AMount Gambier business will showcase its sparkle on the world stage as part of 2022 UK Bridal Week.

A’el Estë creative director Ashlee Kalantarian flew out to Harrogate in the UK yesterday to attend the fashion event.

Ms Kalantarian said she was excited to attend the event, accompanied by her assistant Alex and her mum, with whom she started the business.

“It’s business-to-business, so we will meet with retailers from all over the UK and all over the world, basically, whoever decides to attend, hopefully get some new stockists over there,” Ms Kalantarian said.

“We have got a three-day trade show, we have got a model that will be working with us and we have collaborated with Maggie Sottero again, so she will be dressing the model and will have our accessories on the model.”

Ms Kalantarian said her business previously had an international export deal with American-based bridal designer Maggie Sottero, who sold their product as a collaboration all over the world.

“There was about 36 countries that we were selling in,” Ms Kalantarian said.

“Then that deal ended so we came back to square one and we have decided now to attend the show ourselves and get our own retailers and be in control of who we sell to.

“This, to us, means that we now have a larger market so we can now have brides all year round, their wedding season is probably April to July and we have got our wedding season which is more November to March.

“So it will mean that we can balance out our cash flow and be more internationally known.”

Ms Kalantarian founded the luxury accessories brand A’el Estë, previously known as Ashlee Lauren Designs, and she designs unique headpieces, bridal couture, jewellery and fragrances.

She recently moved into her retail store at 12A James Street in Mount Gambier, which she said was “a huge milestone”.

“I think we forget sometimes, we have to look back and realise how far we have come,” she said.

“Life gets a bit busy sometimes and you seem to pay a lot more attention to the negative, but you have got to remember that every step has been really vital to how we have grown.

“Even just having the new store here has been a big step for us, it’s something we have always dreamed of having because I’d been working from home for 10 years.

“We have really transitioned into more fine jewellery as well, we’re getting into more everyday jewellery, earrings and necklaces and things like that which will be nice.

“So we’re really looking forward to the Christmas period because we will have a lot of great gifts.”