Burnley dress designer meets TOWIE cast after making exclusive dress for Jess Wright’s 30th birthday

Carrie-Ann Kay has worked with actors from The Only Way Is Essex over the past couple of years and landed the gig designing a ‘showstopping’ dress for Jess as a result.

The assignment proved to be worth its weight in gold as the dress featured on the front cover of celebrity gossip magazine OK! this week.

Carrie-Ann, who works from her home studio in Harle Syke, Burnley, said: “It was a memorable week.

“There was some good behind-the-scenes gossip and it was great to live with the family for a week.

“They were really nice.

“I had Nanny Pat looking after me for most of it and she was trying on my designs. She was great fun.

“It was hard work. I was up until 2am most nights. You know what girls are like, they want it to be perfect and rightly so. I wanted to get it right for them.

“I designed Jess’s dress first. She wanted a real showstopper for her party, which was fun. Then I did a dress for her sister Natalya and her mum Carol.”

Having spent a week designing the three dresses Carrie-Ann, a former Habergham High School pupil, let her hair down at the star-studded party at London’s Park Plaza.

Jess’s brother Mark Wright was in attendance, as was his wife Michelle Keegan.

Carrie-Ann, whose own fashion label is called Rene K, said: “There were so many celebrities there, all the TOWIE cast, Coronation Street stars, loads of reality TV celebs.

“From what I remember it was brilliant. I was exhausted at the end of the week and the champagne was flowing.”

Carrie-Ann was hoping the dress might get some exposure in the celebrity magazine, but was stunned to find it on the front page.

She said: “I thought it might get a couple of pages at the back. I had a message from Jess on Monday night saying it was out and the picture was on the front, I couldn’t believe it. There’s six pages inside as well.

“That is publicity that money can’t buy.

“It’s absolutely fantastic.”