There are tons of amazing wedding vendors in Asheville and the surrounding western North Carolina areas. Having been in the wedding industry for over 4 years, we have met and worked with some incredibly talented people. So we decided to start a new vendor feature on our blog to showcase specific vendors who we admire and respect to the tenth degree.
For our first vendor feature we are excited to interview designer & dressmaker R. Brooke Priddy. She is an independent business owner in Asheville and owns Ship to Shore. Without further ado…
Can you give us a brief bio?
I was born in the South and moved quite frequently, more than ten cities with my family when I was young. I studied Sculpture at The San Francisco Art Institute and interned with a Designer in New York before founding my clothing design business in 2000. I began making lingerie and swimsuits, then focused on dresses and wholesaled to independent boutiques until 2009. More recently, I have been sewing custom special occasion gowns and dresses exclusively. I have a small dressmaking studio in West Asheville, where I design, and create one of a kind clothing by commission.
What inspires you?
The vastness of the Sea and Sky. The color of one’s eyes.
What advice do you have for brides just starting to look for a wedding gown?
Try to envision the most exquisite gown you have ever seen and write about it. Perhaps draw its picture or compose it from photographs. Put it to words before you go out and seek it. Consider some of the symbolic and poetic potential of its aspects. If you cannot find it, perhaps a designer can help. It is often not quite as expensive as you may think. Take a look at the designer’s previous works in order to find the right fit for you. And don’t forget to have fun while you’re at it.
Is there a typical process you go through when brides come to you looking for a gown?
We begin by talking about her and dreaming up the circumstances, then we look at fabrics, then we draw a picture, and I name a quote. Then come the fittings et. al.
What’s your favorite aspect of your line of work?
The elegance of a singular woman, wearing a gown that has no match in this world.
How would you describe your style of dressmaking/designing?
I am a devotee of Madame Gres, and I flow like the Sea.
Bride, Sara, in a wedding gown by R. Brooke Priddy
