Oscar Bailey

I am always on the lookout for new experiences and new challenges. Together with Veralyne, at first my client, then my industry colleague and friend, and now business partner, we are soft-launching Oscar Bailey today, 18 August 2011.

To be perfectly honest, the desire to embark on this venture came as a whim. I saw a beautiful pair of shoes by the late Alexander McQueen and I thought it'd be fun. My business partners would already know that I am not one to prepare business plans, not one to do much analysis. I just go with my gut feel and rely on my instincts most of the time. At most, I create a financial spread. For Oscar Bailey, I didn't even do that. I just called up Veralyne, invited her for a tete-a-tete over coffee one afternoon two months ago, and by the end of our chat at Backofen, we had agreed to give this endeavour a go, with me taking care of the business side of things, and her the creative and production aspects.

We are taking things one step at a time, with the premise being limited edition ready-to-wear designs. We are starting with six designs, with four sizes each, available at The Wedding Hub. And when one design sells out, we create another. Repeats are unlikely. We have also decided against custom orders. Let's face it, we are already up to our necks having to fulfill custom-made wedding gowns for our clients, and won't need the extra stress. It started just as a whim of mine and I hope it will be an enjoyable endeavour. A small albeit interesting endeavour. Fingers crossed!

Photo of one of our soft-launch designs in ivory with black trim.

10 Years Of That Special Occasion

Today marks the 10th birthday of That Special Occasion. It's hard to believe that it's been a decade since Anna and I joined forces to plunge into the wedding business at the onset of the new millenium. We were inexperienced but aspirational at the time.

10 years down the road and I'd say that it has been a relatively fulfilling journey. I've been inspired, enthusiastic, challenged, frustrated, pissed off, at different times over the years. We've enjoyed much good press, made wonderful friends in the industry, met great clients and not so good ones, achieved milestones and overcome little obstacles along the way. That Special Occasion has also been instrumental in playing a role as a catalyst in our spin-off business, weddingsmalaysia which include our portal, publications and even The Wedding Hub.

Admittedly, one gets jaded over time. The challenge is to develop fresh ideas, keep the business model relevant and be inspired anew. Having reach this milestone, I find myself in a reflective mood. Let's see how the future unfolds. In the meantime, thanks for the good times That Special Occasion.

Photo of bride and bridesmaids in our creations, courtesy of Whizarts Wedding Photography.

Gown Sale At The Hub

We had a wedding gown sale at The Wedding Hub a few weeks back. New and pre-owned gowns were on offer, and as we have come to expect every time we do such an event, the crowd was great.

It's also where designers from Pretty In White and That Special Occasion work hand in hand, offering advice to brides-to-be regardless of label, irrespective of whose gowns she has shortlisted. Those who know us well will understand how we complement each other whilst the more narrow minded often wonder why competitors would want to help each other out.

True, we view each other as competition. Yet we are also friends. We give each other a nudge sometimes, being catalysts to our aspiration of offering the best service we possibly can.

Photo shot at The Wedding Hub during the gown sale.

Cohesive Team

Teamwork is something that I value very much. Although I rant and succumb to unleashing the occasional tirade, I am thankful to have a close-knitted team, be it at weddingsmalaysia, That Special Occasion, The Wedding Hub or Budget Brides.

Whether full-timers or part-timers, fashion designers or seamstresses, publishers, editors or graphic designers, the team gets along and works together relatively well despite little rows and minor spats every once in a while. Resolution of squabbles in a fair and realistic manner makes our relationships stronger. A shared vision and commitment lead to the attainment of mutual goals.

3 of my colleagues at That Special Occasion - designer Louisa and seamstresses Jenny and Tina - celebrate their birthdays this month, and all of us came together for a meal to rejoice last evening. Kudos to Patrick for arranging the 'makan'.

Photo of flowers for the birthday girls.

Industry Insights

Kid Chan, founder of Kid Chan Studio, a featured industry partner at The Wedding Hub was to have presented a workshop on 'How To Choose A Wedding Photographer' for soon-to-be-married couples yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately, a bad habit of some Malaysians - RSVP yes but don't show up - reared its ugly head, and the audience in the end comprised mainly of industry colleagues. What was a loss to couples became a gain for our fellow wedding professionals, as Kid, ever the optimist, decided to instead speak on his journey as a wedding photographer from the modest inception of his business to his present-day success, and shared ideas with new entrants into the industry on how to bring their business aspirations to fruition.

The session soon evolved into one of a discussion on the prospects of the industry in the immediate future. Our friends from Bridal Glam, TrulyScrumptious!, Wicked Wax & Craft, Classic & Vintage, Asha Carlos Photography and yours truly all offered views and opinions, encouraging each other to better ourselves in our pursuit of the goals we have set out to attain.

Here's to a motivated bunch!

Photo of Kid speaking to friends in the industry.

A Team Effort

I often get asked, 'How do you oversee so many ventures and projects at once?' And the simple truth is that I have a great team of people, at weddingsmalaysia, That Special Occasion as well as The Wedding Hub. Granted, I can at times be difficult to work with, been branded a dictator, micromanager, an obsessive and compulsive workaholic, I'd like to think that on the whole, I'm still pretty much a team player. My business partner, Anna, who's taken some time off to be in Hong Kong with her expat hubby and daughter, has always maintained that I am an expert at barking instructions. I am sure my colleagues at That Special Occasion miss her calming influence when I get ranting. Louisa, my co-designer, now that Anna is on sabbatical, together with Linda, our longtime assistant as well as the team of seamstresses and beaders, bear the brunt of the relentless pace, and are the pillars that support the operations at the boutique. Meanwhile over at The Wedding Hub, Helen is the 'rock' I rely on to manage the one-stop centre as well as the array of personalities we have as tenants, whilst Fiona is the one who diligently churns out our monthly workshops.

On the publising front, both online and print, I am lucky to have a small and dedicated team. My team of 8 at weddingsmalaysia - Edward, Kenix, Patrick, Priscilla, Keith, Eileen, Cordelia and Faridah -take care of a portal and 4 publications, a relatively big task actually, considering that all of them have other business interests and only take on the portal and publications on a project basis. It is their passion and commitment that have made our titles so well-regarded in the wedding industry. I also appreciate the efforts of Integricity, who ensure that our back-end IT needs are well taken care of, and of course the encouragement and support of the industry, who are catalysts for us to do even better.

I truly believe that no one can work in isolation. Despite the occasional tiff, working together towards and attaining a common goal is what makes it all worthwhile. And did I say I was quite the workaholic ... as evidenced by the time of this post haha!

Oh! How could I forget Ms Chew ... the one who reminds me to keep an eye on the dollars and cents!!

Pictured with Louisa and her gown creation.