As our bride Clair is now happily married, we are so excited to be able to share with you some pictures of the making process and the final creation!
We met Clair in our boutique last summer and having a clear idea of what she wanted, we set to work discussing the fabrics and details of the design she had in her head. We absolutely love making a garment that is completely unique and totally different to anything we have made before and we new from the word ‘go’ that Clair’s idea was definitely going to tick all of those boxes!
The concept was quite candid with the emphasis being on the structure and silhouette. The design involved a corseted silk bodice with a straight neckline, wide silk band that pulled in over the hips and matching silk skirt with deliberate pleating either side, hidden pockets and a pleat in the front to create a tailored look.
As you can probably tell from our previous posts, we work in array of colours as well as ivory. Clair chose this amazing handwoven silk dupion in champagne that created a warmth to the dress and really highlighted the unique design features.
After a little planning and preparation, we started to cut all of the pattern pieces, form the structured bodice and devise the pleats on the skirt. As Clair wanted an illusion of weight to the skirt to create an amazing drape, we backed each silk piece onto calico which worked really well and kept the shape that we wanted for the front pleat.
With a design like this, we tend to work on all the components separately and then bring them together just before the fitting. This makes it easier to make changes as we go and let us keep an eye of the fit over the bust, waist and hips.
Clair stipulated some additional design features which were quite unique. We created an illusion neckline out of a warm cream silk chiffon which we double layered to create a perfect line around the neck while also giving Clair freedom to move and not feel restricted. We then created a ruffle at the centre front and collar which curved around the neck and travelled down from nape to bodice. It was made from a mixture of ivory tulle and champagne silk and gathered/twisted to add texture.
One of my favourite design features was these bold silk ties that we added into the waist seam and hand tied which created a rustic look. These bows emphasised the hourglass shape we created with the corseted bodice and added to the bespoke design. On the original image that Clair shared with us, that inspired this design feature, the ties were integral to the look and we agreed that they had to be included in the dress.
Through Clair’s fittings, we discussed different fastening options/colours and we ended up deciding on an oversized gold zip on white tape which really stood out as a feature on the back of the dress. As you can tell in the picture below, it also made the back of the silk bodice sit really smooth which was an added bonus.
As with all of our brides, it was an absolute pleasure to work with Clair from the initial sketches all the way to collecting the finished garment. It was a joy to watch Clair fall in love with her dress more and more in every appointment and to make design changes right up until the day, so that she was 100% happy with the end result. In this case we opted for a high-lo hemline during the fittings to show off Clairs’ elegant shoes!
Both George and I love what we do and its a pleasure that our brides trust us to create their visions, like Clair did with her beautiful dress. i think you’ll agree that the only acceptable response after seeing the end result is obviously ‘wow’.
Thank you Clair, feel free to pop in for a cup of tea any time soon! We would love to hear all about your special day!