The Fall is a thoughtfully curated edit of bridal wear for the woman who wants a more relaxed approach to her wedding. The uber cool East London boutique was created with the contemporary, independent woman in mind. It’s a destination for women who don’t relate to the mainstream offering and want a simple and elevated alternative to bridal shopping. Their designers are all carefully selected not only for their quality and style, but also their ethos and values.
We caught up with Annelise, the founder of The Loft who only opened up shop in January and her response to launching a business during possibly the worst time in recent history.
Annelise, tell us how did The Fall get started?
I got to the point in my life where friends started getting engaged, and were struggling to find anything they felt suited their style. I was helping friends with their dress search and I couldn’t believe there wasn’t a more contemporary approach to bridal wear on offer in London!
What is your vision behind the boutique?
We offer something different than the traditional or modern boho approach to bridal wear – you won’t find any ball gown or mermaid silhouettes at The Fall. Everyone’s wedding vision is so varied and personal; we want to cater to those who feel a more traditional studio may not suit their style. Our shopping experience is relaxed and intimate; we want to make the process of dress shopping completely stress-free.
What do the different brands you stock mean to you?
Each of our brands are on the spectrum of contemporary design but offer something very unique; from Odylyne the Ceremony's ethereal romance to Lola Varma’s elegance, Asar’s clean lines to LEIN’s fun and playful details, & For Love’s maximal minimalism or Kamperett’s architectural concepts. I find that most of our women resonate with one or two brands the most, but the rest of the brands would suit any of the other versions of themselves.
A lot of our designers I discovered through extensive Instagram research! Nikeen from Asar reached out to me directly and is our first UK-based designer, which is lovely for me as I get to see him more in person (and talk to him on the same time zone).
What kind of brides come to your boutique?
The Fall bride is usually someone who wants a more minimalist look for their wedding day, and/or someone who perhaps never thought they would get married and now finds that they are going to be a bride and want to feel 100% themselves.
Do you have a favourite dress in your boutique?
Clichéd, but this is like asking me to pick a favourite child! At the moment we are planning for autumn weddings at the earliest so we are loving a sleeve. I would say Lola Varma’s Rosily, with a gorgeous balloon sleeve and off-the-shoulder ruffle that really flatters the décolletage, or Asar’s Olivia, which is in a gorgeous hammered silk.
Please tell us about what kind of experience a bride would have coming to your boutique?
Super relaxed and informal – no sit-down interviews about your wedding or forms to fill in, no white gloves to put on before you touch the dresses. Our process with brides is to welcome them with a drink (prosecco during the week, mimosas at the weekend!) and have a chat about their wedding date, venue and personal style preferences before we introduce them to each designer’s collection and make style recommendations. Then we’ll fit them in as many looks as we can in the remainder of the hour appointment and help guide them to find their perfect gown or ensemble.
What is the favourite part of your job?
I love seeing someone come in and seeing which styles or designer they’re going to be drawn to the most as everyone is so different.
How has Covid-19 affected you? What has been your response to brides?
The Fall only opened mid-January so this is probably the worst time in modern history to start a business. During the two months we were able to take appointments we thankfully had a fantastic response and built some awareness, and are able to keep things ticking over during lockdown. This is probably the best moment to thank all of our wonderful brides who have visited or ordered from us so far – your support means so much to us!
We’re trying to be as supportive as possible from afar with our brides, checking in with them about any shifting wedding dates and just letting them know that we’re here when they need us.
What does your day look like at home?
Emails from bed with a coffee! I’m also going into the showroom once or twice a week (luckily I’m able to drive door-to-door and not risk meeting anyone) to ship out Home Try-Ons and online orders.
From a business perspective, are you rethinking any sort of strategy or operations for your boutique?
We had originally planned to add an online store later in the year (i.e. when there was a bit of time/breathing space) but when lockdown was implemented we scrambled to get this set up straight away so that brides can purchase accessories and ready-to-wear. We’ve also started offering Home Try-Ons which are working really well – and something fun for you to do during lockdown at home!
Thanks for chatting to us Annelise! To check out the Fall Bridal and see which amazing gowns they carry, head to their profile on The Dress Tribe and save the boutique to your board!
