Feature
Relovable by Caroline Arthur
RELOVABLE
It’s probably the biggest decision a woman has to make in her life - choosing her wedding dress! I know it was for me. But what do you do with that most important and probably most expensive purchase once the big day is over?
In her stunning new coffee table book, Relovable, wedding gown designer Caroline Arthur dispels the idea that a wedding dress is just for the big day itself. Bursting with inspirational ideas that centre on sustainability, join Caroline on an exciting journey in which she shares how to transform your gown from hanging at the back of the bedroom door, to one of your go-to and favourite wardrobe pieces.
Wendy Stratton (Editor-in-Chief), Matrimony UK®
This luxurious hardback book is designed as a gift for anyone you know who loves sewing, upcycling and wedding dresses.
10% of the cover price is donated to the Fashion and Textile Children’s Trust (Registered charity 257136), and free postage and packing is included.
During her 20 year career as a renowned British bridal gown designer, author Caroline Arthur has worked with artisans, photographers, sustainability pioneers, and industry experts, and her book features many of them, as well as additions from designers, celebrities, fashion colleges and real brides.
RELOVABLE is a unique sustainability bridal book about creativity, connection and circularity, with support from Livia Firth of Eco-Age, Shee Fun Chan, head of womenswear at the London College of Fashion, and many leaders within the bridal industry.
With stunning editorial fashion images by Andrea and Eloise Verenini, of Verenini photography, as well as contributions from several other distinguished photographers, you can enjoy a visual feast of inspiration and expert advice.
This book lifts the veil on how the bridal industry is evolving to find a more sustainable way of producing these priceless garments and celebrates an alternative to their reputation of only being worn once. It will help you connect with your community, the maker of your dress and your personal history.
“Let’s take the most expensive garment in your wardrobe, the one with so many memories, and make it part of your life again.”
Caroline Arthur, Author of Relovable
About 'Relovable'
Published on 9th September, the premise of Relovable is very much in tune with the current zeitgeist of circularity, community and creativity and the book highlights both Caroline’s design and creative expertise. With step-by-step advice on transforming your gown - whether by dyeing, repurposing, or taking scissors in hand to create a unique memento from your dress - readers will be inspired to unpack their wedding dress and delight in her beauty once again. Practical advice for dyeing, painting, restyling or crafting, whether or not the reader can sew, means this book with its fascinating insights into the bridal industry is ready to lead you on a journey that will take you back down memory lane and forward into the future, as you create new memories of your cherished gown.
Featuring stories from celebrities such as HRH Princess Beatrice, Livia Firth and Amelia Murs, the book is packed with quotes from real brides and includes a ground-breaking wedding dress upcycling project with the London College of Fashion. Sharing insider tips from industry experts, and contributions from many designers and bridal brands, Relovable lifts the veil on how the bridal industry works and gives the reader a peek behind the scenes.
Why buy 'Relovable'
Why buy Relovable?
Relovable makes a perfect and considered wedding gift for any bride-to-be, or those who are keen to embrace the fun world of upcycling. Sustainably produced, for every sale of Relovable, 10% of the cover price will be donated to the Fashion and Textile Children’s Trust.
Limited time special offer £39.50 (RRP £55) including free P & P. Available at www.carolinearthur.com/shop or use the button below to go straight to Caroline's shop
How to buy Relovable
About the Author
British bespoke bridal gown designer Caroline Arthur studied Couture Bridal Wear at the London College of Fashion. She featured in the BBC hit TV show “Don’t tell the Bride” and commentated LIVE for The Independent, at the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry at Windsor, talking about Meghan’s dress. Having designed, made and remodelled sustainable wedding dresses for over 20 years, she is known for having created the ground-breaking dress designer app CoutureKit. She grew up in a family of dressmakers and has a degree in Italian from Lancaster University. She spent a year in Florence and enjoyed 10 years working for Monsoon as an area manager in the 1990s.
As a member of Toastmasters International, the designer is an accomplished public speaker and YouTuber, and supports and mentors fashion design students and aspiring wedding dress designers, working closely with fashion colleges.
Sustainability
Having made new gowns from new fabrics for over 20 years, the Caroline Arthur Bridal brand is evolving, as the designer steps into a new era with the writing of the book Relovable. She now makes gowns using only sustainably sourced fabrics, often woven from recycled fibres, deadstock or material harvested from existing gowns. She also specialises in remodelling pre-loved, ex-sample or heirloom gowns. Filled with stunning photography and illustrations, the book also explains how bridal gowns are made and why they cost what they do, all the while demonstrating ways they can shed their reputation for only being worn once.