Loved by Coco… Glitzy Secrets

Images by Claire Graham Photography.

Glitzy Secrets is a multi-award winning brand specialising in high quality, purse friendly vintage-inspired jewellery and hair accessories for weddings and special occasions.

The collection regularly graces the pages of the fashion and bridal publications and the brand has become renowned for their affordability whilst capturing the elegance and glamour of accessories from bygone eras. Their current collections include stunning Art Deco inspired pieces, statement crystal delights from the glamour of 1940s Hollywood through to floral accessories reflecting the boho chic of the 1970s!

I’m quite the fan.

So when the lovely ladies behind Glitzy Secrets came calling {via Louise Beukes Styling} looking for an elegant, timeless venue with a knock-out fireplace to shoot their new campaign, I almost fell over myself introducing them to RSA. So not only do you get to gaze at some beautiful bridal images today, you also get to peek inside this stunning London wedding venue…

Notes from Glitzy Secrets

Victoria:

I guess it would be fair to say I’ve always been more than a little obsessed with fashion and the timeless glamour of Old Hollywood. From a young age I was very aware of the power of accessorising and loved changing the entire look of outfits with a statement necklace or jewelled cuff. It really was just a passion as I pursued a career in dance and later worked in an investment bank. Fate must have played its hand or given me a push in the right direction because I decided to take the rather daunting step into launching my own accessory brand. So I hung up my ballet shoes, donated my city suits to charity (oh how I loved seeing my wardrobe suit free!) and Glitzy Secrets was born in 2004.

As I mentioned, I was fortunate to have a very good job prior to launching Glitzy Secrets which funded my love of accessories. However, to many of my friends accessories were really a luxury buy (or maybe they just preferred to raid my collection!). So when I was putting together my business plan, I made sure the brand would be committed to offering beautiful quality with an affordable price tag.

It was important to me and it thrills me that, a decade later, not only is it something that Glitzy Secrets has become renowned for, but the comment we receive the most from our customers is “I can’t believe the quality for the price”. Of course, my refusal to cut corners or use lesser materials doesn’t exactly make me the most popular with our manufacturer!

Within months of launching, it was quite a shock to see our designs gracing the pages of national magazines and gaining a celebrity following. In all honesty, I probably wasn’t prepared for the response. Although amazing, it was extremely hard work and literally took over my life (something I know many business owners will understand). As Glitzy Secrets continued to grow, it became obvious that I needed to start employing staff and move the company into office premises. That was the best decision I have ever made and, I have to say, I struck gold with every single member of staff.

Each single team member has played a huge role in Glitzy Secrets success and I’m extremely lucky to work alongside a team who is totally committed to the company and providing exceptional service to our customers. As someone who is still in touch with our very first customer, that is extremely important to me.

So a decade later, Glitzy Secrets’ is a multi award-winning jewellery brand that has been the choice of tens of thousands of brides and continues to feature in national and international press. Our designs have since appeared on many high profile series and shows including the much-loved global sensation Downton Abbey and Strictly Come Dancing and it is quite overwhelming to see how far we have come.

This year has been quite significant for us as we launched our sparkly new responsive website in January, after working on the redesign with our developers for eight months. I’m thrilled with the results and the response – it’s the perfect base to allow us to take Glitzy Secrets in the direction I have been planning for the last year. Currently, we’re busy behind-the-scenes with projects which are equally daunting and exciting and I can’t wait to tell everyone but right now..? They’re (glitzy) secrets!

Top Tips!

Naturally, pearls adorning vintage jewellery will age and change colour over the years and, even pearls from the same set, will take on different hues. For a truly authentic look, don’t obsess over matching shades of pearls. Mix old and new accessories and, if the pearls aren’t an exact match, all the better! Your guests will think you’re wearing antique ‘pieces’!

The campaign Shoot at RSA

Sue:

The shoot at the RSA London was one of our most important as the campaign was to feature on our new website, fronting our wedding pages. We wanted to capture our Wedding Collection in a bright, romantic and feminine style to enhance our new branding colours of soft pink and white with a little pale grey.

We focused on pretty pastel pink florals, natural daylight and soft flowing dress designs to accentuate the timeless style of Glitzy Secrets designs…

Credits