Barcelona Bridal Week shows the strength of Catalonia's wedding industry

L’Hospitalet de Llobregat (CNA).- In times of crisis and austerity, Barcelona celebrated in style the 22^nd edition of the Bridal Week from May 8^th to May 13^th. The Catalan capital hosted the most important convention of the bridal industry worldwide with over 230 exhibitors and the presence of the most famous and trend-setting national and international designers. The commercial side and the creative side of the event merged during the week as the bridal exhibition followed the ‘Pasarela Gaudí Novias’ after four intense days of catwalks.

The Barcelona Bridal Week exhibition opens every year “the professional bridal season, and allows us to anticipate the information we have from the rest of the world” said its director, Alex Flaquer. In fact, visitors from over 50 different countries came to Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue. According to Francesc Xavier Mena, Catalan Minister for Business and Employment, “the amount of international brands who take advantage of the exhibition’s worldwide renown to find buyers even from their own countries, is increasing every year”. Mena considers that events like this or the Mobile World Congress transform Barcelona in a pioneer city for attracting investments and talent.

Catalan Rosa Clará, a great opening to the catwalk

The Catalan designer was chosen another year to open the four days of catwalks at the ‘Pasarela Gaudí Novias’. Rosa Clará showed an original collection filled with pastel colours such as light pink together with more traditional white gowns. The most acclaimed bridal designer makes her business grow every year betting on the international expansion. Currently, Rosa Clará has more than 65 shops in 18 different countries after she opened one in Philippines, one in Kuwait and another one in Turkey in the past few months.

The constant search to new business opportunities to fill gaps in the market is the secret as to why Rosa Clará is constantly growing as a business. Last September, the Catalan designer launched a jewellery collection to complement her own designs from the bridal and the party gowns collections. Also, next November she will release her first communion gowns collection and a home decor line. Thereby Rosa Clará makes market diversification one of the essential keys to make her business work.

Jordi Dalmau and his particular designs

Another Catalan designer that caused a sensation in the ‘Pasarela Gaudí Novias’ was Jordi Dalmau. He opened his business in 2001 by using a particular element of innovation that gives a personal stamp to the brand: colour in wedding dresses. The collection he showed was full of romantic and elegant designs with touches of emerald green, purple and red. Some of the dresses had even removable skirts.

The communion sector strengthens this year

The sector which has grown in this 22^nd edition has been that of communions. The definitive participation of brands such as Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Miquel Suay or Javier Larrainzar have made the consolidation of this part of the industry possible in the Barcelona Bridal Week.

National exports keep increasing year by year

Exports from Catalan wedding products made the industry generate a turnover of 10% more than in 2010. In 2011 it billed more than 150 million euros and Spain is now a “world leader in bridal industry exports after China” said Alex Flaquer.

National Bridal brands started exporting its products 14 years ago according to Flaquer. It all began in Europe and then went on to conquer Japanese and Latin American markets. Currently, the industry is opening to Mexico and China. This marketing strategy allows the 700 national bridal companies all over the country to keep offering 14.000 jobs in Spain, half of them in Catalonia.