Designer Sally Eagle from Sally Eagle Bridal. Image supplied.
Sally Eagle founded her eponymous bridal label over a decade ago and she has been designing beautiful wedding dresses every since. Based in Wellington, Sally works with brides from all over New Zealand, creating feminine designs that are contemporary and romantic. She designed her own wedding dress and knows how important is is for brides to feel comfortable and beautiful so they can make the most out of their big day.
We caught up with Sally to find out more about her brand, what inspires her and what you would never catch her wearing!
Tell us about your latest collection?
My latest collection ‘Moonstone’ is all about subtle sparkle and simplicity. I love when the bride really shines in her dress rather than the dress being so overdone the person wearing it is lost. The Moonstone range helps to highlight the natural features of the bride with some beautifully cut silhouettes and pearl accents. My favourite dress in the collection is Luna which is sleek and simple with a scatter of pearls across the bodice.
What made you become a designer?
For as long as I can remember I wanted to design clothing. As a kid it was making clothes for my dolls, then for myself and then led me to study fashion at Massey here in Wellington. I have always been fascinated with clothing and fabric and sketching outfits. I love looking back at my notebooks from when I was a kid seeing the crazy outfits I had drawn up. There was never really any doubt that this is what I wanted to do. Specialising in wedding dresses came about by making my own wedding dress (coming up 10 years ago). I had so much fun making it and also realised there wasn’t anything out there at the time that was soft and simple and the kind of dress I wanted to wear. I then made friends wedding dresses, friends of friends and then eventually designed my own range grew from there.
Dresses from Sally Eagle’s Moonstone collection.
What inspires you?
This is always a hard question and it is so varied and hard to put into words. It really comes in so many forms and from different places. Art and other forms of design often inspire me. I am a bit obsessed with flowers and find their intricacy amazing. Fashion in general is definitely an inspiration, seeing new trends and what designers all over the world are coming up with. Fabric and lace are one of my biggest influencers. I will often come across a beautiful lace that I love and then figure out how it could be used in a dress.
Describe your personal style and how it influences your designs?
The way I dress is pretty simple. I am quite happy in jeans and a tee. I am quite girly though and do love to dress up when I can. I have two young kids though so nowadays it’s about practicality, I would love to have the time to look my best every day but generally I fall back on jeans.
Comfort is a big factor I take into account when designing, if you feel good in your wedding dress then it’s is going to make for a more enjoyable day. Feeling like a princess and that you are beautiful is just as important so it’s about combining these aspects to make a dress that I personally would want to wear and that I hope others love too.
What is your all-time favourite purchase?
A few years back I found this silk fabric that I adore, it is a dark emerald green with a floral pattern. I made a dress for myself out of it and always love wearing it.
Dresses from Sally Eagle’s Moonstone collection.
What wardrobe item should everyone invest in?
A great pair of jeans.
Do you have a style rule you always obey?
With jewellery I like to go for either statement earrings or a necklace, not both at the same time, especially when it comes to putting jewellery with a wedding dress.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Showing my collection at Bridal Fashion Week in New York.
Finish this sentence – You would never catch me wearing…
Sneakers with jeans.
Images supplied.