ABOUT THE BRAND

REBECCA SCHONEVELD

TELL US ALL ABOUT YOUR BRAND…

Celebrating women is the heart of my work. I am constantly inspired by the diverse and deeply thinking women I get to meet through my craft! It is extremely important to me that ALL the women I meet feel seen and cared for through my work. That is why I represent my designs in a range of sizes, and also make careful considerations to how I design in order to accommodate a wide range of body types. 

All of our Signature gowns are customizable which makes for very creative process- I love inviting clients into that creative space! We love to work with color, mix and match different elements of each gown with others, and explore new fabrics and embroideries. I am personally totally obsessed with fabrics! Researching and toying with textiles and embroideries is my favorite part of designing. With the right material, the designs just emerge effortlessly. I also love the history of fashion- you’ll see most of my designs have some kind of nod to the past. It is always exciting to see how different silhouettes can evoke such different emotions.

THREE WORDS THAT BEST DESCRIBE YOUR BRAND

Inclusive, Romantic, Playful

What inspired you to start your business?

My main goal has always been simple- To make a living using my artistic vision and hard-won skills, and to create a life that would be flexible enough to allow me to be as present as possible for my children. On top of that, I wanted to create an environment where others- both my employees and my clients- would feel seen, cared for, and respected. The fashion industry can be so callous in many ways, and I set out to change that at least in my neck of the woods. I’m proud to say that, reflecting on the last 12 years of running this business, I have been mostly successful at those things. I feel quite grateful to get to do what I do!

What would you consider the most unique aspect about your brand?

Our flexible, intuitive customizations are really great and allow stores to maximize the value of their samples.

tell us WHO’s BEHIND YOUR BRAND

I have been so grateful for the new team members I have pulled together since Covid forced me to move my business (and along with that, part ways with most of my prior employees). We have Rose, my Sales Manager who previously worked for Ramona Keveza and Vera Wang. Ellyn is my production manager and she comes to us from a Broadway costuming and hair styling background. Shannon has just joined us as Wholesale Manager and she comes from a long list of bridal experience. Weilu is my Alterations Manager, and Sylla is my Head Tailor. Sylla is originally from Senegal and has been working with me since 2014. We have a few other tailors and assistants- I’m so grateful for them all! We have a very happy work environment.

Spill the details about your design process?

I generally start with fabrics or embroidery concepts. I search through thousands of fabrics and have learned to listen to what “speaks” to me. I edit like crazy and see what really stands out most and also works together in some kind of story. From there, I create a few core stand-out pieces and then I begin to build more designs around those concepts. I am constantly making tiny sketches and notes about design ideas. I never stop thinking about and researching design details. The final work comes down to a lot of careful pattern making and fittings- even the best concept will not work if it does not fit properly! Technical design is also something I really care about.

How and where are your collections produced?

We make a good portion of our gowns in-house in our Irvington NY studio, and we also work closely with a small family-owned embroidery and sewing studio in India. I visit them 1-2x a year and truly feel that they are an extension of my in-house team.

What is your best seller to date? 

My Whitney Gown was first debuted in October 2015 and several brides each month still choose her! I think what works so well about Whitney is that the fabric is clean feeling but still interesting and a bit vintage-y, and the silhouette is classic, works on pretty much every body type, and feels traditional yet not too serious. Plus, she has pockets! Everyone always loves the pockets. She’s a very good representation of what my brand is all about!

What is the inspiration behind your newest collection?

This is my most romantic, emotional, and detail-oriented collection yet. I am so excited to share it! This year I really threw out a lot of my old expectations for myself and allowed myself to push the boundaries with construction and technique.

What kind of materials should we expect to see in this new collection?

Gorgeous Italian textiles, always! And lots of beautiful hand embroideries. Organza also kept showing up as one of my core fabrics.

What is your favorite memory/experience you’ve had involving your brand?

My husband and I eloped at the end of 2019, and I was asked by the New York Times to write a column about what it was like to design my own gown. Getting that email from the editor make me cry for real- I just couldn’t believe how far I had come. I always focus on design but I actually love writing too. But I didn’t know if I could quite pull of a piece for the Times! The article ended up being printed in the Sunday Styles section and got recommended as one of their “Weekend Reads.” That whole experience was very empowering!

What do you love most about what you do?

I LOVE helping women see how beautiful they can really be.

What is something you wish you knew when you started your line?

Aye so many things. But one big one is just about sourcing and pricing. I priced my gowns far too low at the beginning and I just didn’t focus enough on the “business” of running a business. I also let myself be too intimidated by the complex world of marketing. I’ve learned a lot in these regards but it’s been hard won and I’m still working on it!

Contact

914-236-4032
wholesale@rebeccaschoneveld.com
www.rebeccaschoneveld.com

 

Rebecca Schoneveld’s Signature Collection is between $2400-6800 and her new brand, Schone by Rebecca Schoneveld, ranges from $1700-$2400.

 

location

50 S. Buckhout St. #107G
Irvington NY 10533

 

 

lets be social

IG: @rebeccaschoneveld_bridal