Dear Reader
I hope you’ve had a good week and have exciting plans for the crisp Autumn weekend ahead…?
Yasmin, one of my heavenly brides, is getting married tomorrow in a pale pink lace 1930s dress, which we’ve matched with a stunning Biba marabou feather cape. She looks radiant.
I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing her a wonderful day!
Now…. drumroll please, heavenly ladies… I’d like to share the first ever pictures of my newest vintage-inspired design, ‘Angel’. We only finished this lovely dress earlier this week, so this really is a super-sneak-peek.
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| ANGEL 1930s vintage style wedding dress – dreamy fluted lace sleeves |
I’ve called her Angel as she is very dreamy and romantic. She is very closely modelled on a lovely 1930s lace dress, with just a few small design tweaks for a super-flattering fit.
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| ANGEL 1930s vintage style wedding dress – gorgeous lace back detail |
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| ANGEL 1930s vintage style wedding dress – elegant fitted bodice |
I chose this dress to show off one of my happiest finds: the uniquely beautiful lace. It’s made exclusively for me by a small family lace-making atelier in Nottingham – the traditional home of English lace-making. Now run by two brothers, the company was established by their Grandfather and handed on to their Father.
It really is part of the famous history of English lace-making, acknowledged to be among the very best in the world.
I was so excited to discover this pattern in their original catalogue. It has been out of production for many years, and uses a skilful old-fashioned lace-making technique called ‘English Net’ – really an embroidery onto tulle.
This lovely company also make the wonderful lace for my ‘Butterfly’ dress. (Angel can also be ordered in that type of lace, which is the same lovely light weight.)
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| ANGEL 1930s vintage style wedding dress – dreamy and so romantic! |
Angel comes with its own satin slip – shown here in a deep ivory. But a pale gold, or a delicate blush colour would look equally dreamy and show off this special lace while keeping its romantic feel.
And lastly, see how prettily the skirt drapes – two godets (carefully positioned inset panels) give it movement and another godet at the back forms an elegant train. Just imagine how gracefully it would swish down any aisle…
If you’d like to see more, I’d love to show you at my West London studio.
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| ANGEL 1930s vintage style wedding dress – stunning godet fishtail train |
Now, if you have time, I’d also love to show you two new variations on my other dresses. First, ‘Chantilly’…
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| CHANTILLY 1950s vintage style wedding dress in fine French lace |
Chantilly is shown here in palest champagne, with a three quarter sleeve in delicate French lace – very feminine and flattering.
The lace is the same ultra fine French Chantilly lace as in the original ‘Chantilly’ dress. But the new lighter colour underneath gives it a delicately airy, floaty feel. Don’t you agree?
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| CHANTILLY 1950s vintage style wedding dress design – pretty and floaty |
This sleeve can be adapted to any preferred length. It is super-pretty short, and very elegant worn full length. The skirt shown here is ‘tea length’, which generally means just below the knee. But it can be adapted to the most flattering length for my heavenly client. It is amazing as a ballroom-length dress.
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| CHANTILLY 1950s vintage style wedding dress in tea length |
This summer, one heavenly bride chose Chantilly in the prettiest pale dusky pink, and another ordered it in elegant ivory. Both brides were equally beautiful. It really is a special dress and can be perfectly customised to make it unique to its wearer.
And finally… ‘Blanche’.
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| BLANCHE 1950s vintage style wedding dress in deep ivory lace |
Blanche is shown here in a deeper ivory colour, with a three quarter length sleeve. This used to be called a ‘bracelet sleeve’ and is a very vintage and pretty sleeve length.
The skirt is Ballerina length (rather than the shorter tea length) – perfect to show off a shapely ankle! Ballerina length does tend to suit taller girls but there are always exceptions to the rule.
I’ve made Blanche in several types of lace now, to personalise it for my heavenly girls. Here, it’s reworked in slightly heavier, ‘corded’ lace that has a lovely three-dimensional effect making the dress really tactile. You just want to touch this gorgeous, rich fabric…
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| BLANCHE 1950s vintage style wedding dress in ‘Ballerina’ length |
All these dresses can of course be tried at my studio in West London. Just email me with an idea of your requirements, and the date of your special day.
Now, I hope all this heavenliness hasn’t worn you out, dear reader. And I wish you a wonderful weekend.
Look forward to seeing you next week, and thanks for stopping by…
All photography © Robert Lawler Photography 2013
Love,
Helena
Heavenly Vintage Brides