Photography by Benjamin Wheeler @benjaminwheeler & Ben Higgins @boycalledweddings
“The moment it really struck me that I had made something unique was when we were up in Vasquez Rocks outside LA, with the beautiful Kirsty Hume wearing my Chloe gown straddling a motorbike. She was the epitome of understated cool and I hadn’t ever seen imagery like that in the bridal space before so it felt like a real moment.” Savannah Miller, Founder of Savannah Miller Bridal
I actually remember the very first Savannah Miller Bridal piece I fell in love with: it was March 2019, London Bridal Week, and I had found myself fawning rather helplessly over a gorgeous double-breasted, wide-legged bridal trouser suit by Savannah Miller (luckily, due to my inability to delete anything off my iPhone I’ve managed to scroll back through the 20,000+ images (no judgement please) on my camera feed to find the exact images (see below). There was something so achingly effortless about that suit, it breathed cool elegance in a way that made me instantly love it. There was just something about the way it hung, the way it moved. It was like a symphony of minimalist lines served up in a soft, luxury fabric, composed to the beat of the future. Savannah Miller Bridal continues to endlessly inspire real brides across the globe with her fresh, enticingly approach to bridal, and the release of her latest Spring/Summer 2023 collection, Spellbound only proves to demonstrate this further. I managed to catch up with Savannah herself, to talk about her business journey for Savannah Miller Bridal and her version of Taking The Plunge, including the highs, the lows, the first jobs, the worst jobs and the tech she can’t live without…
Date you took the plunge: 2016
#1 In a nutshell, describe your business/brand – what do you offer?
“I own a bridal line called Savannah Miller Bridal. We design wedding dresses and have an international ready-to-wear collection as well as a bespoke service here in the UK.”
#2 What’s your career background? Has it always been in the wedding industry?
“I used to work in the fashion industry. I cut my teeth at Alexander McQueen after graduating from Central Saint Martins. I have also always designed women’s casual wear firstly with my sister Sienna on our brand Twenty8Twelve and then at Designers at Debenhams.”
Photography by Benjamin Wheeler @benjaminwheeler & Ben Higgins @boycalledweddings
#3 What planted the seed of your business idea? Did it strike you suddenly?
“I was approached by a bohemian bridal boutique in New York who had seen photos of my wedding online and felt that my aesthetic was missing from the US bridal market. We collaborated on a collection and the rest is history.”
#4 Describe the moment you decided to TAKE THE PLUNGE (what did this involve? Handing in your notice?)
“I actually carried on doing my existing work because I was under contract so I just found more time in my day with some real commitment to coffee!”
#5 Describe how the first day of building your own business felt:
“It was more gradual to be honest because of how the brand came about. The moment it really struck me that I had made something unique was when we were up in Vasquez Rocks outside LA, with the beautiful Kirsty Hume wearing my Chloe gown straddling a motorbike. She was the epitome of understated cool and I hadn’t ever seen imagery like that in the bridal space before so it felt like a real moment.”
#6 The highs – what have they been so far?
“Every day brides send me photos of their wedding days and it makes every day a high. It is such an enormous privilege to design dresses that women choose to wear on the most important day of their lives!”
#7 The lows – how did you move past them? What did you learn?
“When we started out what I did was quite fresh and new. Now the bridal market is saturated with brands all doing the same thing and it disheartens me to see gowns that are virtually identical to mine showing up in other collections. The flip side of that is it pushes us to be more and more innovative so I choose to view it as a positive.”
#8 If you could tell yourself three things when you first started the business – what would they be?
No.1 “In 2020 there’s going to be a pandemic so brace yourself for a bumpy ride! Ha!”
No.2 “Just keep on trucking, I’m a Capricorn so giving up isn’t really in my nature whatever happens.”
No.3 “Love always wins!”
#9 Your tips for those dreaded lying-awake-at-3am times? (Counting sheep? Glass of water? Get up? Meditate? Read?)
“I love reading before I go to sleep and this generally works for me. If I’m having a particularly stressful time of it and I wake in the night I will listen to Sarah Blondin’s guided meditations on Insight Timer.”
#10 Your top organisational tip?
“De-clutter and file at the end of every day so you can come back to your desk the next day to a fresh start.”
Photography by Chloe Pemberton @chloeprimrose
#11 Who inspired you? Or inspires you in business?
“My stepmother Kelly Hoppen has always been an incredible mentor to me. She really taught me about determination, positivity and dynamic thinking.”
#12 An app/piece of tech you now couldn’t live without for your business:
“The iPhone. I’m in constant communication with my design team over various apps including Pinterest, Instagram, Dropbox and WhatsApp. This frees me up to work remotely from my home town.”
#13 Your first ever job was…
“I was a shop girl in a crystal shop in Chelsea called Wild Ones on a Saturday selling Navajo jewellery and tie dye.”
#14 Your top social media tip?
“Be honest. People are so much more responsive to me when I post truthful content than the glossy version of my life that is nothing like the reality.”
#15 The brand you’d love to collaborate with and why…
“Manolo Blahnik because I’m completely obsessed with his shoes!”
#17 Your fav social media tool: (Pinterest? Instagram? LinkTree? Etc.)
“Instagram for sure!”
#18 Your advice to those looking to TAKE THE PLUNGE:
“Research your idea before doing anything drastic with your day job. If there’s a gap in the market that only you can fill, go for it! Be yourself. Don’t give up! Determination is the key to success.”
Rapid Fire Questions | Savannah Miller Bridal
#1 Most inspirational book you’ve read:
“Recently I read This is Not a Pity Memoir by Abi Morgan and it really inspired me to always keep on going no matter how hard life may be because there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.”
#2 You’re in Starbucks, what do you order?
“Oat flat white.”
#3 Instagram feed crush:
“Too many to list!”
#4 Your worst job was…
“I worked in a jewellery store when I was 18 and spent a lot of time polishing glass!”
#5 If you didn’t do what you do…what would you do?
“I would be a midwife.”
#6 Work day pick-me-up:
“Coffee!”
Discover more from the wedding dress designer Savannah Miller Bridal – not to mention the brand’s glorious Instagram feed @savannahmillerbridal
Catch up with all the latest Taking The Plunge entries on Bridal Editor.
