Nicole's Grace Kelly Wedding Dress

Yesterday our lovely customer Nicole was wed at the Thames Rowing Club, London. I had worked with Nicole before on a fabulous leopard print dress and was very excited when she came back to me asking for the Grace Kelly Rear Window dress.*

I adore Edith Head, she is one of the greatest costume designers ever to grace the screen and Rear Window 1954 is up there with the best fashion in film. Grace Kelly's dress is one of the most famous gowns of Hollywood and I leaped at the chance to work on my version of it.

There is another very elegant little black dress in the film, one with a sheer organza bodice. Nicole was looking for a sweetheart bodice with a sheer overlay, and using reference from the film I designed the dress as a combination of the two. This was Nicole's dress was hers and not just a copy of Grace's.

The final dress was made in a sheer silk organza with silk bodice and covered buttons detailing the back. The full circle skirt was made up of two full circles and hand appliqued with hand clipped corded lace.

After many, many, many hours of hand stitching, the dress was complete with it's beautiful full skirt floating on top of a tulle underskirt.

Congratulations to Nicole and Parker! The official photos will be coming x

*Just to get this straight. This is a homage to Edith Head's design. 
I usually HATE it when people send me a picture of another designers dress, asking if I can make 'something' like it, oh and cheaper. Sadly I get this a lot. It's an insult to me, down right disrespectful to the original designer and illegal IP theft. Please don't do it. 

The Helena Lace Dress - Real Wedding

Beautiful images of our Helena dress on our real bride Sonja. This is just as we designed the Helena dress and I love how Sonja styled her hair and accessories classically to match.

Sandee 1950s Lace Prom Dress

 A closer look at the 'Sandee' prom dress in all its primness.

The dress is taking on the pretty, ideological nature of the 1950s prom queens we saw in Grease and Cry Baby and the oh so perfect Sandra Dee. It's about that unattainable sweetness and light.

Made in a floral lace with a saturated coral pink satin lining the contrast the bodice has a demure princess cut and long fitted sleeves. The skirt has two looks where full tulle underskirt is removed to wear as a mini skater dress. This could also been worn as a peplum with a body con pencil skirt underneath.

The hem dips towards to back to give even more of a sweep and the waist is finished with a ribbon bow just like a present.

This dress can be styled with full fifties decadence, the kitten heels, the princess coat and hair backcombed into a perfect bouffant bob, ready to be crowned prom queen.

Or remove the nets and bare those legs dancing through a hot summer night with a killer pair of coral heels.

Or take it to the Sixties and go babydoll teaming the dress with ivory tights, black patent Mary-Jane's and a massive beehive trimmed with a black bow.

Or to be ultra romantic, hop in a old convertable and be wed in this dress with an elbow length veil and matching shoes.

Enjoy x

Bespoke Gown for the Barbican

This dress was made for a wedding at the Barbican Arts Centre this September and was commissioned as a bespoke piece for a bride looking for something to fit perfectly with the venue and her style.

Based on our Christy dress the French corded lace used was a deep champagne colour to match the dark ivory of the silk duchess satin. Once again we turned the silk on it's back to give the lustrous depth of sheen without the high shine.
This fitted design with its dramatic low back, smoothed hips and feminine sweetheart illusion over the bust gave a beautiful balletic quality. Contrasting with this delicate fit the double full circle skirt drapes in dramatic curls to the hand bound hem made from the matching silk satin.

The bride chose a fabulous pair of spectator shoes from Chie Mihara with a lemon yellow bow which we picked up in stripes over the finely beaded belt.
Each of the covered lace buttons was hand beaded with Japanese foil lined glass beads in a mix of champagne and cream tones. This design matched the edging of the neckline also adorned in subtle beads.

It has been an honor to design a dress to be worn at the Barbican surrounded by so much inspiration and style.

Caroline and Angus - The Photos!

I love this photo of all the maids helping Caroline into her underskirts, it's exactly how it should be!

Caroline's birdcage veil made from the fabric of her dress as something new, the veiling from my own wedding veil as something borrowed and a vintage 1950's brooch as something old and blue.

All three bridesmaids dresses together. We made Libby the youngest of the bridesmaids dress too with turquoise edging. 

The very first glitter bags were commissioned by Caroline to match her shoes for herself and the bridesmaids.

If someone said this was Audrey Hepburn I would totally believe them, but this is our bride with definite old Hollywood star elegance. 

Caroline's Mum and ladies from the church made these beautiful matching Liberty print flower holders. These details make such an impact all together. 

All of the dresses had a bow at the back, Caroline's dress had a huge matching bow, the bridesmaids had detachable bows and Libby the youngest has a pink glitter bow for the back of her dress.

I made the veil after a few tries at getting the bow shape just right so that it kept the elegant style of the dress without it becoming distracting. A long flat single pleat bow was a success. 

The Kurt Geiger 'Anna' shoes will always be my favourite style and shape for a long time, they have the heel height and shape, pointed toe and overall design of any shoe. I wish they would bring them back! 

Flower petal Confetti makes the best photos and I love that all the guests wore bright colours. Helen (Caroline's Mum) looked fabulous in her rich blue purple and violet outfit.

Carrot, Guinness and Elderflower cup cakes with sugar sweet peas.

Bright fabric flowers made at the Hen Party workshop taught by Anna. 

At last I can share the amazing photos from Caroline and Angus's wedding shot by the fabulous Assassynation.
There were hundreds of wow factor photos to choose from and I have whittled it down to this handful of my favourites. It looks like it was an incredible day, full of colour and when you listen to the soundtrack it gets even cooler.
Caroline really was a perfect bride in a very non 'perfect bride' way. A joy to work with such a smiley lady and I will very much miss the twirling round the studio and all the excitedness. And yes she is the spitting image of Audrey Hepburn in looks and demeanour which was like Funny Face in real life :)

Thank you to Carloline and her super lovely maids Clare, Ellen and Libby and to Helen for finding me in the first place.

Congratulations to Caroline and Angus wishing them a Very Happy First Christmas as a wedded pair! xxx

Credits

Costume

Wedding Dress: Alexandra King 

Bridesmaids Dresses: Alexandra King

Veil: Alexandra King

Flower Girl Dress: Made by flower girls Grandmother

Shoes: 'Anna' by Kurt Geiger

Angus's Suit: The Kooples and Shoes by Converse

Photography: Sassy Lafford Assassynation

Flowers: Hans Haverkamp and the ladies of St Margarets Church 

Invitation, Menu, Table Plan, Order of Service Graphic Design: All by Angus 

Venue

Church: St Margaret Of Antioch, Alterton Gloucestershire

Reception Venue: Deer Park Hall 

Catering

Cupcakes: Caroline Hammill 

Meal: Belle House

The Music: 

Entrance: La Valse D'Amelie by Yann Tiersen

Exiting The Church: All I want Is You by Barry Louis Pulizar

Reception Introduction: Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

First Dance: Otis by Jay Z and Kayne West 

Entertainment: The Roving Crows

More Pictures and Details on Love My Dress Here 

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS COPYRIGHT (c) 2012 ASSASSYNATION.