When one of my muses - Alfie - told me she was getting married, it was automatic that I'd have a hand in coming up with her wedding dress.
Like any creative process, I asked her for parameters, or how she wants her dress to look like. Instead of telling me what she wanted, she proceeded to tell me what she DIDN'T want:
- Nothing too frilly
- Nothing too risque
- No Lace
Being the "obedient" friend that I am, I sketched a frilly, risque and all-lace dress for her to walk down the aisle in!
The way I convinced Alfie was simple. This is going to be THE dress that she's going to wear. So, might as well go all-out with it. But of course, it should still be a reflection of the bride, so I took aspects of her personality - particulary her simplicity and being a classic - and worked from there. I made the silhouette simple and classic, but with hints of modernity like the deep-V neck and the deep-U back.
Since the overall look was simple, the materials had to be exquisite. Like most of my projects, I had a particular material in mind, and I knew what the lace should look like. Initially, the dressmaker gave me options, but they were too granny for my taste. So, I took matters into my own hands and asked her to accompany me to her lace suppliers. After poring through racks and racks of lace, I found one that was perfect for my vision.
With the lace fabric settled, I went to look for trimmings, beads, crystals and other accoutrements, I consolidated everything with the dressmaker and gave her specific instructions. After a few months, and 3 fittings after, the wedding dress finally came to realization.
Although I had to guide the dressmaker step-by-step, to the point of almost holding her hand in the entire process, I'm happy with how Alfie's gown came out. The lace gave it this beautifully vintage feel, but the crystals and beads gave it a modern feel. The neckline likewise added to the modernity.
What's also impressive about the dressmaker I worked with was how she got every detail of the gown correctly. The back was just as I envisioned and sketched.
The belt was also beautifully done, with the crystals highlighting Alfie's waist and making her look taller.
On the form, I thought the wedding dress looked exquisite. But when I saw Alfie wearing it on her wedding day, I thought it was spectacular!
It's one of those instances when being "obedient" really pays off.
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