Meet our director
MEET OUR DIRECTOR
Samantha
At House of Kartalia we offer an extremely personal shopping experience for our brides to be and we therefore believe it is important to get personal with our brand which means getting personal with the face behind the brand.
We interviewed our director so you can learn more about her inspirations, where she has come from, her personal style and why she is so passionate about what she does.
Samantha is the main point of contact for all of our brides so why not get to know her a little bit better. We also hope this interview will help in the realisation that we are not just a business but a dream ♡
How did you come to realise you wanted to start your own bridal brand and what is the best lesson you have learnt from your experience?
A long obsession for fashion and design led me to this point, the point of opening my own bridal fashion house. As a little girl I would love getting dressed up and doing fashion parades around the house every chance I got but what little girl didn’t love doing that right… where I was different though is the dress up pieces I was wearing I was designing and getting my god mother who was a seamstress to make them for me, little did I know this would turn into a career later on in life. By the way I use the term designing loosely in this instance.
I didn’t however start out in the fashion industry but I did start out in design. I created a love affair of interior design after a trip to Europe and went on to study this which led me to my first job as an award winning furniture designer and later on a well renowned successful interior designer with international projects and awards, probably due to my love for detail, finishes and texture. I would often still find myself immersing back to fashion and sketching pieces I dreamed of wearing as a form of therapy though, which was sparking an urge for change in me.
I frequently travelled back and forth from the UK visiting and spending a lot of time with my aunt who is well renowned in the UK bridal industry with many years of experience as a buyer for bridal fashion houses as well as owning multiple bridal houses of her own and helping to establish many other successful ones too. The latest trip I made over to the UK really inspired me to decide that this was an industry I wanted to be involved in and with the support, expertise and guidance from my aunt I took the plunge to follow my dreams, I haven’t stopped learning and immersing myself in the bridal industry since the day I made the decision to give it my all and everything. No plan B.
The best lesson I have learnt from my experience is that we have to take other journeys in life to find ourselves and my interior design journey has given me all the foundations for design and brought out my true love and obsession for detailing to be successful in what I do now, my advice is that you should always follow your heart, it is never too late to make a change and chase your dreams.
The launch of my own bridal brand and first collection has been a dream come true and I count my lucky stars every day. Samantha xx
“I had my own sense of style from a young age and I think I rocked it or I definitely thought I did anyway judging by this strut, if I could insert a crying with laughter emoji right here I would”
What is it that you love most about what you do now?
I think every little girl has the dream to one day be wearing the most beautiful dress imaginable while marrying prince charming from the Disney movies in the most elaborate setting possible and a little piece of that childhood dream stays with us right until the day we do fall madly in love and get to choose our dress of a lifetime for one of the most special days of our lives. I get to be a part of that process, in making that dream dress become a reality for some of the most beautiful brides, what isn’t there to love. Samantha xx
Do you have any tips for other girls thinking about starting a business?
GO FOR IT!!! I love seeing women in business, it is so empowering. Starting a business requires hard work, dedication and a lot of sacrifices but it pays off. Every success gives you the greatest satisfaction imaginable. Always do your research and be prepared for the never ending homework on the adventure of a lifetime. Leave the sleepy bay and venture the deep oceans to see what waits. Samantha xx
Do you have a favourite style wedding gown?
This is by far one of the hardest questions. I have too many favourites. I have always been obsessed with texture and layering of fabrics though, I would have to say a mermaid style would probably be my first pick, a tight lace detailed bodice giving you that real contemporary look while still keeping a little bit of the traditional princess feel. Something along the lines of our Wildflower gown with the intricate lace detailing continuing right through into the skirt and train, I am so obsessed with lace. And a chapel length veil would be a must for me. Samantha xx
Describe your ideal wedding?
For me my childhood and upbringing stems a big part of what my ideal wedding would be. I grew up as an only child in South Africa, spent a lot of time travelling back and forth from the UK and have spent most of my life so far living in Australia, these places have all had a huge influence on my style and the things that I love most. Being an only child made me really value the importance of family and friends. Growing up in South Africa made me love nature and natural landscapes. The UK brought out my fashion obsession while Perth, Australia, my favourite place by far made me fall in love with a sunset and there is no where I would rather be than close to a beach. For me my ideal wedding would be really intimate, I imagine it nestled on the top of a cliff overlooking the ocean, close to dusk with the sun setting in the background while fairy lights glimmer. The décor simplistic but chic. The air warm and still and my dress contemporary yet elegant and timeless, I can’t wait for this day. Samantha xx
What is your vision for House of Kartalia?
My vision is purely and simply to provide luxurious, high quality affordable dresses that are comfortable to wear and will challenge the ever changing trends of the contemporary bride, keeping them as unique as possible. I love fashion, I love design and I want to share what I love with others and not at a huge cost. Samantha xx
Do you have any tips for brides to be looking for their dream dress?
Yes I do. Your wedding day is about the celebration of you and the love you have for your partner. Your wedding dress should be comfortable so you can celebrate, make sure you factor this in. Your wedding dress should also be about you, a portrayal of your once in a lifetime fairy tale moment, your dream. Make sure when you decide on your dress that is 100% about you and what you want. If you are getting forced into a decision then it is probably not the right decision. I love it when our brides fall in love a little more with our dresses but I let them do that all on their own. Samantha xx
