Hope & Ivy meets Julia Kellam
Julia photographed by https://www.pearbearphotography.com
In the midst of wedding season, Julia is an unsung hero! Her Nottingham based boutique, has been in the business of providing stylish brides with relaxed luxury since 2016. Julia has worked as a fashion designer in cities across the world and also as a buyer for leading UK retailers. Her passion for beautiful design developed into a bridal vision and the Frances Day Bridal boutique was born.
Frances Day bridal boutique from @frances_day_bridal
The stunning boutique possesses a rustic but sophisticated interior. Dark wooden floors and ample lighting is balanced by intricate floral accessories, baroque mirrors and sumptuous rugs. The boutique’s understated glamour creates a serene and comfortable space for brides-to-be and of course, they can expect the very best treatment from Julia and her team. Julia’s design knowledge and natural ease within the industry enables her to offer a truly tailored service. This includes carefully picked out gorgeous gowns, an array of harmonising accessory brands and a unique customisation service. It is at the heart of Frances Day boutique to bring a to a truly exceptional bridal experience to Nottingham. This is all down to Julia’s desire for beautiful bridal dresses and determination to deliver consistently beautiful moments for her clients.
Julia photographed by https://www.pearbearphotography.com
Julia is definitely an inspiring woman and shares many Hope & Ivy philosophies with us. Of course, we are intrigued to find out more about the woman behind Frances Day. Away from the glamour of bespoke bridal, we picked her brain with a few questions we really wanted to know the answer to-
Describe your dream day?
Julia: Well it would have to be on holiday would it not?! Waking up with sun, coffee and headspace. The day would be spent immersing myself in new sights, smells, sounds and gorgeous food (naturally!)
And in the evening, it would be off to a beach bar surrounded by my favourite people for some pure wind-down sunset vibes.
Tell us your guiltiest pleasure?
Julia: Mainly centred around TV - Love Island, & The Kardashians – both great ways to switch my brain off!
Who is the love of your life?
Julia: Obviously, my husband - My dog, Skye - My business Frances Day Bridal - and a small group of Islands in the very north of Scotland, called Orkney that I’m lucky enough to call home.
Your favourite place in the world and why?
Julia: There are too many incredible places to name one, so I’ll go with a few;
- Home: because quality time spent there is so rare and precious.
- India: As a fashion student, I went to India for the first time and it totally captured a piece of my heart. Throughout my career, I have been lucky enough to explore the country, its people and all of that creative prowess in more depth and it is like nowhere else I’ve ever travelled.
- Bora Bora – the destination of our honeymoon. This place was just one big dream.
Who would be your dream dinner party guests (and why)?
Julia: Well firstly I’d have to say my mum and my husband as without them there would more than likely be no dinner! As work life is so full on at Frances Day and with friends being scattered all over the country/world, my dream guests would be all of my closest friends. And then we may invite Barack and Michelle Obama for dessert!
Your go-to podcast?
Julia: I won’t lie… I don’t listen to podcasts regularly (gasp!) My brain doesn’t seem to compute in this way. I prefer to get out into the countryside for a walk or a run.
A wardrobe essential?
Julia: At this time of year (and even more so at the moment as I am currently pregnant) an unstructured dress. With the nature of working in Bridal, it is very important that my outfit provides flexibility when dressing clients. I’m naturally drawn to anything with detail or a little out of the ordinary. My wardrobe is definitely built around investment pieces. I try my very best not to buy into ‘throw away’ fashion.
What’s in your bag?
Julia: I have a small black quilted Mulberry pouch that is transferred between all of my handbags and I cannot live without it! It houses all of life’s little essentials; tissues, lip salve, perfume, earphones, a compact mirror, a nail file, hand cream etc etc.
Your go-to occasion outfit?
Julia: Well this is a silly question… Hope & Ivy of course! My brother got married very recently and I bought 5 dresses with every intention of sending at least 3 back… 5 remain in my wardrobe, but can you blame me?! After much deliberation, I ended up wearing a pink embroidered number – it was perfect! My sister also matched in a Hope & Ivy dress.
Julia and her sister in matching Hope & Ivy.
When you have a moment for yourself – how do you relax and unwind?
Julia: I find it easiest to unwind by getting away. To really unwind I need to switch my emails off (which only happens once a year). Striking the work life balance is something I continue to work on and if I’m honest I’m not sure I will ever fully nail. But luckily, I absolutely love what I do, so more often than not it never really feels like hard work.
Hope & Ivy loves Julia’s refreshing and truly stylish approach to bridalwear (And that she shares our Love Island guilty pleasure too!). We are inspired by her passionate entrepreneurship to provide this to her brides and just how brilliantly she does it!
Julia photographed by https://www.pearbearphotography.com
Find out more about this amazing lady and her budding bridal business at https://www.francesday.co.uk/about and get your Instagram stalking goggles on as her page is definitely worth checking out - @frances_day_bridal