The masterminds behind the & For Love brand, Angel Spendlove and Lisa Blunt. Two long time friends who, in 2014, made the incredible decision to pair up and create masterpiece gowns for the ‘cool’ bride, for those who wanted something a little different for their big day.
The collections reflect a perfectly Angel’s Aussie background, while still maintaining international appeal and are perfectly crafted in Toronto. Together this dream bridal duo is taking the world by storm and the label has received widespread editorial coverage including British Vogue, Wedding Bells Magazine, Fashion, Elle Canada, Hello May Magazine, Perfect Wedding UK, and have been featured on The Lane, Festival Brides, and Green Wedding Shoes.
Is isn’t hard to see why we are some of their biggest fan girls and couldn’t wait to read their answers to our questions this IWD!
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What role or impact would you like to play in relation to women’s rights, today?
Our styles allow women to really be themselves and not respond to a predescribed stereotype of what a bride is supposed to look like. We work with a lot more fashion based elements rather than the traditional tulle / corset / lace up gowns, which is so much more comfortable and effortless to wear, and can be styled however you like.
We hope that by brides taking back their personal style on their wedding day instead of trying to please their family / friends, it will empower them not only on their wedding day but every day.
We are also an all female entrepreneurial company.
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Whose work do you admire in relations to women’s rights and equality?
Aurora James, creative director and designer of Brother Vellies, is someone whose work I very much admire. From her multi-tonal nude shades for everyone (which is amazing for ALL our brides looking for nude wedding shoes!), to her nonprofit organization The 15% Pledge, an advocacy organization asking retailers to designate at least 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses. More than offering new opportunities for creatives to sell their wares, it called for a reevaluation of workplace demographics in the USA and a multiyear commitment to hiring and supporting diverse talent. Also, PS, she’s a fellow Canadian!
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What sparked the idea for & For Love? Where did this love bloom?!
Both Lisa and I don’t like the style of traditional wedding dresses and basically, & FOR LOVE was born out of the lack of cool bridal wear available, especially in Canada at the time when we started 8 years ago. It’s definitely now more popular to see more non-traditional styles in the marketplace, but we’re proud to be one of the OG’s that started the wave
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You are some pretty inspirational women in business (we know that we fangirl you pretty hard here!) What is some advice you have for other women wanting to venture into the business world?
Be prepared to work 24 hours a day at the beginning and do everything yourself at the beginning. As you grow, find the best help you can find.
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We love to know what is behind the curtain! What does a day at & For Love HQ look like?
Well, nowadays it’s mostly phone calls due to Covid! I also moved to the other side of the country and we run everything remotely and Facetime and text a million times a day. Our studio is in Toronto and we are constantly touching base with our production team.
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Creators block is bloody real. What is the & for Love secret to powering through and coming up with artistic magic?
Be open to everything and take everything in. Architecture , art , painting, dance, words…… I don’t ever dismiss an idea, no matter how weird it might be. Our latest collection, Summer Garden, is inspired by plants! I do really miss travelling though because I get so inspired by other places, so I can’t wait to get back out into the world.
