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Who knows better
than a highly
successful retailer
what a designer needs
to deliver? And when
that retailer becomes
an agent, who knows
better what stockists
will expect? Susi
Rogol talks to Marion
Mathews
Made Marion
M
arion Mathews,
previously owner of
The White Room, now
represents several top
labels Spains Jesus
Peiro, Belgiums Rembo
Styling, and Irelands
Sharon Hoey, the latter, incidentally, also a
retailer. She set up shop in 2005, in Mullingar,
north of Dublin, thrilled to move away from
the stressful arena of large-scale event
management.
I knew that I was ready to run my own
business and my family own two furniture
shops in the town so retail was the natural
choice. I decided on bridal because there was
a genuine gap in the market at that time. The
decision was strategic I am passionate about
business and have grown passionate about
bridal rather than starting out being passionate
about bridal. At the time, my store was the
rst to offer high-end designers to Ireland
and I also focused on delivering a luxurious
experience, a concept which was also new at the
time. I spent some six months researching and
writing a business plan and my local enterprise
board was really helpful in organising quality
mentoring, and that proved crucial. Having said
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all that, I recognise now that I knew
little about the reality of running a
business; the rst two years were a
very steep learning curve and I made
lots of mistakes.
My rst experience in bridal was
buying my own dress. I was the easiest
bride ever and Ria, who owns Say I
Do in Cork, is now my customer and
friend. We often laugh at the fact that
I phoned her on Friday because I had
seen a picture of a dress she stocked in
a magazine. I wanted to pop in and try
it on the Saturday and despite being
fully booked, Ria opened at 8am for
me. Twenty minutes later the dress
was ordered and I was back out the
door. I remember Ria saying we both
could have stayed in bed for another
half an hour.
SHOP TALK
When I opened my own shop, I picked
a building that had been kitted out as
ofce space so absolutely everything
had to be changed. I scoured interiors
magazines, online images, looking for
inspiration and came up with a French
boudoir theme - 10 years ago that was
very cutting edge! I even did a mix
tape CD of French music that I played
to set the scene.
In that Marion was clearly focused
on creating the right atmosphere for
her shop, she was
equally single-minded
about the collections
she would carry.
I really wanted to
introduce something
new to Ireland, so as
to entice brids from
Dublin, she says. I
started with Jesus
Peiro (I was their very
rst English-speaking
stockist), which was
our best-selling brand
from day one; other labels included Ulla Maija
from the USA; Italian couture designer Peter
Langner; and Mikaella from Canada as a more
affordable and commercial option.
I approached designers that were not stocked
in other stores in Ireland. I ew to Barcelona
in 2004 to meet Oscar Garriga, Jesus Peiros
then newly-appointed commercial director. Ten
years on, Oscar is my boss and a dear friend. I
also visited New York Bridal Week during my
rst few years but I found that the implications
of duty and shipping charges from some of
the US designers meant that prot margins
were squeezed and, when the cost of the US
trip was factored in, as well as time away from
the store, I was getting a better margin from
designers I was buying elsewhere. I always
went to Barcelona Bridal Week and Harrogate
in September was an important show for me; in
later years, White Gallery became key.
Because I carried a number of brands which
were new to Ireland, I worked hard developing
a marketing and PR strategy. Jesus Peiro was
so different it got a lot of editorial pick up from
the Irish press. Then, in 2006, over dinner one
night, Oscar, my husband Paddy and I, got into
a discussion about how to get the brand to work
in the UK and I suggested I work as their agent
to see if I could get some good shops on board.
STARTING OVER
Was that the start of a new career for Marion?
From day one as Jesus Peiros agent, I absolutely
loved the work, she confesses. I realised
fast that I felt more at home in a business-to-
business environment than the business-to-
consumer sector and I almost regarded my
Jesus Peiro role as a nice break from the shop.
I went through lots of ups and downs between
2006 and 2013 when I sold the business: I had
two children, moved to much bigger premises,
suffered illness, and sadly saw the sudden
passing of my dear Dad. But no matter what
the challenges, my agency work was always
something I thoroughly enjoyed so when I had
to take a decision about moving forward, it was
the shop that I parted company with.
Selling a business, as many of us know, can
be a long and arduous process, fraught with
uncertainty, but despite the nerve-wracking
period before contracts were signed, Marion
knew she had made the right
choice.The fact that she sold
The White Room to experienced
bridal shop owners who knew
what they were doing and who
kept on all the existing staff,
conrmed it.
I get more satisfaction from
being an agent, she says.
Because I have been there
myself, I absolutely understand
where the retailer is coming
from and how their business
works. I love selling brands
that I believe in, that I know offer great service
and a great product. After the rst or second
season when it clicks for the customer and is
working for them in store, that is when I feel
a sense of satisfaction. Many of my customers
have become friends and I nd that I can be
the go-to person for objective advice on how to
handle a particular bride, or just a listening
ear. I feel lucky that after nine years of blood,
sweat and tears building up the shop, I still get
to work in the industry. Importantly, I get to
spend more time with my children and that is
obviously the most satisfying job of all.
This year looks like a big one for Marion, who
has joined forces with Marie Murphy, a former
colleague. I know and trust Marie and the
values she brings to her working life. She was
About
Sharon Hoey
*
Signature stunning cut and
understated elegance
*
Beautifully made in the
designers studio in Dublin
*
Highest quality silks, laces and
tulles
*
Made-to-measure with calico
toile possible
*
Strong marketing images
*
Established, experienced
company, which also operate as
retailers (with two eponymous
shops in Dublin) and understand
stockists needs
*
Customers across the globe
*
Standard sizes 8-16 but any size
can be catered for
*
The retail price range 1,800 -
2,700
*
Marion is looking for a select
eight stockists in the UK
As the market
continues to
change, I believe
that charging for
appointments
will become the
industry norm
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SPECIAL AGENT
my boss when I was starting
out in event management and
taught me so many of the
skills I have today. With Marie
based in the UK and the shop
under new ownership, I had
the capacity to take on some
new designers.
In addition to Jesus Peiro,
Marion is now representing
Rembo Styling, a big name in northern Europe
in particular, and Sharon Hoey, a high-prole
designer in Ireland. Why those two? Earlier
this year we looked at a number of designers
and tested the water with a few. With Rembo I
honestly felt that we had discovered a little gem!
The label was bought three years ago by the
Belgian house, Marylise, and they have totally
transformed its creative direction. They work
with four designers, some of whom operate
their own couture ateliers, who each create a
capsule collection under the Rembo umbrella.
The result is a cutting-edge range of gowns that
are bohemian, artistic, fashion-forward, and at a
fantastic price point.
The collection is pretty much what a lot of
my stockists had been telling me they were
looking for and I could
see the potential for the
transformed brand in the
UK market. The fact that
Rembo is made in the EU
and that the company has
such a great reputation for
customer service, meant they
ticked every box for me.
Then came
Sharon Hoey.
Sharon is
probably the
most famous
bridal designer
in Ireland. I was
familiar with her
work and had
met her in the
past in fact,
her retail shops
in Dublin were
my competitors
when I owned The
White Room. I visited Sharon
to show her the Rembo
collection. We got chatting
and, before I knew it, I agreed
to help her launch back into
the UK market. To be honest,
I wasnt looking to take on another designer
at the time but when I saw her gowns I simply
couldnt say no; they sit beautifully beside Jesus
Peiro and Rembo without competing with them;
with those three brands I feel we have a perfect
trio that represent the highest level of excellence
yet have quite different offerings.
I prefer to work with brands that have
control over the manufacturing process and I
am happy that we are not dealing with any Far
East manufacturing given the current labour
challenges that exist there. All three designers
have 100% of their production in the EU.
Marion will be taking Rembo Styling to
The Harrogate Bridal Show, (7-9 September).
Harrogate is a fantastic opportunity to present
collections to the widest possible number of
stores at the one time. I will be showcasing
Rembo Stylings 2015 collection, the strongest
yet, and it will open retailers eyes to the
stunning new personality of the brand. We
recently sold the collection into Perfect Day
Bridal in Bradford on Avon. They tweeted:
Seriously @RemboStyling where have you been
hiding!? What a stunning collection - we may
have just hit gold. That sums up how I feel about
the collection.
Jesus Peiro, meanwhile,
with one collection a year,
is a regular at White
Gallery, the key platform
for top-of-the-market
designer names. We had
a really fantastic show in
April our best yet. Most
of our existing stores as
well as quite a few new
ones, have now completed
their buying of the 2015
Jesus Peiro collection.
Thats not to say we are
not always on the lookout for new stockists
and there are some limited geographical areas
that are still open for Jesus Peiro. Sharon
Hoey is only looking for a small number of UK
stockists, and we are working on a soft launch
into the UK market with her collection. BB
CONTACT DETAI LS
Mathews Bridal Agency
TEL: +353 87 648 7531
EMAI L: marion@mathewsbridalagency.com
WEB: www.mathewsbridalagency.com
EXHI BI T: The Harrogate Bridal Show, stand Q24
Tips for retailers today
Firstly I would say that it is really important to take time out to plan and strategise, ensure that the labels you are
stocking are working for you. Step back from your store and look at it as an outsider to see where you could
improve. Think about the brides experience, where else she may be going and how you can make her
experience in your store better. Move on sample stock as soon as you think it is not working for you
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your margin and your stress levels! Remember also that your website is your shop window so invest
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margin: people look at the mark up in bridal and think it is great but it really isnt when you look at the
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About Rembo
*
More than 70 styles
*
Fabrics include beautiful,
exclusive laces, crepe,
jersey and chiffon
*
As well as the traditional
ivories, expect an interesting
play with colour with the
slightest hint of blush, pale
grey or cream lending a
vintage feel
*
Sizes run from UK 6-32
*
Average retail price is
1,300
*
Made in the EU in the
company-owned factory
in Portugal
*
Very strong marketing
images
*
Excellent quality
*
Owned by Marylise, long-
established family company
I feel lucky
that after nine
years of blood,
sweat and tears
building up the
shop, I still get
to work in the
industry.
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