Isabel Sanchís drives the internationalisation of her bridal line at BBFW

Translated by

Roberta HERRERA

Isabel Sanchís, the Valencia-based haute couture brand, stole the show on the first day of Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week on Wednesday April 19, which closed with a haute couture show by Lebanese designer Elie Saab

Two of the looks presented by the Valencian firm – BBFW

“Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week is a very important platform that gives us visibility at a national and international level,” Isabel Sanchís and her daughter Paula Maiques, who lead the Valencia-based company that currently employs around 50 workers, told FashionNetwork.com

“The trade fair is very important and allows us to sell our dresses in many different markets,” they added about their participation in the Barcelona event, which will run until April 23. In its 2023 edition, Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week features a total of 34 fashion shows and counts on the participation of 350 brands in its professional trade show.

The brand was recently awarded the L’Oréal Paris best collection and designer prize at the last edition of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid and is a regular at Paris Haute Couture Week. The firm describes the DNA of its fashion designs as “special garments with meticulous pattern-making, handcrafted details, and innovative fabrics.”

Although the bridal line, launched two years ago, still represents “a small proportion compared to the party collection,” the representatives of the brand are confident about the growth of the bridal category due to the increasing presence of the collections in various retail outlets each season.

The heads of the firm, Isabel Sanchís and Paula Maiques – BBFW

“We would like to be able to work on the bridal collection alongside our party collections in order to reach the widest possible audience,” explained the mother and daughter team regarding their future plans for the bridal category. They both confessed that the creative process for bridal looks is “quite similar to that of haute couture creations, but with the addition of romantic elements to soften the overall aesthetic.” They further added that this approach allows even the most innovative and unique designs to have elegant and delicate details.

With a total of 50 points-of-sale worldwide, including flagship stores in Valencia and Kuwait, the artisanal ‘made in Spain’ firm expects an increase in sales in Asian countries next season. According to its leaders, the regions with the greatest weight in terms of turnover are “the Arab and American markets.”