A WEDDING dress designer has won a top marketing award after only two months in business.

Polish-born Krystyna Kuszyk, 27, opened her Tunbridge Wells shop, Christina K, at the beginning of June and has now scooped the Business Link Kent award for the Best Marketing Campaign.

Krystyna, who has lived in the UK for two years, said: “I knew that to make my dream come true I first had to research the market.

“I had to find out who my customers were going to be, what they would like, the best place to set up the business and what my competition was.”

Having decided on Tunbridge Wells as the location, Krystyna found dealing with leases and other start-up issues challenging, but received support from Business Link Kent and a loan of £4,000 from the Prince’s Trust.

With her nearest competitors just doors away she knew she had to offer something different and found designers in France, Spain and Poland to create unusual and striking wedding dresses. She also offers brides the chance to create their own designs.

Judges were impressed with the importance she placed on market research.

Rox Glick, marketing communications manager at Business Link Kent, said: “Krystyna has put her marketing skills to good use and has done phenomenally well.

"She has used her budget effectively and has undertaken an advertising campaign, leaflet drops and joined forces with similar companies for joint promotions. We were also very impressed by the meticulous way in which she researched her market."