Meet Anastasia Nikiforova - The Founder of Olivia Bottega
Please, meet our founder and get to know her a little bit better. Anastasia Nikiforova is Olivia Bottega’s owner & lead designer! Enjoy reading the interview and ask away any questions in the online chat!🤍
How did the idea of creating the Olivia Bottega brand come about?
When I was a student I had some freelance opportunities to be a wedding photographer in my spare time. Seeing all of this beauty so often - weddings, styles, dresses - I got really inspired by it and whenever I was retouching photos, I would imagine that I was the one creating this or that wedding dress and how I would do it and where I would start and so on. So, after some time I thought: why not just try to create a dress, instead of just thinking about it? All I knew is that I wanted my dresses to be amazing, absolutely high quality and affordable to most of the brides.
What were the first steps of creating the brand?
It is one of my favorite stories to tell because it reminds me of what my goals were and how hard I worked to reach them. After meeting my husband, we decided to leave our hometown for a better life. We sold our apartment and it was basically our first investment. We started to buy dresses from other brands and I would re-tailor them after my brides.
But then I realized that it was taking a lot of energy and it is easier for me to start from scratch: to create my own designs and not to get dresses from other shops. So right away it actually became a huge success that we had not expected at all, and this is how our brand started. We opened our own offline shop first, but we were still getting a lot of materials from other manufacturers, because we didn’t have our own back then. It was another pain in the neck, because we would always get in some sort of trouble with deliveries from them, or they would send us wrong materials and so on.
So, we decided to create our own manufactory and hire more people to work with us, to be able to move away from our dependency on other manufacturers, and it actually helped us open another store! Never in my wildest dreams have I imagined that! I was really afraid it would be a failure! However, very soon Olivia Bottega became international, and since December 2018 we have been creating wonderful dresses for beautiful brides all over the world! It really makes me excited!
Where are you from?
I was born in a very distant part of Siberia, on the very northern point of that area, Surgut city, if you know. It is absolutely far away from civilization. Winter never ends there and it’s very cold! Yes, I spent my childhood in a forest with bears (chuckles). On a more serious note, it was indeed challenging growing up in such a cold climate, being far away from most of the big cities.
Are you married? Do you have children?
Yes, I am married to a wonderful man and father – Ivan! He is really my support and my everything. Without him I am not sure that Olivia Bottega would have been brought to life! And yes, I do have children! My gorgeous baby girl’s name is Julia.
Very nice! How did Ivan propose to you?
It is a very funny story actually! I basically made my husband marry me, haha! We were together for a while, and at one point I just told him: “you know what? It is time to get married!” He didn’t argue, so I told him: “Okay, let’s shop for rings first!” We looked at some cute rings, you know just window shopping… Then I sent him tons of links to different rings and when he finally chose one, he put it on an AC, for some reason, for me to find! He thought it was cute and fun. So yeah, there wasn’t any special planned proposal, but a treasure hunt was indeed charming! Now we’re happily married, which is the most important thing.
What kind of bridal dress did you wear at your wedding?
Well it’s funny, but we first started our business together, and only after some time we got married! So of course, I chose the dress from my own designs, which was a total disaster at some point, because I literally wanted them all! So I know the struggle! Finally, I was really inspired by one dress, so I wore it to my wedding!
Anastasia, share your deepest wish with us, if you could wish anything for Olivia Bottega, what would it be?
My greatest wish is to make sure that each and every bride gets her dream dress and has her dream wedding! And in some way that is, I believe, a dream coming true perfectly!
What is your vision for Olivia Bottega as a brand?
As a designer of most Olivia Bottega dresses, my vision is not just to create perfect dresses - fashionable, fancy, or delicate - but make each dress exceptional. Because every bride is different, I want to combine designs in such a way that each bride’s inner beauty would be enhanced. Sorry for my English, it’s not my first language.
What is the price range for your dresses and what is your pricing policy?
Affordability is our top priority. Olivia Bottega offers gowns ranging from $400 to $3500 dollars. It only depends on what effect you want to create with your look.
We have a few “choose one” questions. Ready to play a little game?
Sure! Sounds fun
- If you could choose one, is it a day or night wedding party?
Day, because in one day you can wear two dresses!
- Do you prefer floor-length or short wedding dresses?
mmm, I think long ones of course! They look dreamier to me, haha!
- What’s your favorite fabric: printed or solid?
I think I prefer solid fabric. Looks more natural to me.
- Laces, sparkles or embroidery?
All of them! Together! From top to bottom, and a lot of it! Haha
- A glass of champagne or a cocktail drink?
Is it still about dresses? Champagne, of course! It’s a very romantic and happy drink!
Do you have plus size collections?
Sure! We make dresses in all sizes; just send us your measurements.
What about delivery time?
We deliver by DHL within 2-15 days, depending on the country.
What fabrics do you use?
We use only the best fabrics, like handmade lace and high quality fabrics, so all of them are actually pretty expensive.
Where is Olivia Bottega based?
Brand Olivia Bottega now is based in San Jose, US.
What time is the best time to contact a consultant?
We are available online, so feel free to send us any message or a question.
How can the bride make sure that all of her wishes were considered for making her dress?
We send a confirmation video of the wedding dress before shipping! Always.
Why choose Olivia Bottega?
Olivia Bottega offers high quality dresses available for every woman and non-binary people. Even for little kids!
Do you have dresses in stock?
Yes, you can find them on our website!
In your opinion, what is Olivia Bottega’s strongest advantage?
Customizations, absolutely! Dresses are made right after the bride's measurements, and it is easy to add something extra, like sleeves or a longer train.
Can the bride add any alteration to the wedding dress?
Yes! We customize our wedding dresses: you can combine the skirt & top from different dresses, lengthen the train, change the neckline and so on.
Who designs Olivia Bottega gowns?
Initially, I used to design the Olivia Bottega gowns, but today there is a whole team of designers that works on our dresses. Our main inspiration is, of course, our gorgeous brides. Olivia Bottega is designed for you and inspired by you!
Where can the bride try on dresses by Olivia Bottega?
Unfortunately, our dresses are not yet presented offline, but you can always book an online appointment! We are now working hard on making an offline store a reality.
Does Olivia Bottega have a physical storefront location?
We are currently working hard on opening our first offline store in the US!
Where can we purchase the Olivia Bottega wedding dresses?
Since we are a direct-to-consumer brand, we have exclusive collections and dresses are only available online at our website.
Most brides are afraid to order online, what would you recommend?
First of all, is not to be afraid! We create custom made gowns after the bride's measurements, which means that the dress size will be perfect for you only. Secondly, we provide an opportunity to get samples of fabrics before purchasing the dress. And last but not least, before buying a dress online, we always recommend that you visit any local store to try on the dress styles you like first, to know better what you are looking for.
What is the quality of Olivia Bottega dresses?
We always use only high quality fabrics and all of our dresses are hand sewn. So the quality is absolutely the best!
Can the bride really customize everything?
Most dresses can be customized! However, some dresses will have limitations as to how extensively they can be customized. We are very happy to bring your ideas to life. Just ask our online manager! But please note that we cannot copy other brand's designs.
Do you provide alteration services?
We recommend you perform any alterations in your hometown at any tailor shop of your choice.
What do you think is an appropriate amount to spend on a wedding dress?
I believe it all depends on your budget. Cheap doesn’t always mean poor quality, and expensive isn’t a guarantee that you will get the best quality.
Is it possible to collaborate with Olivia Bottega or become a retailer?
Right now it is not an option, because we want to provide the best service to our clients. You know, we want to make sure that every bride that chooses us is absolutely happy about the experience and the dress of course. So right now, this is the main reason why we do not work with unknown retailers.
What would you wish all future brides?
First - to love, second – to be happy and third is to find your perfect dress!
What does Olivia Bottega mean to you?
It is my soul and my second child that I love with all of my heart.
What are your plans for the future?
I believe it is my mission (haha) to bring happiness to as many brides as possible all over the world! I believe with the right dress you bring very positive energy to the wedding ceremony, and it is a very delicate moment.
Another goal that we work towards now is to open offline stores, preferably worldwide, but we want to start with the USA first. Because I also think it is very essential sometimes for some brides to be able to see or try on a dress before it is tailored after them. And of course, I want to be a good wife and a good mom too, so I also want to be able to spend more time with my family. So, there are a lot of plans and things to do, and I am very excited about this opportunity to do what I truly love and get inspired by!