Life After White Gallery: How to Buy and Sell Bridal Wear in 2025

By Joanna Southwell

As we come to the close of Bridal Week, Harrogate. This mid March event will be the first and only bridal wholesaling event for the UK this Spring. With White Gallery announced as cancelled, we have been left with a big gap for buying and selling 2025/26 collections. Joanna Southwell gives us her expert advise on how to navigate the buying season without The White Gallery...

Joanna says, "I have spoken to many retailers and designers who are at a loss with what to do without The White Gallery. So today I wanted to share my top tips for buying and selling this years bridal collections without a designer wholesaling event."

Whether you are a retailer or a designer I think it is worth spending a few minutes thinking about White Gallery. Did you attend it? If not what were the reasons? What worked or did not work for you as a buyer or a wholesaler. Knowing the answers to these questions are key for creating a strategy that will work for you. If the event was too far away, too expensive or not on the ‘right’ days of the week, then write this down. Similarly, if you went every year, enjoyed the in person buying experience, the trip to London and the ability to connect with peers, then this is essential to know too.

In order to truly make our business work for us, we need to know what actually helps. These things may not always be the easiest things, but they are the actions that make real positive change. If you are an introverted designer who was nervous but exhibited at White Gallery, which helped you grow your wholesaling accounts, got you essential PR and a set of industry peers, then you need to keep going this. Even if it is hard.

Similarly, if you are a retailer who found attending in person events really fun but never bought anything there, then maybe buying events are not actually essential for you.

Where do we go from here?

Now you know what is important for your business when it comes to buying and selling this year’s new collections, we can create a plan. How do you connect with the people you need to buy or sell your collections for this year? As a big buying event in the UK is not on the cards this year, how do you get in front of the people you need? It’s time to get creative:

Retailers:

1: Analyse. What worked for your brides this previous year? What did you sell and what were you missing. Create a shopping list, including styles, fabrics, experiences and points of differences that your brides need. Can you speak with your current designers about creating some of these pieces or experiences for your brides?

2: Research. Hit Instagram, Google, Pinterest and your customer’s favourite blogs, and find interesting new designers. Follow them on Instagram and get to know their ethics and how they communicate their brand as well as their designs. Look at their imagery and whether it will sit well with your own.

3: Connect. Not just to the designers you are wanting to learn more about but from current stockists (I like asking other retailers what a designer is like to work with). Drop people a DM just to connect. If you want to take it further, schedule a Zoom with the designer and have a chat.

Look back at the list you just wrote about previous buying events. Do you need to see designs in person? Does meeting the designer in person appeal to you? If you need a in person meeting speak with the designer. Do they have a studio you could visit? Do they offer pop up events you could attend? How can you get what is important to you.

Ask your potential and current designers what they can do to help you achieve what you need.

Designers:

1: Analyse. How many stockists do you currently have and how did you start working with them? Do they buy new samples every year and when is your new collection releasing? Do your current stockists buy in person or via Zoom/photos?

2: Communicate. Speak with your current stockists and ask them what they need. Tell them your (new) timeline for the year and when the collection will be available. Ask them what worked for them last year and what they need from you this year. Get clear on what will benefit you both in the coming year and whether they need in person meetings.

3: Plan. Now you know what your stockists need you can plan how to achieve it. Will your retailers come to your studio to view the collection? Can you get a model in to show them the designs at their best? If some of your stockists are too far can you find somewhere to create a pop up event nearer to them?

4: Scale. Once you know how to look after your current wholesaling customers, can you scale? Can your plan be offered to new retailers? If you are doing in studio events with a model, why not reach out to your dream potential retailers and ask them whether they can come and see the collection. If you are creating a pop up could you contact boutiques with in easy reach and ask them to attend? If you are an advertiser on a blog or directory, update your page to advertise the events for increased exposure.

Now you have a plan you can get your shopping and selling done! No White Gallery is a blow for us all, but it is not the end of new collections. Bridal is forever changing and ever adapting, so we must too.

If you found this email helpful and would like to learn more about wholesaling your designs, then let’s talk. Whether you are new to wholesaling or want to scale and increase sales, then I can help you. I have been both a retailer and a wholesaler, offering you a wrap around view of the market. Together we can analyse, plan and create a winning strategy. Book your Discovery Call today.

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