Meet bridal designer Harriette Gordon

Perth bridal designer Harriette Gordon creates thoughtful, romantic and refined pieces from her studio in Fremantle, Western Australia. Being an avid supporter of sustainability, especially when it comes to fashion, I was drawn to her slow and conscious business model.

I spoke to Harriette about her breathtaking new collection Sonnet XVII, what inspired her, advice for brides, sustainability and her business and how she manages motherhood and running a successful business.

Designer Harriette Gordon photographed in studio by Katie Grant

Tell us about your new collection?

The new collection is called Sonnet XVII named after one of Pablo Neruda’s love poems. My sister and I both read the poem at each other’s wedding.

Sonnet XVII

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,

or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.

I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,

in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms

but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;

thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,

risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.

I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;

so I love you because I know no other way than this:

where I does not exist, nor you,

so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,

so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

- Pablo Neruda

Hidden away behind our studio [in Fremantle, Western Australia] is a 1912 built theatre named the Princess Theatre. I’ve researched the history and have felt a connection and fascination with the space. I had a dream of shooting the new collection there, with Liz Looker to capture it and after back and forth communication to find the owners and convince them of the project, they let us shoot there and were delighted with the result.

We found Sophia, the model, on Instagram she had posted a video of her playing cello and singing ‘Lilac Wine’ by Jeff Buckely. We immediately knew she was the one to wear the pieces.

Where did your inspiration come from?

There is a real romanticism in this collection and a strong feeling of movement. Sometimes a piece was designed with a sketch and sometimes with draping on the mannequin, the fabric forming a shape on the mannequin and then visualising how will this flow with another piece from the collection.

I wanted the pieces to mostly connect, following the notion of separates and pieces that can be worn beyond the wedding day. I’ve become very passionate about sustainability, getting the fabric waste as low as possible and using those remnant pieces.

After seeing brides for six years and working on custom pieces, this collection was largely inspired by that. What makes a woman feel good, what is flattering to a woman.

And of course music, poetry, art, film, places. I think this collection has a song and its ‘Didn’t I’ by Darondo.

What bridal trends do you see coming up?

COVID-19 is having a huge effect on the wedding industry. There will be a lot of elopements and intimate weddings now with guests not be able to travel internationally or domestically for an unknown amount of time. I think more fashion forward options will be favoured such as a Mini dress, Midi or pant/jacket/ blouse combination. We love these looks.

How does sustainability come into your work/collections?

We feel very strongly about sustainability. Feel it needs to be considered and thought about frequently in every single business and person in the world.

With our natural gown collection as the gowns are cut on the bias grain, there are quite a lot of remnant pieces left of this completely divine premium weight silk. I have a giant box of them from the past six years, and they are being reworked now into new pieces with more seam lines as the fabric pieces are smaller sizes. Sometimes more beauty comes out this way.

We are becoming more conscious of where each fabric comes from, how many times per year is it shipped from the manufacturer to the Australian Agency. If we can buy our stock in bulk, we can decrease some of the travel costs and effects on the environment. If we look at all of our systems and break them down into little pieces, we can affect the bigger picture.

We use sustainable, compostable packaging wherever possible with no plastics. Our pieces come in either a box with tissue or in a calico gown bag.

Any tips for brides trying to decide on the right wedding dress/silhouette?

This is when I think dreaming of your wedding day before you’re engaged can be a great base to check in with. It’s very easy to get lost in the Instagram/ Pinterest world and have mixed ideas about what you want to wear. Go with your gut instincts, let what you choose, be a reflection of how you normally dress, what you feel comfortable in. And definitely go with the feeling, it has to feel right and feel really good! It’s such a special day, but don’t let that overwhelm you. Let the whole day simply be a reflection of your relationship, of your love.

Designer Harriette Gordon photographed in studio by Katie Grant

As a mum to an almost 2-year-old, how do you balance work and family life? Do you have a set schedule/routines?*

*I asked Harriette this question for myself as I wanted to know (as a mother of a 1-year-old) how she manages being a mother and running a successful business

Are you ready for my really long answer, this has been such a big one for me and I hear you when you say it’s difficult, it really is. But from what I’ve seen from your online presence, your doing amazing! (Feel free to shorten this answer ☺)

I took so long to return this interview that Raf is now 2 years, 2 months!

The balance is always a fine line. Late pregnancy and the first eight months with Raf were quite hard physically and emotionally, while it was such a divine time being his mum, watching him develop and both figuring out our roles in the world, it was very hard to have to pull back from work (my work, my time, my creativity, my freedom) and not have the time, physically. Sleep deprivation is a whole other thing too, I’m excited for the research and advancements in helping new mums cope/sleep/manage/have space/dream/accomplish.

I feel very passionate about this!

We put Raf into daycare at the age of 1, which was a nuanced decision. He very quickly adapted and started thriving on day-care, the socialising and activities they hold. It’s now a solid part of our routine and has given us such a beautiful sense of community.

Raf goes three days a week and I work those days. When it’s really busy, a family member might have him one of the other days so I can get in extra time.

On the days when we are home together we love long pram walks, park plays any time in nature. While he naps at midday I check in on emails.

I’m becoming very conscious of how can I be present with him when we are together and having to be ok with sometimes replying late to emails. It’s hard to fit everything in, working part-time but I know how important it is, how lucky I am to have him and be with him while he’s so young.

Zoe Foster Blake said something along these lines in a podcast and it really stuck with me “If I’m checking emails at the supermarket with my kids, then I’m doing both things ‘shittily”. Best to respond when I can in a clear quiet mind and be present in that moment with my kids”

The main good bit:

Since becoming a Mum and having Raf in our world so much has changed with the way I run the business.

I am very inspired, it took a good year to figure out what my new offering was but now the vision is very clear and I don’t do it all myself. There is production support in WA, expansion into stockists, book keeping, a contractor assistant and a new intern has just come on board.

The system/ all our systems really had to evolve and quick!

Sonnet XVII Collection credits:

Photographer @liz_looker
Model @sophiajhk @imgmodels
Mua @tessdegrauw__beauty
Jewellery @penelope.brittain
Assistant @__alulu___
Props assistant @gabriellescottstudio