Thelma Madine

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Thelma Roseina Madine-Akin
Born1953 (age 68–69)
Liverpool, United Kingdom
OccupationDressmaker, Wedding Plannee, TV personality
TelevisionBig Fat Gypsy Weddings
My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding

Thelma Madine-Akin is a wedding dressmaker born in Liverpool. She rose to fame after appearing as the gypsy wedding dressmaker in My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, a Channel 4 documentary on Irish Travellers as they prepare for marriage. She is best known for her outlandish creations, including a palm tree wedding gown with Swarovski crystals.[1][2]

Early life and education[]

Madine grew up in Croxteth, Liverpool with her older brother, Tom. Her father was an engineer and her mother worked in catering. After she left school, she worked in wedding catering with her mother. At 18, she married Kenny Madine, a businessman with a successful glass company, and the couple had three children: Kenneth, Tracey and Hayley. Thelma and Kenny divorced in 1999. She remarried a year later in 2000, to Peter Akin their marriage was short lived and they divorced shortly after. With two divorces under her belt Ms Madine was low on money, so with a loan from her aunt and her divorce settlement money she began selling her hand made dresses on a market stall which lead to her setting up her famous wedding dress shop, Madine has in recent years progressed to offering wedding planning services. Madine continues to use her first husband surname in order to share the same name as her children.[1]

Career[]

With help from her aunt and ex- husband, Madine set up her own chain of children's clothing shops in 2002 called Madine's Miniatures in the Liverpool area. Business took off when she began designing Communion outfits, but a few years later business disintegrated and she was forced to close shop. In 2006, she managed to resurrect her business with financial help from her aunt and a business partner. She set up a stall in Paddy's Market still selling Communion clothes, specialising in christening outfits for girls. Madine's designs were inspired by the elaborateness of historical outfits. In 2003, a traveller woman who frequented her stall and had become her friend asked Madine to make a wedding dress for her daughter. After that, she received more requests and gradually attracted the attention of the media, including Dr Jenny Popplewell, the creator and developer of Big Fat Gypsy Weddings.[1]

My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding[]

Madine initially declined invitations to appear on the Channel 4 show, My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, as she had done something similar in 2007 and did not like the way the traveller community had been portrayed. Eventually she agreed and the show became a success.[3]

Writing[]

In 2012, Madine published a book, Tales of the Gypsy Dressmaker, about her experiences with the traveller community.[3]

Figurines[]

In 2014, she teamed up with The English Ladies Co, china figurines designers based in Stoke-on-Trent, to create a range of figurines called Gypsy Wedding Dreams. Each figurine is inspired by Madine's wedding dress designs, and individually handmade by artisans, hence the unique appearance and high attention to detail.[4][5]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c McKay, Caragh (10 March 2012). "The woman behind the Big Fat Gypsy Wedding dresses". The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  2. ^ Donnelly, Sophie (5 April 2012). "Big Fat Gypsy Wedding dressmaker Thelma Madine My failed marriage sparked my empire". Daily Express. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  3. ^ a b Lee, Susan (29 February 2012). "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding Dressmaker Thelma Madine lifts the lid on her life". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  4. ^ "New range of 'gypsy wedding' figurines launched by Camal Enterprises". Stoke Sentinel. 12 November 2014. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  5. ^ "Gypsy Wedding Dreams Figurines". English Ladies Co. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
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