Exhibitor Insights: Debbie Carlisle

Posted on March 15, 2016 at 7:48 pm. by kiki. Categories - Accessories, British Heritage, Exhibitor Insights, Exhibitor News, Hair, Jewellery, London Event. Total of no comments in the discussion.

We’re super proud to welcome to our London fair this coming weekend (March 20th 2016) Debbie Carlisle - one of the loveliest and most talented ladies in the wedding accessories scene that you could possibly imagine meeting. We had the pleasure of meeting and having Debbie show with Chosen when we very first started out all those years ago and having seen her style, her company and her range of products change over the years, both the timeless beauty of her pieces and the elegance of her personal style have always shone through. It’s an absolute joy to give you a small insight into her work right here prior to the event and do, make sure you come and join the fun and witness Debbie’s unique pieces first hand, if you’re anything like me you’ll be coveting more than one on sight!

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What can we expect from you at the Chosen Wedding Fair?

I’ll be bringing my full 2016 wedding hair accessories collection - for the first time in London - which range from super-sparkling hair vines, combs and headbands to subtly shimmering boho halos, hairvines and combs in antique gold, blush pink or silver. I’ll also be bringing a selection of other beautiful wedding accessories – including bridal earrings – from my best-selling collections. Whether brides are looking for simple hair pins, small combs or statement headbands and hair vines there will be lots of pieces to try on. And if you’re not sure what style to go for I’ll be offering lots of one-on-one advice so come armed with your wedding dress pictures so we can pick the perfect piece for you!

Tell us about your new collection.

The new collection is called Secret Garden and was inspired by the wild flowers and trailing vines which you find in the English countryside, meadows, forests and overgrown gardens. The Secret Garden collection is a shimmering and sparkling gathering of silver and crystal wedding hair accessories ranging from intricate trailing floral hair vines to traditional bridal headbands, combs and hair pins. The range of pieces available – from classic combs and bands to intricate vines - means the collection is suited to lots of different types of weddings from the more relaxed or rustic barn, woodland and bohemian weddings to urban, traditional and classic weddings.

The 2016 collection also includes some new additions to my ethereal floral Enchanted collection. These pieces are available in gold, silver or blush pink and can be worn alone or teamed with other pieces from the same collection to create your own unique wildflower designs.

Do you have any style tips for brides to be looking for their wedding hair accessory?

I love the idea of brides choosing a wedding hair accessory that they can make their own – so I always make sure I create pieces that can be mixed and matched and worn in lots of different ways. Whatever collection you choose you will find coordinating pieces which are designed to be worn together to create brand new looks of your own. They include delicate hair pins which brides can use to dust their hair with a touch of whimsical sparkle - or to build new headpieces of their own design by teaming them with other pieces from the coordinating collections.

I also love the idea of teaming a jewelled headpiece with a fresh flower crown – this is a really unusual way to update the flower crown trend and creates a really stunning look. It’s also a great way to deal with the problem of flower crowns wilting as the day goes on – if it starts to droop you can just remove the crown to reveal your jewelled headband in all its glory for your evening reception!

Both of my collections include ribbon tie headbands - you can tie them into place or make a feature of them by pinning them to the side of the head to create a bohemian, almost elfin look. If you remove the ribbons from the hidden loops at each end of the piece you can turn your headband into a vine that can be pinned anywhere on your head.

What is your favourite bridal hair style?

I am obsessed with bridal braids! They can be worked into most styles – from a half-up half-down style with bohemian waves to a fashion forward fishtail or Dutch braid or a soft romantic braided up-do. On the shoot for my 2016 collection we created a Dutch fishtail braid (which was later converted into a gorgeous braided up-do) and accessorised it with hair pins and vines to create simple floral looks and super-sparkling jewel-encrusted styles. I think a braid is a wonderful way to create a relaxed bridal look that doesn’t look overdone – but still looks like you made an effort!

How do you create your designs?

All my accessories are made to order in my studio in Sheffield. Every piece in my 2016 collection is hand-wired and designed to be flexible so the strands can be gently twisted and turned into and around your hair style.

The Secret Garden collection is created from silver wire, sparkling flower and navette shaped crystals, and tiny ivory freshwater pearls which are all intricately wired together to create a series of stunning looks - from the smallest hair comb and hair pins to the most dramatic of hair vine combs which trail around the head to create a different look from every angle.

The Enchanted collection mixes delicate carved ivory mother of pearl flowers with crystals and freshwater pearls. Each design in this collection is available in silver or antique gold – and a new addition to the collection is the delicate blush pink Isabella mother of pearl headband.

Where can we buy your pieces?

All of my pieces will be available to order from the Chosen Wedding Fair but if you can’t make that you can buy pieces direct from my online shop at www.debbiecarlisle.com or make an appointment with me for a private consultation at my studio in Sheffield where I can help you select the perfect style for you and your gown.

I have stockists all over the UK, including two gorgeous boutiques in London – Halfpenny London and Blackburn Bridal Couture – who stock a selection of my accessories and all have great in-house stylists who can help you choose the right accessory for your dress.

The new collection pieces range in price from £10 to £275 and are all made with my signature attention to detail and quality. All of the pieces are light and comfortable to wear and all headbands are wrapped in soft satin ribbon to ensure they don’t rub or pinch.

And because every headpiece is made to order you can also request bespoke changes – such as lengthening or shortening a piece, changing the colour of the headband a piece sits on, or even putting a comb or hair vine design onto a headband.

Photograph credits:

Hair accessories: Debbie Carlisle www.debbiecarlisle.com
Photographer: India Hobson www.indiahobson.co.uk
Hair and Make Up: Jenn Edwards www.jennedwards.com
Flower backdrop and crown: Swallows and Damsons www.swallowsanddamsons.com
Dresses: Halfpenny London and Jenny Packham via The White Room whiteroombridal.co.uk

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