Megan Ziems, founder of Grace Loves Lace. Image supplied.
Megan Ziems founded beautiful bridal label Grace Loves Lace in 2010 on Australia’s Gold Coast. Unable to find a wedding gown that was locally made, felt like it had personality and met her values, Megan set about creating her own bridal label which has grown to have a large international following. Grace Loves Lace customers adore the brand’s winsome designs that have a unique feel and are all hand-made in Australia. The popularity of Grace Loves Lace has meant the label now has six international showrooms and delivers worldwide via it’s online store.
We caught up with Megan to find out more about her brand, what inspires her and what you would never catch her wearing!
Tell us about your latest collection?
Our 2021 mainline collection was designed for the woman who is enchanted with storytelling and escapism. It’s romantic and confident, each dress being a piece of art that was carefully created over time. I’m forever inspired by music and women that are confident, passionate and authentic – this is for them.
What made you become a designer?
I come from a marketing and branding background and I saw a huge gap in the market when I was getting married – trying to find a beautiful dress that was Australian made, naturally beautiful and comfortable was impossible. I wanted to create a brand that women wanted to be a part of because of its values, style and mission – bridal that was designed for the woman, not the bride. Over 80% of the world’s wedding dresses are made in China, and that’s just not good enough. It’s not talked about enough and it should be. We are proud to put quality, ethics and exclusivity above margins.
What inspires you?
Women, music, art, nature, my team, my kids, my girlfriends, photography, beautiful places, fabrics, my favourite scents…
Wedding gowns by Grace Loves Lace.
Describe your personal style and how it influences your designs?
I’m drawn to classic but relaxed pieces. I rotate between a beautiful throw-on print dress, blazers, high waist cropped denim jeans or relaxed tailored pants, good quality t-shirts, I love my button up shirts and cashmere sweaters. I’m rarely in heels but love a good leather boot, sandals and sneakers. I tend to stick to black, prints and earthy colour tones like khaki and caramel. And I’ve got a few heirloom pieces of gold jewellery that I wear every day. I’m super low maintenance with hair and beauty, I don’t own a hair dryer or foundation. I love good perfume and that’s probably my only beauty splurge. I grew up with a mum, and all the females in my family, being about natural beauty and not overdoing makeup or styling so that’s definitely how I organically approach things including the GLL designs. It’s all about authenticity, quality and comfort – knowing what suits you and being confident in your own skin.
What is your all-time favourite purchase?
Although I didn’t purchase it, I wear my Grandmother’s gold pendant necklace everyday – I’m really superstitious and don’t travel without it. I invested in some handmade gold earrings by a Sydney jeweller after seeing them on the cover of Vogue many, many years ago and I absolutely love them. I recently bought a new bag from Loewe that I’m using everyday. I have a big collection of Pareos that I live in around the house on weekends and at the beach. And I treasure my beautiful old pashminas that I bought when backpacking through India as a teenager.
What wardrobe item should everyone invest in?
Good quality and classic shoes, bag, wallet, sunglasses.
Do you have a style rule you always obey?
Make sure it suits you. I think it’s important to feel comfortable and feel yourself, you don’t want to be imitating someone else. And I won’t buy fast fashion.
Wedding gowns by Grace Loves Lace.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Our reputation is what I am most proud of and that we have gone against the grain in practically everything we have done from the beginning – and we’ve stuck to it. We don’t wholesale, we went e-com first, we make every dress from scratch in our own studio, we don’t do seasonal collections or mass production, we support local manufacturing and employment. We have minimal waste. We design in-house. Everything we do is so authentic and has passion and substance ingrained in it. We have grown dramatically over the last 8-9 years and recently opened our tenth showroom. Opening our first International showroom – in LA – was a big moment and we now have 6 overseas with more coming. The business has won countless product and service awards which is such great recognition for the whole team. I remember winning the International Women in Business award a couple of years ago and I was at home breastfeeding my newborn and my team texted to say that I had won – that was a proud moment knowing how hard the juggle is with kids, family, business and life!
What can’t you live without?
My kids. Exercise, a swim in the ocean. A good book- I’m currently reading In Love With The World by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. My Iphone for my spotify playlists. Doterra oils – Frankincense, Lavendar and Eucalyptus.
Finish this sentence – You would never catch me wearing…
Too much makeup, 6 inch heels.
Images supplied.