Knitted wedding dress collection launched in Todmorden

The knitted wedding dresses are made from locally-produced wool

A Todmorden knitwear company has launched an entire bridal collection made of wool.

The owners of Makepiece in Todmorden say they hope to give more choice to West Yorkshire's brides-to-be.

Co-owner and knitted dress designer Nicola Sherlock-Windle came up with the idea after getting married last year.

Nicola explains they are not for everyone: "You have to be a certain type of person who wants something unusual and not the norm."

The dresses, which are made from locally-produced wool, have already been attracting much interest, according to company co-owner Beate Kubitz.

Beate says: "Quite a number of brides have come to our shop looking for these, partly because our design is unique and interesting."

Different designs

The dresses are made entirely from wool and the different designs go by such names as Briar Rose, Carapace, Florence and Truffle.

To have a knitted wedding dress you have to be very confident. Nicola Sherlock-Windle, designer

Nicola says by their very nature, knitted dresses are not the easiest to produce.

She explains: "The Truffle, for example, takes hours to make. It's made up of lots of different components and they all come together at the very last minute.

"You've got all the ruffles coming up the centre and around the sides and it's fitted in the bodice again."

Nicola admits that before she got married herself, she never saw what the fascination was in wedding dresses.

She says: "I didn't really understand the brides before then. But, having been a bride myself, I now know what they want. They want to look at their most beautiful.

Can wool wedding dresses challenge mass market designs?

"They think, what are their imperfections and how can they cover them up without covering themselves up too much.

"I just understand that it's your special day and you want everything to be perfect."

Very confident

Both Nicola and Beate agree that woollen wedding dresses are unlikely to catch on as must-have mass market bridal wear.

Nicola says: "To have a knitted wedding dress you have to be very confident."

And Beate says: "We have women who really want to look different and special. Maybe the traditional sequins and lace are not what they are looking for.

"They are looking for something which will make much more of a statement."