20/10/2009

Bride Oldfield

British couturier Bruce Oldfield opens new wedding shop

Oldfield proves design can be in two places at once


British couturier Bruce Oldfield (center) opens new wedding shop. Oldfield has designed the wedding dresses for high-profile brides, including, Queen Rania of Jordan (left), and Jemima Khan, (right). Photo: AFP/ANDREW CROWLEY/PA

The British couturier, Bruce Oldfield, has opened a new atelier and boutique at No.34 Beauchamp Place, London, SW3, designed as the perfect bridal destination.

The new shop, Bruce Oldfield Wedding, is almost directly opposite his existing ready-to-wear and couture boutique, at No. 27, which opened in 1984.

Oldfield, who has designed the wedding dresses for a host of high-profile brides, including Samantha Cameron, Queen Rania of Jordan, and Jemima Khan, intends the new boutique to function as a one-stop shop.

Apart from bridal dresses, Oldfield will design for the bridesmaids and mothers of the bride. Co-ordinating shoes and bags will also be available, together with an eclectic collection of vintage accessories. The custom-made bridal collection will start from £2,500. Couture prices are on application.

Oldfield, who was awarded the OBE in 1990, has been a famous name in British fashion for more than 30 years, best known for his red carpet and couture occasionwear for Hollywood stars, British and international royalty, and the European aristocracy. His roll call of clients reads like a hall of fame and includes Diana, Princess of Wales; Queen Noor of Jordan; Barbra Streisand; Faye Dunaway; Catherine Zeta-Jones; Diana Ross; Charlotte Rampling, Joan Collins; and, more recently, Sienna Miller and Taylor Swift.

Oldfield was brought up and educated in the care of the children’s charity, Barnardo’s, and remains one of its great success stories. He was educated at Ripon Grammar School, Sheffield College and Ravensbourne College. He graduated from Central St Martin’s school of art in London in 1973. He launched his ready-to-wear label in 1975 and opened his couture atelier for private clients in 1978. Diana, Princess of Wales, became a client in 1980.

Oldfield has Honorary fellowships to the Royal College of Art and the Universities of Durham and Sheffield. He is also a vice-president of Barnardo’s. He published his autobiography, ‘Rootless’, in 2004.

Last year, Oldfield broadened his design cv by redesigning the staff uniform for McDonald’s.

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When I was 11 I had the opportunity to work with Bruce Oldfield and his Couture team at Beauchamp Place. They were such a lovely team of people and Bruce himself was so kind. Growing up in the care of Barnardo's has no doubt made him the most decent and genuine fashion designer with charity in mind.

Although he has always designed bridal couture, opening a Boutique may be the newest way for him to receive even more business and clients more often. Good luck to him, I wish him well.

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