White Gallery 2012 Show Review

by ZankyouMay 25, 2012 0

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I must say, before going to the White Gallery on Monday, I was a little bit (well, extremely) petrified. I didn’t know what to expect – I was going all alone and I had a bit of a tight schedule. Thankfully, once I arrived, I knew instantly that I had nothing to worry about!

Once I arrived I was given a pass and I could have a little walk around. The White Gallery is situated in Battersea Evolution and the location looked beautiful. There were three aisles with presentation stalls on either side and plenty of white cushioned benches.

On the far end sat the Champagne Bar where we could buy numerous healthy and delicious salads, wraps and drinks and behind it was where the magic happened – the runway. I will be reviewing the runway shows in a separate post so be sure to pop back in a couple of days because they were, in a word, amazing.

©Alan Hannah at the White Gallery, ©Anoushka G at The White Gallery

So, my day consisted of walking around the numerous stalls talking to representatives about their dresses, greedily flipping through hundreds of hanging gowns and staring at beautiful models giving buyers and press the occasional twirl. This was a wonderful experience. I also met a few of the designers themselves and was privileged to interview the fabulous and eccentric Stephanie Allin.

I’m very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to feel the fabrics of dresses that I have discussed at large on this magazine and see dresses that I will soon be reviewing in the flesh. Seeing dresses by the likes of Ian Stuart, Stephanie Allin, Johanna Hehir and Yolan Cris flow down the catwalk and then getting the opportunity to carefully study your favorites up close is a true luxury!

It was also wonderful to chat to new and exciting designers such as Hazaar of London, Sadoni and Katya Katya Shehurina, who were incredibly friendly and happy to discuss their ethos and designs with us.

©Ian Stuart at The White Gallery, ©Stewart Parvin at The White Gallery

It was also an opportunity for me to see what 2013 has to offer brides. You’ll be glad to know that there’s plenty of variety! Sparkles were in abundance, as were lace and fluid skirts, whether full or narrow, they were an integral part of many a designers’ collection. I won’t get ahead of future reviews with too many spoilers, but I will tell you that a few of our White Gallery predictions came true!

I also saw beautiful and unique tiaras and headwear by Halo & Co, Vivien Sheriff and the newest shoe designs by Freya Rose and Rachel Simpson.

©Freya Rose

All in all a wonderful day was made perfect because of friendly and helpful staff and a relaxed atmosphere (even though everyone was incredibly busy) with beautiful and elegant surroundings.

Although I was a newbie I felt welcomed wherever I went and I can’t wait to share what I saw with you in the coming weeks and months. I’m sure I’ve said this before, but 2013 is going to be awesome!

The 2013 collections featured in this post were first shown at White Gallery London, the premium international trade event that showcases the bridal collections of some of the finest UK and international designers.