From New Zealand to Global Success: Trish Peng's Bridal Brand Story

Imagine creating a wedding dress for a virtual wedding! Trish shares the captivating story of designing a friend's wedding dress amid a pandemic and offers a peek into her design process. 

Trish's talent for crafting custom-made wedding dresses has not only stirred the bridal industry but also won hearts globally. Listen in to learn how her unique background and commitment to timeless elegance have poured life into her brand's success.

We also discuss the often daunting wedding planning process and how Trish's expertise can make it not just manageable but downright enjoyable. Hear her tips and tricks and learn how you, too, can have an unforgettable wedding experience.

Special series season in partnership with Coded Agency
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Trish Peng is a luxury wedding dress designer born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand. She caters to clientele from around the world, creating custom made masterpieces. 

From the age of 7 she knew she wanted to be a Fashion Designer. Teaching herself how to sew at an early age and enrolling into Whitecliffe College of Arts & Design. Her gowns are feminine and effortlessly elegant, handcrafted in Auckland. 

Follow her on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/trishpeng/

Places to go - People to see:

Kelly's Site: http://www.kellymcwilliams.com
Kelly's Blog: https://www.kellymcwilliams.com/blog
Instagram: @kellyamcwilliams

About Kelly:
Kelly knows how incredible a well planned wedding can be. Every moment counts and every decision plays a part. Wedding planning should be fun and as easy to do as possible. Besides planning weddings, Kelly travels the globe as an industry speaker. Kelly is a Martha Stewart Top Wedding Planner & this podcast won Brides magazine and WeddingWire's best podcast.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:10

Hello and welcome to this versus that. Making wedding decisions with Kelly McWilliams. This podcast is for you if you're making a wedding decision and want to know what to consider before saying I do to all the things that will make your wedding experience a great one. I'm your host, kelly McWilliams, and I'm so glad to be a part of your wedding planning journey. In each episode, you can count on me and my expert wedding co-host to give you everything it takes to make the best decisions for the wedding that you're dreaming of.

Speaker 1: 0:43

And we're back. Are you tired of me hearing me say that? I'm tired of hearing me say that it's so weird though, just like recording one interview after another, but I'm having so much fun. I have to be honest with you. So here's the deal.

Speaker 1: 1:03

This interview is with Trish Peng, who, I will be honest with you, I hadn't met her before. I hadn't heard her before or seen her gowns. I went and looked in the showroom to see them and I wish I could have gotten to see your show Absolutely stunning, just blown away. But then, when I got to interview her and get to know her and about her, just so much passion in her and I love that. I love it so much and you're totally going to hear it in this episode. So again, we're at New York Bridal Market in Melange de Blanc, and so it's going to be noisy. You're going to hear all the things, just like I keep saying but enjoy this episode with Trish Peng. Trish, thank you so much for coming into the studio today. Thanks for having me. Isn't this cool, this coated PR studio that they built just for this podcast Mm-hmm, put my picture on the wall.

Speaker 1: 2:03

Ooh, look at you, yeah, look at you. And guys, just like I told you before, there is a cafe literally like six feet away and it's nine o'clock in the morning or 10 o'clock in the morning and everyone is here to get coffee, yeah, which I imagine you probably would take quite a bit of coffee or tea on your trip coming over here. I did.

Speaker 2: 2:24

Yeah. So for those who don't know, I'm from New Zealand. That is an 18 and a half hour flight, oh my gosh, and we're just so used to it, though you know being down under, but I've climatized. I did LA and San Fran before this, so I'm on.

Speaker 1: 2:39

US time. That's great, and you told me that you went to a wedding while you were here.

Speaker 2: 2:44

Yes, yes, one of my best friends, who I lived with in LA she got married, so I was her bridesmaid, so did her dress.

Speaker 1: 2:51

Oh, you did. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, was that so exciting? Was that the first time you did it?

Speaker 2: 2:55

for a friend. No, no, I've done it a few times, but it was, it was. It's just so special. But this time it was all virtual because I'm in New.

Speaker 1: 3:02

Zealand. Oh yeah, she's in Austin.

Speaker 2: 3:05

And it's all, like you know, video calling. Okay, now I want you to measure hair to hair. Yeah, yeah, okay, this is what you want, okay. Yeah, I'm going to sketch it up and see. Hopefully you like it.

Speaker 1: 3:17

And she loved it. She loved it. Yeah, one girl, and she loved it. So was that the first one where you were in the wedding with them as well? No, so.

Speaker 2: 3:25

I'm okay, I've been a bridesmaid quite a few times.

Speaker 1: 3:31

That's so exciting now.

Speaker 2: 3:32

So now I have a question.

Speaker 1: 3:34

Sorry, I know it's going to let you talk further, but now I'm wondering when you do things like that, like did she these? Was her dress from scratch, like a new design just for her?

Speaker 2: 3:44

Yes, okay.

Speaker 1: 3:45

Custom. Now that you've done that one for her, is that something? Will her dress become part of your life?

Speaker 2: 3:52

Oh, that is a question I'm gonna have to ask I would love that yeah. Absolutely love that. But you know, some brides, you know, want something a little bit unique. That one else has.

Speaker 1: 4:01

So, yeah, that's fair. Okay, so are you? You're from New Zealand, Born and raised from New Zealand? Yes, and how long have you had your company?

Speaker 2: 4:11

So we celebrate 10 years in January.

Speaker 1: 4:13

Congratulations, thank you. This January coming up, january coming up oh my gosh, that's a good deal.

Speaker 2: 4:18

I mean that's a long. That's a long time, yeah, I started while I was studying Okay, studying in Auckland, new Zealand and just started my brand while I was working here I was hustling, I was doing custom dresses on the side. You know, ballgouncer, I would call it prom, prom dresses. And then naturally people started asking do you do wedding dresses? I was like it's just white right, yeah, it's all different. It's a whole different ballgame, but I fell in love with it. Yeah, I'm falling. I love what I did.

Speaker 1: 4:50

And then so when you say you were in school and you started doing it on the side and then you just like started your company like you never worked for any other designer.

Speaker 2: 4:59

Like I interned wherever I could. Well, you know, I was doing three internships at a time worked for a kind of ready to wear clothing designer okay, for five years, but not bridal. Like I actually didn't study bridal, I didn't work for a bridal store.

Speaker 1: 5:18

Honestly, do you think that that plays into some of the success in your brand that you weren't as influence because you didn't come from the bridal world necessarily?

Speaker 2: 5:32

Potentially, potentially. I think I've always stuck with my aesthetic as a designer, which is feminine, elegant, beautiful with a little bit of modernness, but timeless. You know, I design things that you look at 10, 20 years time. You're like I still love it.

Speaker 1: 5:52

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So how would you describe most of this season's line? Do you feel like it's, you know, in alignment with all of your previous seasons, or is it very different? It's just, it just gets better and better.

Speaker 2: 6:05

Yeah, so I designed with my team back home. There's three of us and this collection is just elevated again. It's. It's. What I've noticed is, especially in New Zealand, ever since Megan Markle got married, everyone's going for that plain. Look right. Yeah, as a designer, I was so bored of it. So so I, you know, I've been doing still that classic plain, but you know, Ruching, playing with fabric manipulation to put some interest in it, Mm, hmm, but then elevating it, introducing a little bit of lace details, that's like a ha ha, oh, and then full lace as well, full beading and cause. I mean, that's what I love. But you've got to cater for the brides as well as your own aesthetic.

Speaker 1: 6:50

Right, that's a designer. Yeah, because, like you said, well, I have to ask you now, when people come in, do you have an atelier? Yes, so when they come in, do most of your brides come in and they think that they want more of that, like you said, more of a look, and then they try on something that's just a little more luxurious, has a little more going on.

Speaker 2: 7:13

They're like, oh, maybe they do like this Absolutely Okay. So my number one thing to brides is when you go and try dresses on, definitely keep an open mind, because it's always something that you think you don't want.

Speaker 1: 7:27

Don't want exactly. Oh, that is amazing. And how many dresses do you have in your collection now?

Speaker 2: 7:35

So we've got about 13 in our new collection. And then we've brought our best sellers from last year in.

Speaker 1: 7:42

Cariovas.

Speaker 2: 7:43

So we've got those as well. So, yeah, we're showing on level seven here and it's just been incredible seeing our existing stockers and their new stockers coming in and it's been also quite fascinating. This is day two, morning of day two, but yesterday but stores have been like. I feel like I know you because you know you're the face of the brand and I've been following you for years. I'm like me, like I'm a New Zealand.

Speaker 1: 8:10

How do you know?

Speaker 2: 8:11

about me, but it's been really good to know that because I put myself on there. They know my fiancee like you know.

Speaker 1: 8:20

they know me I think it makes the biggest difference when people do like social media is so, oh my gosh, the way that it is wrapped itself around the bridal industry. I've been doing this for 20 years, so I've seen it from the internet to God Exist, where we were just flipping through magazines, to now, just like you said, like you can actually have faces to the brand beyond, like Martha Stewart Do you know what I mean? Like you can see who is making the shoes, like famous footwear we have over at your right, and people like you who actually do put themselves out there and so they feel like they know you and it's even more draw to your dresses because I think that, like you said, you lean into the aesthetics that you like. That's then that draws those brides in there. Is they like you? They're like your aesthetic.

Speaker 1: 9:14

Let me come go? Cheers, exactly so, okay, so most of our not all, but most of our listeners are in the US, right? So if they wanted to try on your dresses or see more than they can on your website it's beautiful, by the way, thank you what would be their best bet to do that?

Speaker 2: 9:34

Yeah, so follow us on Instagram, the website, and you'll see our Stalker's page. We've got I mean, we really have. So I've been in business 10 years and I started off doing custom like the spoke dresses and that's what I was known for in New Zealand. And then you just you gotta give people what they want.

Speaker 1: 9:54

So yeah.

Speaker 2: 9:55

I thought you know what, let's scale. I've always had big dreams and I always say, like if you just say in two words like what's my goal, it's fair way, you know, like that like globally recognized type thing. And so just in a year we've grown to 32 Stalkers around the world. Wow okay, so Stalkers.

Speaker 1: 10:18

Stalkers, meaning stores yes, stores, boutique stocking yes. I will say that the most people that are listening don't know what that word is, so I just wanna explain, oh, okay yeah, yeah, because they know us Retailers, retailers, the salon owners, you know. Yeah, so the whole thing about melange the melange, you guys, is that it's a market where all of the salon owners come in and they buy the dresses to have on the shelves. They buy the line, you know, or maybe they already own your line.

Speaker 1: 10:53

Right so Is that how it's turned? Yeah, okay, or, and they're coming to get see what of the new dresses they wanna have in their shop for you to try on in the end. So it's really cool. Do you come over here for trunk shows or anything?

Speaker 2: 11:08

like that. Yes, so my collection just travels around. Okay, I've got a set that travel around the US, travel around Australia, and that they will travel to each of our stockers or even potential ones that aren't our stockers. Okay, and that way you get to try on the full collection. You know, maybe it's just a weekend only, but it's a good chance for you to, you know, get to know our brand.

Speaker 1: 11:32

Yeah, so if they like fall in love with you, like through Instagram, let's say, they can seek out one of the trunk shows, knowing, like I have a feeling, it's gonna be one of our dresses, like, even though it might mean, like getting on a flight to go to Dallas, or something like that Brides travel, which is like incredible.

Speaker 2: 11:50

They make it a full experience.

Speaker 1: 11:51

Yeah, and that's, you know, the part of being like engaged and like the fun parts of it that you could you absolutely take part in. So, Trish, thank you so much for coming in this morning.

Speaker 2: 12:00

This was a great interview. Thank you for having me, and I can see you'll gonna catch up with us again. And I'll definitely stop by to see you dressed, as I'm going to do this couple of days. Yeah, I'll see you.

Speaker 1: 12:09

Thank you.

Speaker 1: 12:11

I'm so glad to be able to share my wedding experiences and expertise with you, and that my co-hosts are so giving it theirs. We truly do want you to have the best time at your wedding, and our hope is that this podcast is helping you to make your engagement time while planning your wedding that much easier. May I ask a favor of you? If this is the case, would you just take a moment to leave a review of this podcast on your listening platform? It helps people just like you to find the podcast and to also find out their answer so they can make decisions. I would also absolutely love for you to give this versus that podcast a shout out on your social media. You can find us at this versus that wedding podcast on Instagram, and if you would like me to help you with a specific question a wedding decision please by all means ask. Send me a DM. I would love to hear from you and maybe, just maybe even have you as a wedding guest on a future episode. How fun. Here's to another great wedding.