Thurley founder and now bridalwear designer Helen O’Connor has launched a 20-piece ready-to-wear collection - born from an Instagram message from former Love Island contestant Anna McEvoy.
O’Connor said it was an organic process, which began when McEvoy sent a direct message to commission dresses for the spring racing period.
“When she announced her engagement, I was suddenly inspired to create something for her, and the collection evolved from our designing process,” O’Connor said.
The new collection, called Wanderlust, is designed for events that preamble a wedding, such as hens, receptions, recoveries, rehearsal dinners, kitchen teas and engagement parties.
O’Connor said since launching her bridal brand in 2021, she has unearthed demand in an emerging gap in the bridal market for hens and engagement wear.
“Nowadays, the engagement party and the milestone events prior to the ceremony are as big as the wedding day itself,” she said.
The creation of an alternate category of ‘event-wear’ could see an expansion to the bridal industry as a whole, which is reportedly worth an estimate of $377.7 million to the Australian economy per annum according to IbisWorld and $69.9 billion worldwide.
“We have experienced a huge demand from international brides that are embracing a more modern take on bridal tradition that were immediately drawn to my fusion of fashion and bridal,” O’Connor said.
The collection, which will include four dresses inspired by McEvoy, debuted on April 29 at McEvoy’s engagement party. The capsule went live online the following day.
McEvoy welcomed the collaboration with O’Connor, calling it a personal touch to her wedding day.
O'Connor's brand Thurley closed after she told customers "it's goodbye for now, but not forever" in a social media post in 2020.