Friday, February 22, 2013

INCREDIBLY VEILED

  A few more adds here to the Incredibly Veiled series--a showcase of what designers out there are doing to entice us into topping it all off with a veil.  You'll find like I did, inspiration coming in both traditional and non-traditional ways here.  Are you going to (or did you) perchance don the veil on your wedding day?  It's a real topic of discussion for brides these days, believe me . . .


CREDITS
 Top Photo:Shot by Patrick Demarchelier for Vogue Paris 
Photos 2 and 3: Mantilla by  Blanka Matragi/All over lace veil via Tumblr
Photo 4: Tanya Dziahileva by Danil Golovkin for Harper's Bazaar Russia via Tumblr
Photos 5 and 6: Ecru veil via Tumblr/Lace cloche veil via Basia Zarzycka

Thursday, February 21, 2013

COW GIRL CHIC

 Last week we ran Something In Lace, an editorial featuring a couple dresses by Recapture that would rock for any country western wedding.  Now that we're moving into better weather,  I have more to share about western weddings and dresses.  First off, let me clear one thing up: You don't have to live in Montana to have a real country western wingding.  Find any ranch, farm or open meadow where guests can kick up their heels country style and you've got the right venue. While almost any dress properly accessorized can look western chic, your best bets are going to be Prairie Revival and Laura Ashley-style looks--check out those retro 70s high collars and dresses donning lots of lace. Cow Girl brides with maids in boots and short dresses sure are a hot ticket right now.  Go ahead and add in some rustic elements like the ones here: horses, a barn, berries and a few straw hats.  Mixing these you're gonna have the basics to build up a real yeee ha! celebration.   Below you'll find a few inspirations for the ranch/cowboy/western wedding theme I particularly love....

 
CREDITS
Header Photo: Lace Dress by Martin McCrea
Photos 2 and 3: Left photo-- Claire Pettibone lace gown with high neck collar/Right Photo--Dress by Vera Wang/Both photos from Brides.com editorial, Gowns for a Rustic Ranch Wedding
Photo 4: Crochet lace dress by Martin McCrea
Photos 5 and 6: Left--Gown by Monique Lhuillier/Right: Blouse and skirt by Cynthia Rose/Both photos from Bride.com editorial, Gowns for a Rustic Ranch Wedding
Photo 6: Berry wreath by Wild Ridge Design
Photo 7: Cowboy Boots by Desert Maiden Vintage
Photo 8: Dress by KT Jean

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

CORALations


Did you know this magnificent color between orange and pink goes with just about any skin tone, season or mood?  This makes coral the perfect option for bridesmaids dresses.  I love it for flowers either as a whole bouquet or mixed in with other colors.   Be bold and mix monochromatics of this color--the range you'll get is superb . . .
CREDITS
Header Photo: Luisa Beccaria 
Photos 2 and 3: Dresses Via Tumblr/Short sheath via 
Photo 4: Tea set via Tumblr
Photos 5 and 6: Cake via Dazzle Me Elegant Cake Toppers/Bouquet via Tumblr
Photo 7: Necklace via Obaz
Photo 8: Shoes via Tumblr
Photo 10: Stone architecture via Tumblr

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

FORWARD LOOK: NEW TRENDS NOT NECESSARILY BRIDAL

You don't always have to look at the bridal collections to see where bridal wear is going--these days anything that says, best dress can be considered weddingish. I made a point to go out there looking for gowns not necessarily bridal (but definitely designer)  that could easily be worn by a bride on her wedding day.   I found more often than not, truly stunning details along with magnificent fabrics and laces are what make brides go for.a certain dress.   In other words you can echo mainstream fashion even if it means going with a bold color, texture or daring cut . . . .
  

Monday, February 18, 2013

PAOLA AND STEFANO'S VINEYARD WEDDING IN ITALY


This wedding was so beautifully and thoughtfully captured by photographers Luke and Caludia of Rossini Photography in Italy.  Stefano, is a wine seller in Rome and Paola an architect.  When planning their wedding  they had always dreamed of celebrating it in a vineyard.  And, the Italian countryside offers so many options! They ended up at Orvieto, in Umbria-- the perfect solution where they had the opportunity to get married in the magnificent cathedral in  the ancient and medieval town.   Add to that they scored the perfect venue for the reception, Decugnano dei Barbi,  a well known vineyard producing excellent  white and red wines. Decugnano dei Barbi is a proper “agriturismo”, a farm reserving part of its space and activities to work as a hotel. The Agriturismi are becoming very popular because they are the most authentic way to experience the countryside: you live on a farm, you enjoy the place, you eat meals prepared with ingredients grown within the same farm. And when the place is in such a beautiful and uncontaminated area as the countryside surrounding Orvieto, then the experience is superb. 
The bride looked stunning in her tailored made dress by Angelo, a family friend. The event design and tableu de marriage where carefully thought out by the wedding planner Laura Serventi with theme colors being lilac, green and white. The floral design was taken care by a local flower shop, L’Erbavoglio, who decorated the tables with natural herbs and spices.
The guests enjoyed a meal done expressively by the farm's restaurant, Decugnano dei Barbi.  From  cheese and ham tastings, to spaghetti all’amatriciana, all were served and accompanied by local red and white wines produced in the farm’s vineyard. And perfect ending to a perfect day….the groom was thrown in the swimming pool!




Photographer:
Floral Designer:
Event Designer:
 Laura Serventi
Reception Venue:

Friday, February 15, 2013

GOING GREEN WITHOUT LOOKING TATTERED

This eyelet cotton was recycled (or upcycled) meaning it once was a tablecloth, eventually hand crafted into a wedding dress/photo by Stephanie Williams Photography
Okay, I'll admit it, there's nothing wrong with the tattered look. Innovator Issey Miyake pioneered  it in the 70s and his torn up chic still carries a haunting beauty thirty years hence. But have you noticed whenever a designer adds some green to a bridal collection, the gowns sometimes . . . well . . . all look a bit tattered and Miyakesque? So where do you start if you're seriously pondering green-friendly alternatives on your wedding day and still want to look like a bride? It's a loaded question so we'll begin with what makes for an eco-friendly fiber.

1. Production of fabric follows fair trade practices (read: no prison contracted or sweat-shop labor involved)
2. Free or low on chemicals and pesticides
3. Eco-conscious land management practices
4. Sustainable farming
5. Animal friendly practices


The sheath portion of this gown was made out of sustainable fabric from Thailand.  Backstory: The yarns were delivered to women in the village and they were able to loom it in the privacy of their own homes--not a factory. Photo by Lirette Photography

Going Green usually (though not always) can mean wearing a dress in natural fibers: organic cotton, wool, linen, silk, and of course, hemp. New fibers coming out even have bamboo, milk and soy in them. It helps to have a knowledge of the natural dying process and thinking through what impact toxic dyes might have on the environment. Here are a few questions worth asking: Is that silk I love really its natural color? If it is tinted, was it done with non-toxic dye? Is that snow white silk taffeta 
chlorined? And was that cotton grown free of pesticides? In the UK alone according to 2006 statistics, clothing and textiles contributed in producing up to two million tons of waste, 3.1 million tons of CO2 and 70 million tons of waste water. Have we become so used to fast food, fast technology and now fast fashion that we've created a manufacturing Goliath like this? Many designers have wised up lately reserving a portion of their collection for eco-conscious designs (moi included). Some are even using sustainable fabrics only, making sure they were produced under humane conditions at fair market wages. Although I've been getting some great press lately about offering green-friendly alternatives in my collection, I'm not as exclusively green as I’d like to be. One day we will all be green; till then here's what you could look for when buying green or having a green gown designed: 


Both gowns pictured above are considered upcycled--true vintage restored for modern brides/Top photo by Taralynn Lawton Photography--lower photo by JohnT Photo
Here are a few suggestions for getting the most out of going green:

 *Look for sustainable fabric. Custom and eco-friendly designers can source just about any sustainable fabric a client wants. I've been using the best supplier for twenty-some years. Dharma's been around and bright green since way back when hippies were popular.

* Good designers aren't afraid to experiment with new and unusual fabrics. Keep an open mind.

 *Look for a designer unafraid of making necessary changes. Starting now and next season I plan on replacing most of the crinoline underskirts with 100% cotton organdy. Most designers are making similar changes.

 *I’m fascinated by the new interest so many of my clients have in upcyclingUpcycling is a trendy term for reusing garments or fabrics that already exist. Last season a client brought me an exquisite antique tablecloth and asked me to fashion her wedding gown out of it. I was awestruck. First by the cloth. It was an allover and rare Cluny Lace. Ten years ago this would have been considered by most as ‘chintzing it’ on your wedding day whereas these days it is not only applauded but even considered a sentimental gesture—in my client’s case—the tablecloth was lovingly left to her by her great-grandmother.

*When it comes to bridal wear, there's still nothing like silk. Certain weaves and finishes go in and out of style over the years but overall silk rules. Some designers are switching suppliers and looking toward Europe where silks are also manufactured. Italian silks are the apex right now and quite expensive. Though primarily woven by robots, no human or animal is working under hazardous conditions. Factory windows aren't left gaping in sub-tropical climates and insects are not getting squished between the slubs of fabric. Fabrics these days come in the same flavors as your favorite beans, plants and dairy products. Just learned my agent personally travels to China and makes sure the workers operate in a well maintained, healthy and safe environment, are treated with respect, paid fairly and have health insurance, sick and maternity leave benefits, etc. That made me feel pretty good. Another thing I want to reiterate here when going green is to keep an open mind, it is an entirely different concept than the consumerism we were born into and one we need to explore and take seriously in order to reverse some of the damage we've done to our planet. . .

Thursday, February 14, 2013

VALENTINE RED


 Happy Valentines Day all!  

CREDITS
Header Photo and Photos 2 and 3: Dress by Amy-Jo Tatum/photo by Eleven Orchids Photography
Photo 4: Hat by Arturo Rios
Photos 5 and 6: Oscar de la Renta NYFW Spring 2013/Red and White Polka Dot mules by Loboutin
Photos 8 and 9: Marchesa Spring 2013/Red and White flowers via Pinterest
Photo 10: Red silk dress by Ralph Lauren Vanity Fair 2011
Photos 11 and 12: Red dress via Tumblr and shoes via Tumblr
Photo 13: via Tumblr
Photos 14 and 15:Strawberry Cakes by One Sweet Girl/ Nautical woman via Pinterest/