GEMMA SANGWINE - BEAUTIFUL ARTISAN HAIR ORNAMENTS & FASCINATORS

We're so lucky to have so many authentic artisans exhibiting with us and Gemma Sangwine definitely fits this description.  Her beautiful hair ornaments and bridal fascinators are handmade with love and incredible attention to detail, spending hours sourcing just the right pieces of costume jewellery to complement each other.

Following a childhood of making clothes and accessories, and a degree in Textiles and Fashion, Gemma went into retail, keeping the creative side going with a regular Covent Garden Market Stall.

Gemma has a magpie's eye for finding unusual things and often collects and incorporates vintage or recycled materials including antique lace and beadwork, vintage costume jewellery and natural and dyed feathers.  But she's also been known to use quirky objects like Monopoly money and miniature china tea sets.

I think Gemma is one of those people who can't look at a trinket without wondering how she can rework it to make something truly beautiful and she loves to incorporate personal mementoes for the bride into her pieces, giving them so much meaning.

Gemma's work has evolved since moving to the Cotswolds over ten years ago. Then four years ago she stumbled on the idea of making hair adornments after a friend's suggestion. These proved so popular and opened Gemma's eyes to a whole new market. With regular bridal commissions, Gemma hasn't looked back since and is now working in an area she loves.

Because of Gemma's love of hand-crafting from recycled, reclaimed and vintage materials, you can guarantee your piece will be unique and her bridal products include hair ornaments, bespoke fascinators and corsages. 

If you love her work, but want something designed and crafted especially for you, then Gemma's very happy to help.  Either meeting up or working on-line, she will note the colour and style you'd like then make mock-ups and email photographs until you come up with the perfect piece for you.

Lucy Turnbull Photography

Take a look at her commissions and you'll see just how individual and unique each of her pieces are and read testimonials from some very happy brides.

Lucy Turnbull Photography

Gemma's pieces are incredibly popular and are available in some of my favourite shops including Made in Stroud, Cox & Baloney's Vintage Boutique in Bristol, Tetbury's Qetty Bang Bang, and As Long as It Sparkles in Stow-on-the-Wold, as well as on her own Etsy Shop.

Gemma's never happier than when she's creating new pieces and we can't wait to see what she's bringing along to this year's fair! 

If you want to see a selection of Gemma's work and try some pieces as well, then come along and have a chat next week!

TRICIA DESIGNS - BESPOKE BRIDAL HAIR ACCESSORIES

For original, unique and exquisitely detailed designer hair accessories, step forward Tricia Designs.  

Tricia Designs offers bespoke fascinators, hats and clips, all made to order. The 'Bridal Collection' is updated regularly with new pieces that range from 'catwalk glamour' to elegant sophistication, with sleek lines, high quality gems and floating silks.

Whether you’re the bride, mother of the bride, a bridesmaid, flower girl or wedding guest, Tricia Designs has exquisite and charming organza floral belts, hairbands, hairclips, headbands, shoe clips and matching bow ties available.

 
Tricia's latest collection of fascinator accessories are inspired by 150 years of 'Alice in Wonderland'. Think drama, quirky images, splashes of colour and asymmetric patterns. Some pieces of the 'Alice' collection will showcase on her Facebook page in February so do check it out.

Tricia also makes and designs Venetian masks. Add suspense and style to masquerade events and let your imagination be the limit! She has a wide range of traditional masks and can create bespoke silhouettes in quality textiles. Each mask is an artistic explosion of colour and designed to suit the wearer. They're comfortable to wear too. You can wear them with glasses and even have your glasses incorporated into a bespoke design!

           

At the Bristol Vintage Wedding Fair, Tricia will have a selection of her Vintage Bridal Collection on display as well as a portfolio of designs to inspire you. You can try on her samples to give you an idea of shape and size and how these beautiful pieces work. She'll also be on hand to give you advice on colour, style and shape, so catch her while you can.

Excitingly, amongst all her PR, Tricia's recently been featured in Sainsbury's Bank magazine!  

(Thanks to Pete Cranston Photography for Image 1, Feather Swirl and Barclay Photography for Image 2)

GEMMA SANGWINE - UNIQUE VINTAGE ACCESSORIES

Quirky, eclectic and elegant are the key words that spring to mind when I think of Gemma Sangwine's work and if you're looking for beautiful handmade hair ornaments, bespoke bridal fascinators or corsages then you will love our next exhibitor!

I met Gemma a few years ago and immediately fell in love with her beautiful pieces.  Heavily influenced by vintage styles, harking back to a bygone era when people made more of an effort with the way that they dressed, and everyone wore hats, Gemma loves the shapes from the 1930s and has a collection of vintage dresses and accessories from that era. 

She puts a lot of time into each and every piece she makes, often spending hours picking through her collection of vintage costume jewellery to find the right combination of pieces. She also like using unusual materials, such as old Monopoly money and tokens, and miniature china tea sets.  A self-admitted hoarder who hates throwing things away, Gemma loves finding inventive ways of reusing things.  Consequently most of the materials she uses are vintage or recycled, including antique lace and beadwork (often salvaged from antique 1910-20's dresses) vintage costume jewellery (marcasite and diamante pieces are popular for bridal pieces/  Most of the jewellery she uses is no longer wearable as they are odd earrings, brooches that have lost their pins, broken necklaces etc) and natural and dyed feathers, all sourced either as a by product of the food industry or from a licensed game keeper in conjunction with the Wildlife and Country Act 1981.

Gemma can also incorporate personal mementoes, for example favourite pieces of jewellery, lace or fabric from the bridal dress etc..

As a child Gemma and her sister used to make clothes and accessories for their dolls, progressing to making their own clothes, which led to a degree in Textiles and Fashion from Winchester School of Art.  Gemma then went on to work in retail and admin but kept the creative side going including a regular Covent Garden Market stall selling handbags made from recycled and remnant fabrics.  As Gemma says "Fast fashion is much more readily available now, so with fashion accessories you really have to offer something special to stand out from the mainstream, and my bespoke service is part of this" and her work has evolved in response to trends and customer demands since moving to the Cotswolds 10 years ago.

About 4 years ago, Gemma was making brooches with feathers and beads when a friend suggested she make some for hair adornments.  Once these proved popular, Gemma's designs evolved, adding vintage costume jewellery, old pearl necklaces, lace and beadwork.  Her first bride commissioned Gemma after seeing her work in 'Made in Stroud'.  She opened Gemma's eyes to a whole new market and she hasn't looked back since, with regular bridal commissions, which she loves.

Gemma's inspiration mostly comes from the materials that she uses. For example, she says "the pieces made with pearls set on a round sinamay base came about as I was playing around with coiling an old pearl necklace into a tight circle and folding it back on itself. I saw that they could be made to fit on the base, and by incorporating a statement brooch, had the right balance of pearl and diamante to make a perfect bridal piece."

She continues "I respond to the materials, try out different juxtapositions, see what pieces fit together, it takes time and I'm happiest when I can just sit in the studio and play, the creativity flows and new designs evolve over the course of the day. A new product can take several days, and prototypes, before I am happy with it. I then make up collections in small batches, my favourite bit is sorting through the vintage jewellery, I'm like a magpie surrounded by sparkly things!

My love of vintage means I am also constantly referencing shapes and styles from the 1920's to the 1950's, when women always styled their hair and wore hats and fascinators on a daily basis! After the Great Gatsby film came out last year I found there was a strong trend for Flapper style hair pieces, I made some samples pieces for a photoshoot with my stockist As Long as it Sparkles, and from the back of that developed a couple of new ranges referencing the 1920's. A year later and they are still popular and selling well, I think people love to reference periods in the past when women were more feminine and life seemed more care-free."

Asked about her favourite piece she's created, Gemma responds  "Last October I was approached by two ladies who were organising a Masquerade Ball charity fundraiser at Woodchester Mansion. They both love dressing up and have quite outgoing personalities, so they were up for having some fun and creating flamboyant hair pieces. My favourite one involved using a miniature, feather covered Peacock with two smaller feather covered birds, long peacock feathers and antique beadwork, it was a great statement piece!"

So what can prospective brides expect from Gemma's bespoke service?  Gemma tells us "I work closely with the bride to produce a unique piece that reflects her style and personality. I don't advertise so all my clients come to me either from personal recommendation or because the have already seen my work in one of my stockists or met me at one of the Vintage Fairs I attend, so we will have a good starting point as they know what kind of pieces I make, the materials typically used, and the overall quality and finish.   Each and every piece is unique and the bespoke service allows clients to spend time with me developing their piece, tailoring it to their taste, trying out different options and ensuring they are totally happy with the end product.

I just finished a bridal order which started out as a fascinator with veil, and evolved to include a keepsake bouquet and buttonholes too! I worked closely with the bride to include pieces of sentimental value in the bouquet, I made fabric flowers (including offcuts of lace from the dress) and picked out pieces of vintage jewellery from my collection, to make a piece that was totally unique and individual.  I always feel privileged to be chosen to make bespoke bridal pieces, and be part of such an important event in peoples lives. 

Gemma recently completed a basic millinery course and is developing the skills to be able to make her own fascinator bases and cocktail hats.  Keep an eye on her blog for all her news. If you can't make the fair but would like to see Gemma's work, she currently has four stockists: Made in Stroud, As Long as it Sparkles in Stow on the Wold, Qetty Bang Bang in Tetbury, and Cox and Baloney Vintage Boutique in Bristol.

Her studio is in an old textiles mill in Thrupp, just outside Stroud, and is open by appointment. She will also be taking part in a Winter Open Studio on 8th & 9th November, when she and her studio buddies Victoria (her sister, who makes accessories for men, women & the home, also with an emphasis on vintage and recycled materials) and her best friend Nick (a silk weaver who she met whilst studying at Winchester School of Art) open the doors to 16A Stafford Mill to the public for the weekend.

Tricia Designs

Bristol Vintage are so pleased that Tricia Designs will be back with us for our 2014 wedding fair.

Maker of bespoke fascinators, hats and clips, Tricia Designs works with you to create a piece that is as individual as you are.

Each piece is a work of art and can be made to match your wedding dress or bridal theme.

Tricia's new Winter Warmer collection is ideal for winter weddings. It took three years to source the rich quality faux fur and each piece is lined in silk. These 'Amores' are also popular for bridesmaids and so versatile they can be worn as a hat, a cosy scarf or a stand up collar.

Tricia also has a new 'Vintage Curl' inspired collection launching early next year which we cannot wait to see.

Check out her website for more inspiration; Tricia adds on new pieces every week. You can also find her on Facebook and at one of Bristol Vintage's favourite shops, Clifton Hill Costumes & Textiles, every Thursday afternoon where she supports other artists and gives demonstrations. 

And come to our 2014 fair to see some of these beautiful pieces up close, learn more about Tricia's Vintage Fascinator courses and her craft classes for children. She's not to be missed!

Gemma Sangwine

We at Bristol Vintage love hair accessories and so we're delighted to welcome our latest confirmed exhibitor… Gemma Sangwine.

Gemma designs hair accessories with a vintage twist.

From her Costwolds studio she hand makes hairbands and fascinators from antique lace, beadwork, feathers and vintage costume jewellery. Each piece is absolutely unique, made with care for composition and colour.

Part of Gemma's current range is inspired by the carefree and decadent 1920’s, and includes flapper-style headbands made from restructured vintage necklaces, combined with diamante and marcasite jewellery and rosettes of antique lace. She also has 1950’s style fascinators made with a round or tear drop sinamay base covered in feathers, vintage costume jewellery and small net veils.

Gemma's bespoke service was launched in 2011, focusing on creating individual pieces for brides to be. Gemma works with you, your wedding theme, personal style and taste to design and make a unique hair piece for your special day.

Her studio is by appointment only, so come and meet Gemma and her beautiful pieces at our 2014 fair. If you can't wait till then, check our her website for inspiration or you can find her on Facebook and Twitter. And if you need a piece right now, her products are stocked at one of Bristol Vintage's favourite places, Cox & Baloney. (We're biased… our pieces are stocked there too!)

Tricia Designs

These gorgeous bespoke fascinators, hats and clips are all made to order by Tricia Designs.

Whether you’re the bride, mother of the bride, a bridesmaid, flower girl or wedding guest, Tricia Designs has exquisite and charming organza floral belts, hairbands, hairclips, headbands, shoe clips and matching bow ties available.

Each piece is a work of art, planned and made to your exact specifications of size, shape and colour to match your wedding dress or bridal theme - Tricia encourages you to be involved in the creative process!

Tricia’s designs are accented with a wide variety of silks, lace, vintage trims, delicate fabrics, beads, ribbons, wired feathers, mesh and veiling. Each part is made to order, resulting in a unique piece that’s designed to be stunning, to reflect your individuality and made for you to wear with confidence, to treasure and to keep.

On the day of the Fair, Tricia will have a selection of her Vintage Bridal Collection on display as well as a portfolio of designs to inspire you. You can try on her samples to give you an idea of shape and size and how these beautiful pieces work. Tricia will also be on hand to give you advice on colour, style and shape. She’ll have gift tokens available so you can create a bespoke design for a loved one or friend, plus a few special offers on the day…

…If you sign up for a design workshop with a group of friends, there’s 10% off if you pay on the day of the Fair. Want to visit Tricia’s studio and view her extensive collection? Book an appointment on the day for 10% off her pieces.

You can find out more about Tricia Designs on her website and if you can’t wait till the Fair, make an appointment by calling her on 07826 333 103 or emailing info@triciadesigns.com.