Love Frocks fashion boutique founder, Natalie Beard, spoke to ALICIA BEESLEY about how she developed what was originally a home-based operation into an award-winning business that has caught the attention of fashion icons such as Lady Gaga.

Just three years after setting up a business in her parents’ dining room creating fashion items for her friends, award-winning Love Frocks founder, Natalie Beard, 26, can now count Lady Gaga as one of Love Frocks followers on Twitter.

The talented Runcorn designer completed a degree in fashion at Liverpool John Moores University in 2006 and, as the demand for her clothes grew, Natalie moved to a small workshop, before eventually opening the Love Frocks boutique on the Heath Business Park. Her designs are available at Eve in Frodsham and will be stocked at a new boutique, FoxyFrox, which is opening in Chester.

Natalie said: “I’ve had a passion for fashion from a young age.

“I started customising old T-shirts with gel pens, sewing beads and buttons on. Then I started to create simple dresses using old clothes and mixing garments together.

“The first item I made was a very skimpy boob tube and low hip skirt, which I now look back and laugh at.

“But it was fashionable back then. I wore it on holiday when I was about 16.”

Launching her business during the height of the recession, Natalie has defied the odds and shown that it is possible to have a dream career, although it has required much hard work and dedication, along with exceptional talent.

While Natalie has many of her own designs, she also accepts commissions.

Each garment is made-to-measure and so is unique.

Natalie showcases her Love Frocks garments at fashion shows and the range has become extremely popular on Facebook.

Natalie said: “I do have passing trade, but my customers mainly come from Facebook, my website and word of mouth, which I think really works.”

Her cutting edge designs have attracted celebrity clients such as Hollyoaks actresses Emma Rigby, who played Hannah Ashworth and Nathalie Emmanuel, who plays Sasha Valentine. Natalie created a stunning Rihanna-inspired dress for Nathalie’s 21st birthday bash last year.

Natalie is inundated with requests for every occasion, including outfits for Chester Races.

She has recently hired a seamstress to ease the workload and allow her more time to design.

“There have been lots of highs, but my proudest moment so far was when one of my designs was featured on Vogue.com, which is a fashion girl’s dream,” said Natalie.

Love Frocks also won the New Business Award at the 107.2 Wire FM Awards 2009.

“Thankfully, there have not been many lows. But in business, things can go wrong all the time, like fabric in a certain colour might run out of stock or a machine might break. But I’m pleased to say nothing major has happened.”

Looking to the future, Natalie said: “I’d like my website to become an online shopping site with lots of ready-to-wear stock available for customers who have left it too late to order.

“This is my first business and I am learning new things every day. I haven’t studied business studies and so it can be quite difficult running the business as well as designing and making garments. Luckily, I love what I do, so I don’t mind putting the hours in,” she added.

For more information visit the website: www.lovefrocks.com