Building a Brand
Anne Barge grew her business over time, but the process of creation and production remained much the same. She designed gowns from her Atlanta office, while a staff of patternmakers, cutters, and seamstresses worked to create the prototypes, or first garment samples, in-house. Gown designs went through a series of edits during the fitting process, resulting in a final sample. This top-of-production sample was then referenced to create samples for seasonal runway fashion shows and photographed for print media advertisements; it also served as the template for mass production with manufacturers. Gowns were advertised in bridal fashion publications, and the finished garments were merchandised on the showroom floors of Anne Barge stores and bridal retailers.
In this series of clips, Anne discusses launching Anne Barge for Brides, her first bridal store in Atlanta in 1981, and her Anne Barge brand in 1999. She describes the logistics of production and promotion for bridal fashions and details about the global supply chain, as well as her experiences working with brides at trunk shows.