Episode 4 - Salisbury - Shops
In Episode 4, we visited the beautiful Cathedral town of Salisbury, where Banjo and I were tasked with the renovation of a Bridal shop in the heart of the town for a mother/daughter duo in need of some direction and elevation. The brief was to create a modern, New York loft–style, alternative bridal experience.
Salisbury Cathedral.
After pitching in the studio to our Bridal shop owners, Banjo was selected to take the role of lead designer. A decision I was happy with as our pitch boards were so similar and I knew we were on the same wave length. We chose a modern, clean, neutral palette of washed black, greys and shades of white and ivory. Banjo was excited for me to create my bespoke prints for the shop to add interest to the walls and to tie together different elements we using in our design. I made 2 different prints for the Bridal shop.
One element that makes a bridal shop different to a regular retail shop is the weight of the dresses. The average wedding dress weighs 3kgs, so I knew we needed a robust hanging system. Scaffolding rails seemed like the perfect solution - it reinforced the New York loft narrative and would be a really practical answer to the heavy dresses.
Scaffolding system in place.
Salisbury is a town that is rich in history so it was easy for me to get ideas to draw from for my prints. The Cathedral clock is thought to date from around 1386 and is an example of one of the earliest types of mechanical clocks. It is very well preserved and features many cogs - an element I wanted to use in my design. I added the initials from the owners of the shop as well as the name of the store - Brides by Victoria and arches from the Cathedral, along with magnolias which is thought to sybolize endurance, longevity and perseverance - perfect for marriage!
Brides By Victoria, bespoke print.
For the 2nd print, magnolias had to be the hero. We decided to use vintage and new Persian rugs, on the shop floors, to add a bit of colour and to tie back into our New York loft feel. I drew rug patterns to use as the background of my 2nd print, linking the elements and strengthening the narrative we had created for the store.
Magnolia Print
Creating an amazing experience couldn’t just be about the inside of the store. The decision for people to enter the store had to start with the outside 1st - kerb appeal is essential. We decided to paint the exterior brickwork of the store black, leaving the window frames white. I set about creating new graphic decals for the windows - an organic arrangement of floral silhouettes. And Banjo and I got to work rebranding the store, giving it a fresh identity for it’s launch.
Even though my spinning podiums caused some controversy with the judges - thank you Alan! - I really wanted to create the opportunity for the bride to see herself 360 degrees. I stand by the concept - it was creative and I was thinking outside the box, and electrical ones were too expensive - it maybe just needed some breaks!!
All in all, the Bridal shop was a real triumph, and it gave me my 2nd win in the series. Images of mine and Banjo’s finished design collaboration below. Let me know what are your favourite parts!
