What is a fabulously successful designer and owner of a London fashion boutique to do in the midst of a recession? For Bruce Oldfield, the answer to this question is simple: expand. Just a few months ago, Oldfield opened Bruce Oldfield Wedding just across the street from his current location on Beauchamp Place. Already the boutique is seeing a steady flow of business, and the spring wedding rush is still months away.
Bruce Oldfield, who has been designing since 1975, has cultivated a celebrity following throughout the years from Princess Diana to Taylor Swift. The designer was already known for wedding dresses that appeal to celebrities and lovers of couture, having created bridal gowns for celebrities ranging from Jordan’s Queen Rania to Jemima Khan. This store brings this celebrity appeal to brides all over London, with custom bridal gowns and haute couture creations available in a variety of styles and price points.
One of the benefits that Bruce Oldfield Bridal offers is that the store is set up to be a one-stop destination, offering not just wedding dresses but mother-in-law dresses, bridesmaid gowns, and even a collection of vintage, one of a kind accessories. Matching shoes and bags are also available. For brides who want a truly unique look for their nuptials, couture gowns can be made on request. This allows brides to buy all of their wedding fashions in one store, which is good for the consumer and for the business as well.
This move across Beauchamp place is hardly a leap for the designer, who has been designing gowns of various types for the majority of his career. However, he is not limited to this field. His CV includes not just occasion wear and wedding gowns, but a recent overhaul of the UK McDonald’s uniforms. Although many designers may have seen their brand equity take a sharp downward turn upon working in the fast food uniform industry, this has only served to give the already well known designer even more exposure.
Part of the Bruce Oldfield brand is his unique story. He was raised and educated in the children’s charity Barnardo’s before going to art school and developing his design skills. His autobiography, Rootless, details his rough beginnings and how they contributed to his success. Because most people appreciate a rags to riches story, this has become a huge part of the brand and encouraged many consumers to become loyal customers.
The clothing logo design for Bruce Oldfield is remarkably simple, but these are often the logos that work best. In a stark black and white colour palette, the logo includes the designer’s name alone in square writing with sharp serifs. This logo design may seem harsh and unyielding, but it is stylistically impeccable and fashionably stark.
Expanding in the middle of a recession is always a risk, but sometimes people who take risks are well rewarded. In this case, Bruce Oldfield has already developed a stylish and noteworthy clientele that will likely see his business through these precarious first days. With a winning logo design and a superior sense of style, all signs point to success for this designer.