We had the good fortune of connecting with Shawne Jacobs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shawne, what inspires you?
Being an extremely visual person, I love to surround myself with art. Whether this is in the form of photographs, architecture, nature, or even an everyday object, I am constantly inspired by the world around me. Based on these artistic inspirations, each season I begin to gather a selection of color swatches, fabrics, and beading that I am most drawn to. These samples are the first steps in creating my mood board for the new collection. Although I am a designer, I feel that it is always important to always have a business mindset. I constantly communicate with my sales and design team. This helps to put in perspective what styles and pieces do well for our brand, what the market might be missing, and where we can push the envelope creatively for upcoming collections. 

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I think what sets Anne Barge apart from others is our love for making a woman feel confident and beautiful when they put on one of our wedding dresses. The Anne Barge bride comes in all shapes and sizes and we are extremely proud of that. When you think of Anne Barge, we want you think of us as the creators of your dream dress — but we also want to be known for impeccable customer service to both our brides and our partnering retailers. I started working for Anne Barge in January 2002 at the age of 24 in the shipping and receiving department. I remember thinking to myself I have a college degree in Fashion Design and Marketing, what am doing in shipping and receiving? It ended up being a great decision for my career and as the company grew, my position did as well. From there, I worked in pretty much every department from sales and marketing to contributing designer and finally executive vice president. I have truly seen the in’s and out’s of the business. I think that is what allowed for such a successful and seamless transition when my husband Steven and I bought the business from Anne in 2014. Has it been easy? That’s an interesting question to answer in 2020. We are very fortunate that the business was in a strong position to weather the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the second quarter. Weddings might be scaled back for awhile, but we have found that brides are still valuing the perfect dress for their special day. Many brides are planning on wearing their gown twice! Once for the ceremony and then again in the future for the larger reception they aren’t currently able to have. During this time we have worked extra close with our bride and retailer and we hope that we have helped them get through this difficult year a little easier.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Friday: *Atlanta Botanical Garden is presenting Garden Lights; Holiday Nights. *Dinner – Canoe on the River (located on the banks of the Chattahoochee River) Saturday: *The Georgia Aquarium. One of the world’s largest aquariums. There’s no better way to witness marine life on land. The beluga whales and penguins are my all time favorite. *Outdoor shopping at Avalon *Dinner at Monkey68 in downtown Roswell for sushi. They have the best cocktails. Sunday: *Tour the BeltLine via a bike tour *Grab lunch outside at – Ladybird Grove and Mess Hall

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I worked with founder, Anne Barge Clegg for 12 years before purchasing the company with my husband, Steven in 2014. Anne is a fashion and art historian. She loves researching past fashion in beautiful books and is particularly fond of the 50’s and 60’s. This was very evident in her first few collections as she was influenced by decades’ past. It was through her guidance and mentorship that molded my bridal gown designing. She has taught me so many lessons but the one that sticks out in my mind the most is “when in doubt, don’t”. I have trusted this gut instinct ever since.

Website: https://www.annebarge.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annebarge/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/annebargebride?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnneBargeBride/

Image Credits
Courtesy of Anne Barge

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