Bridal designer Leah Ann.
Let’s dig a little deeper into the story behind these gorgeous gowns. Leah Ann has been a Melbourne-based designer for over 15 years, retailing affordable designer wedding dresses in Melbourne and plus size wedding dresses with the perfect accessories to match! She’s definitely come a long way to achieve what Leah S Designs is today since her humble beginnings, working in a barn from a very young age. Background Leah started off making debutante dresses for her neighbours and friends, but one thing led to another, and now she’s helping to dress women from all over the world. Running a bridal business was never part of the plan at 19 years old, but sewing was always in her blood.Thanks mum! Those craft days were worth while.
My mum, Lyn Sukroo, used to have her own gallery with silk products and has been involved in plus size fashion for over 30 years. As such, Leah spent several years doing piece work for her family’s business and found that sewing came naturally to her. Lyn has since dedicated her time to her daughter’s brand to help her expand by creating the Plus Size Perfection Collection. The Plus Size Perfection Collection, designed for sizes above 16, boasts both international and national recognition and is constantly growing. (TEN new dresses are added each season!)
Background of Leah Ann
Leah lived in an area where wearable and affordable bridal wear was lacking, and she simply snagged the knocking opportunity. Leah S Designs started off in Pakenham back in 2001, then moved to Lonsdale Street, Dandenong. It was a decade later in 2011 that they moved to the current location, 3/167 Princes Hwy, Hallam. Seeing brides fall in love with the dresses she designed inspired her to keep growing in the world of bridal design. Leah also adores the way young debutantes who have never seen themselves in a formal dress have a newfound confidence in how they look when they’re all dressed up.
Designer wedding dress Inspiration
In her interview with Officeworks, Leah revealed that vision boards are an essential part of her business strategy for encompassing all the elements that inspire the looks for her collections. She draws inspiration from the natural environment such as plants, flowers and shells.
Leah also loves putting up inspirational quotes and pictures of people whom she would love to model her designs. She keeps these vision boards around the workspace because they also serve as a constant reminder of what she loves about the business.
They say you are what you eat, but you also are what you read! Leah has a love of American bridal magazines like The Knot and Bridal Guide, as she believes that the USA is at the forefront of bridal dress trends. Leah thinks that Australia is about 3 years behind them, pointing out the fact that latte and blush coloured wedding dresses are only now becoming popular here.
Bridal style in Australia
“In Australia, we are a mix between the flamboyant American and the conservative English styles. I usually look at the base design of English dresses and then I look at American-style embellishments like beading, lace and strap design,” she explains. Leah also loves reading blogs, as she revealed, “It’s so exciting to see posts of our business and other vendors I know featured on blogs like Polka Dot Bride, Nouba and Bridal Musings.” She gets many of her ideas from spending lots of time scrolling through Instagram, a habit most of us are already guilty of Plus, Insta direct messages have scored her a couple of new contacts and shoots as well! Get on it!Leah’s Clients
Story time! Leah has dressed hundreds of women in her experience and she’s not short on crazy, wonderful anecdotes one bit. I particularly loved getting to dress an 80-year-old lady who was getting married for the first time. Truly, no one is too old to get married! She dressed the lady in a lovely, understated chiffon gown in ivory with a ruffle sleeve – exactly what she was looking for! She even said that the dress made her feel like the bride she always wanted to be. Success! Once, Leah came across a lady who bought not one but FIVE wedding dresses for her big day. For her fitting, she chartered a helicopter from rural Hamilton to Moorabbin airport and then back home again! The first dress made for walking down the aisle was in a crossover bodice style with beaded lace throughout. Second dress made for wearing at the reception was a simple one with beaded straps. Third dress made for the bridal waltz was shortened to three-quarter length and the fourth dress was made for the bride’s departure. And last but not least the final dress was made for a ballroom dancing championship and was tailored in a gorgeous, royal purple.