Fairytale Reinvention

Customising Kat's wedding dress combined all the elements that I enjoy in a project, and I had a ball doing it!

Kat wanted me to turn a second-hand Vera Wang dress, a bag-full of old brooches and beads, and a fistful of ideas into a fairytale dress for a magical wedding in Italy. I love a challenge like that: bringing new life to a pre-loved garment and giving my creativity free rein.

Firstly, the dress was too big in the bodice and needed a significant amount taken off the sideseams. Then, Kat wanted a lace-up back instead of a zip, an assymetrical strap, lots of ruffle around the hem, and to create an illusion of flowers growing up from the hem and wrapping around her body. I drew a rough sketch to make sure that I understood what Kat had in mind, and then I got stuck in!

I started by adjusting the fit and changing the bodice fastening at the back .

back+alteration+crop.jpg — Work in progress…

*The side seams have been altered and the zip removed and replaced with loops for lacing*

I sourced some beautiful floral laces from Bridal Fabrics ( D.H.J. Weisters) from which I cut out motifs and placed them on the bodice. I used the original sash with organza flowers to make a shoulder strap, and placed more lace over the shoulder and hanging over the upper arm. I added butterfly and flower brooches from Kat's collection.

Soft tulle ruffles were added to the hem of the petticoat, and extra layers of sparkly glitter net to add drama to the back of the skirt. I also added lace and glittery ruffles to the skirt in front, hiding lace flowers in the folds of the dress so they would be revealed in movement

At this point, Kat came for another fitting to check on the progress and how her ideas were taking shape. She wanted MORE. So I added amethyst and pale turquoise-coloured polished chip beads that she gave me to further embellish the bodice. It was exciting to have the freedom to really go for it.

In the meantime, she had contacted Ellie at Petillant (now Ellie Vandenbrekel Millinery) to make her a bespoke tiara and to decorate the bridal shoes, using more of the beads, brooches and lace.