It's that time again! This post will be about yet another amazing female entrepreneur who decided to come to this country of love, cheese and fashion and continue her business in the South of France. This time it's about a Fashion designer and Dressmaker specialised in Wedding gowns and Evening wear, Kim Stokes.
The first time I heard about Kim and what she does was about a year ago from our mutual friend and professional photographer Carl Thomson as he did the famous Red Dress shoot, Kim is the incredible designer of this iconic and stunning dress.
1) Hi Kim, please could you start by introduce yourself, where you come from and what you do?
2) How did you end up in France and why France of all countries?
I moved here to France from the United Kingdom eight years ago with my husband. We came because we wanted to have a little adventure before we got old! Initially we were only going to stay for a year but after about 3 months we couldn’t see ourselves living anywhere else so we decided to stay!
3) Tell me more about your business, Gold Leaf Brides. How did this start? Where did your interest for fashion come from?
I grew up as the only girl with three brothers, so I was a real tomboy, often wearing hand-me-downs from my brothers. When I got old enough and started earning my own money I could finally buy girly clothes and I absolutely loved wearing dresses. I realised that if I found a really good sewing pattern and some unique fabric I could make a one-of-a-kind dress for myself that no one else had! Once I started doing that I was hooked!
4) For me, who can’t sew at all, it seems like a bridal gown would be an incredibly difficult and time consuming thing to create. Talk me thru this process, from request to wedding, what kind of time line are we talking about?
From when a bride first visits me in my shop, until the finished gown is ready can take anywhere between 6 to 12 months. If your design is quite involved, or if you are thinking of having embellishments like lace or beading, or custom accessories like detachable sleeves or a veil, it’s best to come and visit my atelier at least 12 months before your wedding. When a bride comes we discuss her design ideas, then I take her measurements and make a mock-up of the dress in plain cotton fabric. Once she’s happy with the design I start work on the real gown!
5) There are also other projects in the pipeline for next year, feel like sharing a bit about this?
When I first moved to France I worked for a while as a tour guide in Nice and I absolutely loved it. Recently I decided to combine my love of meeting new people and taking them on exciting experiences with my love for fashion and shopping. I created a Luxury Fashion Retreat which I will host for the first time in October 2023.
For five days guests will learn about their personal style from professional stylists, and have the opportunity to go shopping in Cannes with their own Personal Shopper. I have lots more lovely surprises lined up for guests of the retreat. If you’d like more information you can sign up on my website:
6) How did you find out about me and Get Me Lost?
I found out about Sara and Get Me Lost Travel blog through our mutual friend Carl Thomson who has shot some stunning photography of my dresses.
Contact
Email: kim@goldleafbrides.com
Website: www.goldleafbrides.com
Instagram: @goldleafbrides
Couturiere - Gold Leaf Brides SAS
