TRÈS BON BRIDÉ
When you’re pushing the boundaries of any industry, you’re going to get push back from the crowd. Humans have always taken a long time to relearn how to do things, and we often don’t welcome change. Those who do are known as ‘radicals’; they make us uncomfortable with contradicting the norms with their wild ideas about going a different way.
For some of us, however, we thrive in that space of difference.
Behind the building of Mrs Fray, as we started conceptualising and piecing together the brick and mortar of what we wanted to create as a new form of bridal store for Canberra, we knew that alongside the lace gateway gowns, we would introduce to the Canberra bridal shop scene a new, modern way of doing bridal in the modern age. In the first few months of 2020, we’re thrilled to be introducing you to a plethora of designers who are doing things against the grain of expectation —against the grain, or, The Fray Way, you could say.
Designer Pippa Cooke says of her label BON BRIDÉ:
“No one dress can suit everyone, nor should it. I want to offer flexibility for every bride to put their own stamp on their look.”
We can imagine that when you’re designing anything, it can be tempting as -not an artist, but- a human to want desperately for people to like what you’re creating. Because of her brave designs and strong elements in her gowns, designer Pippa Cooke knows that her work will appeal to a smaller percentage of modern brides but that turns out to be exactly who she’s designing for. And that kind of gutsy ethos is exactly the kind of brand we can get behind at Mrs Fray.
The fact that her recent campaign was photographing a bride in chunky black boots with her minimal gowns should be enough to describe what’s happening behind this beautiful, daring bridal label.
“I want the brand to offer alternative options and for each collection to evolve with a new generation of modern women. It is not ‘timeless’ and it doesn’t claim to create ‘classic’ pieces. It’s of the moment and it celebrates the women of this moment in time, the bride of now…” says Pippa of her latest collection and overall label.
We see it time and time again at our flagship bridal concept store here in Canberra, with appointment after appointment of bride coming in stating exactly what she thinks she wants or thinks will look good on her. Only to experience the 90 minute appointment, trying on both what she was after originally and what might've caught her eye or been suggested to her along the way. Flash forward to minute 83 of her standing in front of the big mirror at Mrs Fray and saying with astonishment, “I didn’t think I would go for this kind of thing… but I’ve got to say… I love it.”
We always said it’s the best way to figure out what really feels like ‘you’ to try on a variety of different gowns. Something that mightn’t have caught your eye when it was hanging on a hanger (or didn’t fit your original game plan because of it’s sleeves), might turn out to be ‘the one’ you were looking for all along.
A label like BON BRIDÉ provides you with the perfect platform for just that kind of bridal experimentation. Perhaps you thought you were a cathedral train and lace kind of gal, but once you’re wrapped in the heavyweight crepe goodness of this label, your bridal shopping plans could take a different turn.
While we’ve been thrilled to host and stock the incredible Australian talent we have in the local bridal industry, we are thrilled to be hosting BON BRIDÉ the London-based label along with it’s brilliant designer, Pippa Cooke, in house at Mrs Fray Campbell flagship store for a trunk show weekend February 7th + 8th.
Who knows? The BON BRIDÉ trunk show at Mrs Fray could be the chance you needed to take to find a gown that fit the ethos of your day and the spirit of you. There’s still time to secure your private appointment online ahead of the trunk show at Mrs Fray. We look forward to sharing a champagne and this incredible brand with you then.
