Designing & making clothes came naturally to Caroline after learning how to sew, knit, crochet & embroider with her mother & make dresses for her dolls from a young age. As a teenager sketching, painting & creating clothes of her own were her main interests.
After studying clothing technology at the Kent Institute of Art & Design in Rochester, Caroline started her career in London at the age of 18, aiming to become proficient in all the processes needed to create her own label at some point.
Working in several companies in London, including Nicole Farhi, Caroline enjoyed varied roles including sample cutting, design & pattern cutting before deciding to take time to be a homemaker & start a family.
During this time, Caroline always worked on a casual basis, designing & making a wide variety of garments & other textile goods for her local clientele. Eventually Caroline returned to work in house in various roles again, but this time more locally.
After working several years for local textile businesses & realising she already had the knowledge she required, Caroline decided now was the time to start her own business & build the brand she had envisioned for many years.
Fast forward to 2014 & Caroline has not only started her own bespoke business but started to work on her lifelong passion, her own clothing brand!
When developing ideas for her own brand, Caroline always knew that there was a better way of doing things than the old ways of the fast fashion industry, after experiencing things first hand & seeing news reports about the plight of garment workers & destroyed environments in other countries.
The culture of of buying ever more & cheaper than before was disturbing to Caroline, there seemed to be no lower price limit. From the types of fabric chosen, the way fast fashion had become so throw away & there seemed to be no exciting choices on the high street for women of a certain age or shape, the way fashion brands treated it's workers & so much more, were all part of what she felt had to change.
Times were changing & Caroline realised that she wanted to be a part of the shift into a positive fashion world & become a slow fashion brand. So many brands were starting to realise that consumers were aware of the harmful impact of fast fashion, not only on our lifestyles, garment workers but on the environment & started to move toward sustainable supply chains & manufacturing systems, becoming accountable to their brands followers.
The usual high street clothing stores felt bland & uniform to Caroline, she wanted to create clothing for women who love to wear interesting, beautiful, unique garments, to communicate through dressing up, how individual & special they are!
Caroline has a passion for environmental issues & the way people are treated by those in positions of authority, which is one reason why she started her own ethical luxury label & to try & make a positive change in the world.
Occasion wear became the one area of the fashion industry in which Caroline was most passionate about, always having poured over the opulence of the gorgeous couture shows with beautiful fabrics & the dramatic atmosphere, hence the development of her own brand into this sector.
Caroline has a passion for beautiful design & textiles, plus an aspiration to build a sustainable brand, creating beautiful ethical luxury occasion wear & accessories. Great consideration is given to the sourcing of fabrics that are chosen for their low impact on the environment in numerous ways. Accessories are created from the remnants of collection pieces so that as much of the fabric is utilised as possible.
Caroline has many pathways of inspiration which develop into her designs, plus technical knowledge which inspires the detailing of her garments. Inspiration comes from anything from the shape of an architectural design feature to a piece of vintage jewellery.
Using her technical & creative skills Caroline designs unique sophisticated clothing that are an interflow of classic & contemporary themes in her own signature style, that not only flatter the feminine form but enable women to be unique!
The bespoke service was established when Caroline realised that so many women came to her asking for their shop bought clothes to be altered due to poor fitting or simply could not find what they really wanted on the high street. Realising this, she decided to start the bespoke side of her business which can be used by anyone whatever their requirements, as everyone is shaped differently, has different colouring & has a different personality!
One consideration for her bespoke clients was where to source the type of fabrics they required for their outfit & this soon became an integral part of the service.
Caroline can design & make any outfit from concept to the finished look, advise on silhouette, colour & fabric, allowing women a truly unique experience regardless of size, shape & age.
Caroline Bruce Designs is focused on working in harmony with all parties to create a happy customer!
The values & guidelines of the bespoke service & the brand are as follows
Our number one goal is to be a sustainable business working in a harmony with people and the planet where possible. We aim to produce garments that are made from fabric which minimises harmful effects to the environment & to reduce waste. We enjoy working respectfully with people whether you are a customer, supplier, or anyone who makes the end goal possible.
We aim to provide a professional but welcoming service to make you feel valued. We want you to go away feeling happy and confident in your new garments, knowing that you are going to be the only one arriving at a venue with that outfit on, looking amazing & knowing you have made an ethical purchase!
We value good quality & craftmanship and aim to produce beautifully made garments, starting with the fabric, then the cut of the garment and then the finish. We want to create unique considered garments for special occasions that we hope you will treasure!
We respect the opinions of others & we are willing to listen to feedback to help improve this service, so if you have any questions please emails us info@carolinebruce.co.uk
