Hey there beautiful people and Happy Friday. I hope you are all looking forward to the weekend. I was so gutted that I missed out on the Bloggers Love Girls Night Out event last night as I got a really bad migraine and didn't feel well at all. I'm still feeling under the weather, but I get bored easily when I am sick so blogging is my salvation :)
I featured the fashion brand Chateau Boutique previously on my blog when I attended the Bloggers Love London Fashion Week Event. Today's post is to provide you with more information about Chateau Boutique and their October launch.
Chateau Boutique is a new and exciting independent retailer based in Newcastle upon Tyne with items also soon due to be available online. The boutique owned by Tara Gardiner is situated at the heart of the city centre in Newcastle upon Tyne in a beautiful listed building right next to the Castle!
The website launches on the 21st October selling ladies fashion, shoes, jewellery, accessories, homeware and gifts. Chateau Boutique also offer a tailor made bespoke design service where you can have a dress created especially for you designed either by yourself or the team at Chateau.
Q&A session with owner Tara Gardiner:
How are you different to other retailers out there?
We don't just cater for one type of girl we cater for everybody. I chose to have 5 different types of muses to start off which are girly girl, good time girl, power girl, it girl and quirky girl. I will add more muses as time goes on as everybody is different and I want to appeal to everybody out there. Fashion is for everyone!
Why is there such a high difference in your price points?
Since social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter came along young girls don't want to be photographed in the same dress twice. This is why I decided to stock fast fashion as well as designers so girls can wear a dress for a night out and it wouldn't matter if they never wear it again.
It is very import for me to stock lower priced garments. Being based in Newcastle upon Tyne the nightlife here is so big that girls tend to go out a lot. This is where the fast fashion is much more convenient for girls these days. People tend to make more of an effort for race days, bank holidays and special occasions which is why we will be stocking higher priced garments also.
Why do you make so many kaftans?
I used to travel quite a lot, lived in hot countries abroad and have struggled for years to find good kaftans. I now have a bit of an obsession with them and have even started wearing them during the day. You can easily dress up a pair of jeans and a vest top by wearing a kaftan. We at Chateau Boutique make them in a variety of different styles, prints and colours and we will keep them in stock all year round. Our kaftans are the best!
Where do you find inspiration for designing your garments?
Most of my inspiration comes from travel and I love architecture. When I'm away from my familiar surroundings I notice things a lot more, taking more time to look at things and pay attention to detail. I love to draw from buildings and as no two buildings are the same they always keep me interested.
What is your background in fashion?
I have a degree in fashion so I am qualified in all aspects of fashion from design to marketing. I also worked for one of the top British designers on Regent Street whilst studying in London. I have always had a big interest in fashion from a very young age and it was always the plan to either become a designer or open up my own shop.
What has inspired your latest collection?
Whilst studying towards my degree in fashion I decided to focus mainly on the business aspect of things. Having started several business' already in the textile industry it came a lot more natural to me, but I didn't have as much time to design anymore. Then after I graduated I moved to Athens, Greece and found that living in a different culture surrounded by the most amazing ancient architecture including the Acropolis it was easy to feel inspired again. A lot of my latest designs were created whilst living in Athens so there will be a lot of bright colours and structured garments.
You also offer a bespoke design service, tell us about that?
Last year I attended the Oscars (Academy Awards) in Los Angeles and really struggled to find 'the perfect dress'. As it was a big event it had to be something spectacular and fit my body perfectly. After failing to find a dress that was suitable I decided to design my own gown and have it tailor made. When I wore the dress I got so many compliments from A list celebrities such as Heidi Klum, Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus. It was truly amazing and really gave me the confidence to start taking my designs more seriously.
Tara Gardiner with Heidi Klum at The Oscars in this beautiful tailor made sparkly dress designed by Tara.
Here is the dress as featured previously on my blog, Link!
Where did you come up with the name Chateau Boutique?
I took the word castle from the address of the boutique which I am very proud of as the location is one of the oldest parts in the history of Newcastle upon Tyne. As my ancestors and family name originates from France I decided to translate this into French to come up with the word chateau. This way I feel the name has meaning and is personal to me.
What can we expect to see from you in the future?
We have a website that launches on the 21st October 2013. I have been working on this alongside the boutique and my own collection, Chateau for the past year now. I want to give people a unique online shopping experience that is fun and easy to use. There is no other online retailer like us out there. It is going to be very exciting.
Register online now at www.chateauboutique.co.uk to be in with a chance of winning £500 worth of vouchers to spend online or in store!!
I am very excited about this launch and I hope you are too. Tara is such a lovely person that obviously has fashion in her heart so make sure to keep an eye out for this new retailer with lots to offer.
Love to you all
