Sarah Gabriel is one of the most sought out bridal veil designers and she lives right here in Denver! We had the pleasure of getting to know Sarah a little bit better at a recent a trunk show at Anna Be {LISTmember}.
How did you learn your craft?
My mother taught me to sew when I was little and I was always very taken with it. I got into veils, headpieces and jewelry almost by accident…this is what my initial customers were asking for!
When and why did you start you business?
I started my company on the floor of the basement in my apartment 14 years ago…and now there are 10 of us in a 5,000 square foot production studio. The studio space is kind of “industrial-meets-glam”. We took a gigantic warehouse with 25 foot industrial ceilings, exposed electrical and plumbing and glammed it up with an 8′ high crystal chandelier in the entryway, red velvet drapes, a turquoise and gold crystal antler chandelier in the kitchen. Quirky, unique…I love it!
Describe your style and designs.
I am most known for my delicate take on vintage styling. It’s very easy for accessories to too “costume-ey” (I know that’s not a real word, but it works!), particularly when you get into French blushers and blingy/ornate hair clips. I believe my scaled down softer hand with these kind of details is part of what brides are attracted to when they choose something from my collection.
What or who inspires you?
The brides I have designed for directly over the years have the most influence on my style…my business was initially a bespoke service for brides (that was before the advent of Etsy!) and I just loved sitting down with a bride and trying to understand her vision and create something that was perfect for her personality, her gown and her venue. Even though my company has grown exponentially, I still get to work with brides directly at all of the trunk shows I do. Listening to what they are asking for…their style…drives the new collection each year.
Name a celebrity that you would love to make a custom headpiece for.
Hands down: Madonna!
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Albuquerque, NM. I’ve lived in Denver for 14 years, since 2000. I was chasing a boy I was in love with who attended CU Boulder…and who is now my husband of 12 years!
If you weren’t designing veils & headpieces, what would you be doing?
Oh my gosh, I can’t even begin to imagine my life without my company…that would be the same as trying to imagine my life without my husband or my kids. Too hard! If I had to pick something…I’d say I’d likely be running another company, preferably one that involves sparkles!
We think Denver rocks. What is your favorite thing about living in Denver and Colorado?
What’s not to love? Seriously, there is NO better place than Denver. We have the best of everything here!
photography by our contributing photographer rachel gomez
