long have you worked at Richard Designs?
As a member of the family I have attended both BBEH shows at Harrogate every year for the past five years. I enjoyed it so much that I joined Richard Designs full-time this year.
What is the most rewarding part of the job for you?
I love meeting new customers every day. I am proud to be able to provide the right product for each customer, in order to meet the requirements of each bride. I also love working with my family every day!
What is your background? I worked for 11 years in a pharmaceutical contract lab after studying chemistry at University in Cambridge.
Tell us a fun fact about you!
I love sport and play squash every week. I do the London to Cambridge bike ride every year (that’s 60 miles!).

NIEVE Inspirations for 2011

Friday, July 16th, 2010

The whole Richard Designs team is in high gear preparing for this September’s BBEH. The exquisite NIEVE Collection is of no exception and will be premiering its new collection for Spring/Summer 2011 at show. Our head-designer Kelly has written a piece on the influences for the next collection which you can read on the NIEVE section of the website here.

Nieve SS2011 Romantic Vintage

The NIEVE Designer Collection of accessories for Spring, Summer 2011, is inspired by two enchanting stories that illustrate the mood for the approaching season: Oriental Garden and Romantic Vintage. See the inspiration here.

Nieve SS2011 Oriental Garden

Don’t forget to check out the ‘shop window’ featuring current styles of veils, tiaras and jewellery while you are there!

View our fantastic collection of bridesmaid accessories!

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

Following on from last week’s refresh of the bridal jewellery shop window, this week we are really pleased to be showing off our new bridesmaid accessory pictures and advice page.

P465 Silver

Choosing bridesmaid accessories is notoriously difficult, but our made-to-order approach makes the whole process as easy as possible. All of our bridesmaid designs are available in a rainbow of colours and can be enlarged or reduced in size as necessary. You can find out more about what services we offer for bridesmaid accessories on our ‘bridesmaid accessory advice page‘. If you need any further information then please call or email our fantastic customer service team.

If you would like a glimpse of our most popular designs, then take a look at the ‘bridesmaid accessories shop window‘ where you will find a wonderful selection of images which shows how diverse our collection is; tiaras with wonderful combinations of feathers, crystal and silk and jewellery made from the finest Swarovski crystals.

Bridesmaid Tiara TR1019 in silver-ab-coral-ivory

If you are a bride or bridesmaid and you would like to see more of our bridesmaid accessories, then please visit your local stockist. If you are unsure who this is you can contact us and we will happily point you in their direction.

If you are a trade customer and you would like to find our more about our bridesmaid accessories then please contact Vicki our Sales Co-ordinator, to arrange a no-obligation visit by one of our charming sales representatives.

Perfect accessories for destination weddings

Friday, May 7th, 2010

Destination weddings are becoming increasingly popular. Destination Weddings and Honeymoons Magazine estimate the market has grown by 400% in the last 10 years. In fact 1 in 5 US couples is said to now marry abroad. While celebrity influence has been cited as an significant factor in this growth, the intimacy with close family and friends at a smaller event abroad is also a big attraction.

Following these trend patterns, we have identified with Brides opting for the sometimes easier and less fussy destination wedding.  Many wedding gown designers have answered this trend by designing ranges that are much lighter, less formal and free flowing for the Bride abroad.

Flower comb F183

With this in mind we have taken the theme of floral forms a step further with the inclusion or a large selection of accessories designed specifically for the more tropical easy-going mood of this type of wedding.  Above you can see a F183 fascinator which is proving extremely popular; a handmade silk flower which is complemented wonderfully with sparkling set-stone crystals. The F116 fascinator below is an illustration of how touches of colour and a variety of sizes and shapes make this flower arrangement collection distinctly destination! The petals in this flower are handmade from Swarovski crystal fabric, which is covered in hundreds of tiny crystals which will shimmer beautifully in the sun.

F116 Fascinator

Whether you are getting married at home or abroad, click here for our head designer Kelly Harper’s thoughts on next season’s influences; blooming marvellous!

Blooming Marvellous! A Sneak Preview…

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

Work has already started on our next collection and we have been tirelessly researching the designer influences that have inspired key wedding gown suppliers in order to create accessories that match perfectly!

Bridal Indian Summer

At this September’s Harrogate show we will have on offer the styles that are designed to complement gowns that you will have purchased in March, so be ready to see many key trend influences within the designs.  Dominant trends include a green-fingered influence with bountiful blooms adorning gowns across the board.  Delicate repeat appliqués were sewn with larger coiled silk rose corsage details.  Not a bust line or side gather was left without some kind of lace lily or crystal chrysanthemum!

Indian Summer

The sizzling summer theme continues with designs that complement the style influences of next year’s gown collections.  With the intense popularity of Eastern culture through fashion and cinema, I have been inspired to create ‘Indian Summer’ for my second story.  The British Empire and its involvement with India, during a period where climbing the social ladder was paramount has been illustrated through films like ‘Vanity Fair’.  It is the Indian design influence on the classes, through trade and importing goods, that has inspired this theme of refined, luxurious design.

Bridal Indian Summer 02

Taking inspiration from Indian textile patterns and ceremonial dress, I have found a wealth of original patterns and forms that are inspiring truly unique veil and headdress designs for the new collection. Indulgent use of jewels and precious metals in paisley and floral forms, symbolic of their culture, has seen a progressive link with bridal fashion, which when diluted provides beautiful appliqué designs.  Influence from ceremonial jewellery and the hues of Indian summer are evident in our new designs, with Eastern-inspired headdresses answering a voiced demand from customers who desire this more exotic style-sensation!

- Kelly

Bridal Indian Summer Mood Board

Handmade flower hair combs portray sheer elegance

Friday, March 26th, 2010

Flowers have always been loved for their natural beauty and effortless ability to bring joy to any occasion. It is a fact that they are linked to emotions, and are known to have an immediate impact on happiness. Needless to say, flowers and happiness go hand in hand.

Our gorgeous flower hair combs offer a refreshing option for brides who tend to shy away from the traditional diamante or rhinestone tiara. They compliment today’s wedding gowns with ease, and are so light and comfortable to wear. It’s no wonder that the demand for them is at an all time high!

This season our design team have produced more varieties than ever. Featuring textured leaves with glitter tips, clustered jewel centres, built in cage veils, and many more with exquisite detailing. These have just started making their first appearance in the US, with thanks to our 6 dedicated Sales Representatives. If you are a US trade customer and would like an appointment to view our collection please email maria@richarddesigns.co.uk or call 888 UK VEILS. For UK trade customers please email vicki@richarddesigns.co.uk or call 01353 661 600.

Tiara TR506A

Thank you to Nouvelle Vogue of San Mateo, California USA, for providing us with this beautiful picture illustrating style TR506A in Ivory.

If you have not had the chance to explore our shop window this week, please take a look at page 2 in the tiara section. We have added a selection of popular flower hair combs for you to see. This is just a small example, as we have many different designs available. As always they are hand made to order so they’re fully customizable, and can be mounted onto our flexible headbands instead of combs if required. Please feel free to contact us by phone (01353) 661600 or email for any additional pictures or information.

This week’s blog was written by our US Operations Manager, Maria Contreras. Thank you Maria!

Brand new tiara collection

Friday, March 5th, 2010

Continuing our build-up to the British Bridal Exhibition Harrogate, as promised on Wednesday, today we take a peek at the latest sparkling wedding tiaras crafted by our talented designers.

Before we get started with the excitement of the new pictures, we would like to remind you why our tiaras are so special:

- All of our bridal tiaras are handmade to order in England, meaning you can tweak, tinker and tamper with colourways to suit the style of your dress collection.

- Because we make our tiara bands by hand, they are particularly comfortable, especially compared with the sprung steel bands you see elsewhere.

- Another benefit of our handmade tiara bands is the option to have the band in a different colour, to allow it to blend into brides hair.

For a comprehensive overview of on choosing a tiara and taking care of it, please see our tiaras advice page.

Now for the fun part, a glimpse into the new collection…you can see all of these pictures and more in our new tiara gallery.

Tiara TR1160A

In the last blog we described the 1920s and ‘30s vintage style that is so popular with dress designers at the moment and how our tiaras complemented this style. As well as attending to this trend we also have some more contemporary designs. Like the TR1160A above, a beautiful side spray with lots of little silver backed stones which will shine as your bride walks down the aisle.

Tiara TR1133A 

After Cheryl Cole’s X-Factor appearance last series in a beautiful headpiece, we were inundated with requests for similar tiaras. Having anticipated the demand, we were able to provide similarly stunning bridal tiaras. The TR1133A tiara above adds to this collection.

You can see even more new tiara pictures in our new tiara gallery, however, we have over 60 new tiara designs for this season and the only place to see them at once is the British Bridal Exhibition Harrogate on Stand M33, Hall M.

The British Bridal Exhibition Harrogate is trade only; if you aren’t a trade customer but you love our tiaras, then we’d love to hear from you; give us a call on (01353) 661600 or an email and we can direct you to your nearest bridal shop.

Next week we’ll be adding a blog every day as we go BBEH mad. With 5 different collections we know you’ll be spoilt for choice, so we’ll be profiling each of them on a different day, so watch this space!

Fantastic response to new veils, tiaras and jewellery

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Last night we held our traditional Harrogate pre-show meeting, where our talented designers reveal their new veil, tiara and jewellery collections to our directors and sales staff prior to the British Bridal Exhibition in Harrogate.

The event started with a bang as the design team showed off their latest sparkling tiara creations. Inspired by the 1920s and ‘30s art deco revival that is currently so popular with dress designers, there were some beautiful new shapes. Plenty of set-stones and darker, vintage styles were prevalent, like the TR1138A tiara below. There were nearly 60 new tiara designs, so we’re sure you’ll find something you like! You can see more of our tiaras here.

Tiara TR1161A in silver, comet and cream pearl 

The sparkles continued as we moved onto the jewellery, which continues to dazzle. With so much choice – over 30 new designs in this collection alone – it is nice to know that our tiaras and jewellery are designed to match each other. So if you find a tiara you love, the jewellery wont be far away! This P480 necklace was a real favourite…

Jewellery P480 Necklace

…and with earrings to match…we’re sure you’ll find the perfect set for you. Even more of our stunning wedding jewellery can be seen here.

Jewellery P480E Earrings

Next we moved onto the elegant new veil collection, which was truly stunning. Once again, designed with tiaras and jewellery in mind, many little features and details you’ll see on our tiaras and jewellery are mirrored onto the veils. The C320B veil below caused quite a stir, with it’s silver back diamante, pearls and Swarovski silver crystal detail, it really creates a standout look. New techniques have been developed to bring totally new veil designs to the market place, you can see more pictures of our beautiful veils here.

Veil C320B detailing

By the end of the evening, there was a real excitement in the air and the anticipation is really building as we look forward to showing off all our new veils, tiaras and jewellery to you at Harrogate. The only time to see this beautiful collection all in one place is on stand M33, Hall M at the Harrogate International Centre 14th – 16th March.

The British Bridal Exhibition Harrogate is trade only; if you aren’t a trade customer but you love our veils, tiaras and jewellery, then we’d love to hear from you; give us a call or an email and we can direct you to your nearest stockist.

On Friday we will be showing off even more new tiara designs right here…so watch this space…

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