Village is perfect location, says new bridal shop owner – Henley Standard

Sunday, 23 October 2022
Delivering the news from Henley on Thames and South Oxfordshire for over 100 years
23 October 2022
A BRIDAL boutique is to open in Goring next Saturday (October 29).
Nicole Mae’s Bridal has taken over the former Hamilton’s unisex hair salon in Station Road.
Owner Nicole Osborne, 31, said: “I come from a fashion buyer background, working in elevated fabrics, having been to fashion school and studied bridal wear.
“I got out of buying when covid hit and because of my background, a friend approached me about helping her run a bridal boutique.
“After a while I thought I could do it for myself because I have a background in bridal dresses and I love working with brides.
“I was on the hunt for the perfect shop in the perfect location and I came across this shop in January.
“I couldn’t believe that there wasn’t already a boutique in Goring as it is such a beautiful place.
“Just everything about Goring is beautiful and all the people I have met in the village have been amazing. There is such a little community, it’s just gorgeous.
“The location of my shop is just off the high street but it’s where people go to and from the station and it is quite a busy corner with Going Hardware next door.
“Driving over the bridge with the river and the beautiful houses, it is very picturesque and that makes a difference if you are looking for a dress and seeing that it’s in a beautiful village — it really sets the scene.”
Miss Osborne, who lives in Little London in Hampshire with her partner, who works in construction, said the shop was a mess when she received the keys and she has enjoyed transforming it.
She said: “The shop itself looked a bit like a building site — there was sand in the middle of it.
“It used to be a hairdressers but I am having such fun with the décor and the soft furnishings.
“I’m adding customised rails as well as sofas and putting my little stamp on it. I have invested everything in this.”
Miss Osborne says a basic wedding dress will cost from about £1,200 to about £3,000 and she will also stock “niche” accessories.
She said: “I will be running one-to-one appointments and we will chat over a glass of bubbles and discuss likes and dislikes.
“I have picked four designers and I have various niche accessories which create a point of difference, with coats and sleeves and overskirts so you wouldn’t necessarily need a second dress for the evening. These extra bits will accessorise and complement.
“My dresses will suit a younger customer more but at the same time I have a range of silhouettes and have some smaller sizes whereas most bridal shops stock just 14s.
“Sometimes brides have a strong idea of what they like and dislike but dresses look very different on the hangers than they do on, so brides need to trust me as an expert.
“I offer a personal shopping experience with the right advice. For example, if I had a heavy-chested woman who said she wanted a fishtail dress I would be the one to say that it might not suit her and suggest a gown that was more flattering.”
Miss Osborne said that once she had a bride from India contact her about a dress, which she had to model over Zoom.
She said: “It was a Freda Bennet dress — people google designers and I was one of the stockists.”
Miss Osborne, who is expecting her first child in March, says she will have friends and family on hand to help run the business.
There will also be an “office dog” called Pumpkin, a French bulldog.
Next Saturday’s opening is a “welcome event” to meet people and answer any questions and will run from 11am to 3pm.
Miss Osborne said: “Opening a business and having a baby is tough but this is something that I want to do. A very good friend, who went to fashion school with me, and my mum will help me.
“I have taken out an initial five-year lease but I am looking to stay here for years to come and have something to pass on to my children.”
Meanwhile, the former McColl’s shop in High Street has a new tenant and will re-open as the Goring Convenience Store. The premises is currently being modified and fitted out. A date for completion will be announced in due course.
23 October 2022
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