FashionBride’s Interviews: Anna Schimmel

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Anna Schimmel’s brand is known for its outstanding gowns, each one hand crafted using the most beautiful fabrics that I source through my connections in Europe. Fulfilling a Bride’s vision of how she dreamed she would look on her wedding day is wonderful to be a part of. We wanted to know a bit more about her work so we sent her a couple of questions. Here is what Anna shared with us. Hopefully all you fashionbrides will enjoy the amazing interview! Don’t forget to check her website at annaschimmel

1. When did you decided to become a designer and why did you find this domain interesting?

I have worked in fashion for 30 years. Starting out with a dressmaking apprenticeship, then working as a dressmaker in various couture houses I finished seven years of training with a master degree from one of the best fashion schools in Europe. After working as a patternmaker in an Haute Couture house, then running a large theatre workshop, design was the natural progression. I slipped from working behind the scenes into design and with my extensive skill in couture the bridal industry seemed a good fit.

2. Talk us through the first years of you work. Maybe you could tell us what did change in time? Are your designs different from the very beginning?

Opening my own bridal studio in NZ during the year 2001 I noticed a fairly rigid sense of bridal fashion with certain looks and cuts being the expected. Before the internet was widespread New Zealand really was the end of the world, a beautiful country, full of lovely people, but a year or so behind Europe. The collections of established bridal designers moved slowly and there was not much sense of change and current trends. We were the first designer to offer regular fashionable bridal collections, (beautifully photographed and published online) where every single style was completely new – it took a year or so for others to follow suit. Now trends seemingly move fast, and there are often certain Pinterest photos several of my clients bring to show me in the same week. Interestingly those photos are not always of new styles and I may have noticed them featured a while back, but they have suddenly become hot.

3. Why should a bride-to-be choose one of your designs?

Anna Schimmel wedding dresses are known for timeless, feminine beauty. Our classic look combined with a modern edge is really what makes us stand out at the first look. The perfect tailoring and luxurious fabrics are distinctive, but more subtle.

4. Do tell us a bit more about your inspiration sources.

We are surrounded by inspiration, trends are as much in the air as they are on the streets. Bridal fashion develops out of general trends, I can almost see them coming. Outside this current ‘mood’ new fabrics are developed every season and these ask for certain new looks. I am inspired as much by new material, new fashion trends as by the brides I work with.

5. Have you got any piece you’ve created and that has a very special meaning for you? Can you describe it or can show us a picture?

After my immigration to New Zealand I was freelancing as a patternmaker for local fashion designers. During this time I had my two children. I love the technicalities of patternmaking but I hated the way jobs came in and had to be finished more or less overnight, only to then lose urgency and often not be picked up for days. So I looked around for other jobs and business ideas, but ended up working in where I’m best: couture and fashion. Bridal was the obvious choice, but I wasn’t really a people person and also didn’t know if I could design great looks.

When I decided to try my hand at bridal my children were respectively 1 and 3 years old. We sold our mortgage free house, and took up a lot of debt to move into central Auckland where I was hoping to open a bridal studio. The place we bought was a leaky ruin and we ended up pretty broke. I set up my sewing machine in the dimly lit, mud floor cellar and created my first bridal collection.

This bridal collection was well received and one of the photos is still my favorite – a sparkly blush pink fairytale wedding dress, with layered organza skirt photographed in a rock strewn NZ creek. A very romantic princess gown in a stunning setting. I have the photo on my workshop wall, but all digital copies are long-lost.

6. From your point of view, how should a perfect bride look like?

Beautiful, and radiant!

7. And tell us what would you give her and, maybe, other brands can’t.

Her ideal, spectacular wedding dress and a wonderful, personal experience. We create the perfect dress to frame the brides’ personal beauty.

We are planning to offer our collections online from next season, so watch this space..