Meet Cara Wagstaff, the Founder and innovative force behind the Cocoa brands.

 

Cara has created and sold looks for celebrities like designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and has forged a collaborative relationship with the Burgh Island Hotel where she lovingly and skilfully restores beaded flapper dresses from the 1920’s for sale and hire and is now expanding into Hollywood market, including selling two original restored beaded dresses for Geri Halliwell.

 

She began her love for design in the 60’s and 70’s, inspired by her mother who made clothes for her which were at the time much prettier than children’s clothes found on the high street.  A self-professed “doer” Cara’s keen interest in fashion evolved and she spent her teen years working many jobs so she could afford to buy clothes. This time also represented Cara’s foray into the world of of art deco, where her passion began. She also visited Biba in the 1970’s which also serves as inspiration for the art deco world.

 

Cara has now expanded her business and in the past five years has started Cocoa Deco, the 1920’s art deco beaded dress restoration business. At Cocoa Deco, Cara takes actual dresses that were worn in the roaring 20’s that would have been otherwise discarded and breathes new life to them.

 

Most of the dresses that Cara rescues are a grave state of disrepair, unable to even be picked up or handled and said by Cara to be “in a pile of beads” and completely unwearable. The deco process is one by hand and Cara began spending 6 hours per day and even half a year to restoring these fragile works of art.

 

On a whim during lockdown, Cara took a trip to the Burgh Island Hotel upon a love and fascination with the 1920’s art deco period. Here she met Burgh Island Hotel’s Head of Brand & Events, Lilly Krupa and forged a relationship and partnership with the hotel to provide these restored dresses for sale and hire for the hotel’s bespoke events.

 

Since then, Cara has become an integral part of the hotel’s art deco events team. Cara’s restored deco beaded dress brand is now the largest collection in the world and Cara continues to remain a loyal fixture within the Burgh Island Brand.

 

To appreciate the true beauty of these works of art Cara’s collection is a regular attraction at Burgh Island Hotel or can be visited at Cheltenham prior to making an appointment.

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Please email or call Cara on 07917 319250 for further information on Burgh Island or to make an appointment.