Bridal Fashion 2013 - Stephanie Allin's Night & Day Collection

Stephanie Allin’s 2013 Bridal collection titled ‘Night and Day’ was inspired by the romance of Marrakesh, the pink gem of Morocco.  Marrakesh is fondly called the Rose City because of its salmon pink painted buildings and so Stephanie adds touches of rose hued fabrics to some of her traditional ivory silk gowns. 

 Left to right:

Masquerade - modelled by Natalie Lowe, the Australian professional dancer and ballroom expert and star of 'Strictly Come Dancing'. This style of dress is certainly a good choice to show off your dancing skills!

Jasmine(with Twilight & Twilight shrug in the background)

Illusion (with Sapphire pant suit in the background)

Left to right:

Chicago

Amber - modelled by Natalie Lowe

Mystical & Mystical coat (with Nevada in the background)

Left to right:

Serenade (with Jasmine in the background)

Dani

Bardot & Yasmin shrug (with Indi Rose in the background)

www.stephanieallin.net

White Gallery London - Bridal Design Fair

White Gallery London , the International Bridal Fair took place this year at Battersea Evolution, Battersea Park.

Here's a few of the exhibitors:

Anoushka G - Wedding Couture
A love affair in itself as the creation of childhood sweathearts Anna and George Hadji, how can it fail not to sweep you off your feet?

Here's Gloria (the dress not the model) in ivory but also available in blush. Romantic with floaty feathers and girlie tulle with a touch of glamour in sequins and beads.
www.anoushkag.com

Blue Bridalwear
Established by designer Angela Pitcher Dowdell, Blue specialises in silk bridal gowns, keeping the look simply cute or simply elegant with clean lines and uncluttered decorative details, often with a retro twist.

Audrey (again the dress not the model) is part of Blue's Hollywood Collection and is made from Silk Dupion with notched cap sleeves and double belt. The full length skirt is kept wide with a froth of petticoatsunderneath.
www.bluebridalwear.co.uk

My Lady - Haute Couture 
Directed by Haim Bar, MyLady has been handcrafting corsets for more than 25 years. These glamorous corsets usually take up to 100 hours to make.

The corset 'Lady Mishelle' glitters with Swarovski crystals and is matched the full 'Lady Mishelle' tiered tulle skirt. All corsets and skirts are separate allowing the bride to be to mix and match.
www.mylady.co.il

Yolan Cris
This Spanish company's 2012 collection is titled 'Modern Craft' but has four sub collections, each with their own inspirations..

 One of these Sub Collections is 'Lumiere' from the first cinematograph created by the brothers Lumiere. Inspiration came from the mute cinema, the jazz music of the 1920's and the Bohemian way of life. Here gowns are a mixture of patchworks with crochet, macrame, nets and laces.
 www.yolancris.com

They definitely makeit hard for a bride to decide.

MATTHEW WILLIAMSON’S FIRST BRIDAL COLLECTION

The air was charged with excitement as we queued to view the catwalk show of Matthew Williamson’s first bridal wear collection at the White Gallery event in Battersea Park.

Taking inspiration from the iconic styles of his past ready to wear collections, there was not a meringue in sight – here it was more about the flowing carefree luxury bohemian look.

Some of the gowns you could imagine being worn for a sun kissed paradise beach wedding with the ivory feathers or waterfall ruffles embellished on the skirts dancing lightly in the cool sea breeze.

The column shaped skirt of a floor length ivory gown is embellished with hand sewn ostrich feathers and its structured strapless corset top is softened with diaphanous silk tulle across one shoulder and ruched around the waist.

Williamson has also created a shorter cocktail dress in the same style for maybe the bridesmaids or a perhaps a bride preferring a romantic stroll close to the water’s edge.

Another great beach style is the long ivory silk georgette gown with its soft waterfall ruffle skirt and plunging v neckline embellished on one side with a line of ruffles. Despite the plunging neckline, this gown has an ethereal air of innocence until you see the back which has a sexy cut out in the shape of a tear drop. The cut out is framed with hand stitched beading at the base and on one shoulder. This gown will give the guests something to focus on during the ceremony.

For the on trend 70s look, there is the silk chiffon floor length kaftan with plunging neckline, fluted sleeves and embellished with Swarovski crystals and pearls at the waist. This style has a timeless and simple elegance to the front, but I’m not sure I’m liking the back with its tie belt.

For the 60’s feel, Williamson has created the knee length silk chiffon shift dress with tiered edged ¾ length fluted sleeves. The whole garment is embroidered by hand with a floral design either in a delicate blush shade or the same ivory hue.

Rather than going for the ‘princess’ look, Williamson has gone for the Grecian Goddess style.

Here a   seemingly simple silk parachute draped gown is adorned with a thin Swarovski crystal belt at the front whilst the back reveals a racer style strap of Swarovski crystals and a billowing diaphanous parachute style cape attached to the shoulders and the hem of the gown.  You can believe the goddess who wears this has just floated down from Mount Olympia.

Another goddess style is the softly draped chiffon gown with crossover ruched pleated bodice and two wide Swarovski asymmetric straps to add sparkle.

Empire lines always create a slim column silhouette and Williamson’s designs are no exception.

The styles vary from the ornate gold geometric beading on the high necked empire gown with a softly draped skirt......

.......to the bandeau style top empire gown with fine spaghetti straps and more subtle embellishments on the bodice and long peacock feathers decorating the skirt. 

My favourite?

Well it has to be the strapless devore gown with its cross over bodice. The hand painted abstract winter wonderland design of the buttermilk silk satin fabric with the crystal and pearl bodice trim bring a rich opulence to the gown. 

And for the bridesmaids, Williamson creates the Grecian handmaiden look with a softly draped asymmetric cocktail dress in the same fabric and embellished with a jewelled crystal corsage.

New Bridal Talent Preview at White Gallery-Sanyukta Shrestha

 Not only does Sanyukta create glamorous gorgeous bridal gowns, but she makes sure these white gowns are 'green', by only using fabrics from ethical and fair trade certified manufacturers.

First off is 'Esperia' ( on the left)- a simple bias cut silk gown with fair traded organic cotton sateen inner lining.

Evelyn (on the right) is a bias cut silk gown worn here with the embellished 'Esther' belt. Also worn with detachable heavy embroidered cap sleeved Evelyn bolero. Made from organic heavy silk, 100% silk tulle and fair traded organic sateen.

Eleanor (on the left) Vintage inspired bias cut with pleated detachabel belt/bolero. 100% organic silk and organic fair traded sateen, hand embroidered on belt.

Hazel , bias cut gown with deep low back and sunray pleated overlay attached to embroidered belt. 100% organic silk and organic fair traded cotton sateen.
More details on www.sanyuktashrestha.com

New Bridal Talent Preview at White Gallery - Sarah Janks

Sarah Janks is truely international with both a Northern Hemishpere and Southern Hemisphere range for her debut collection.

 'Adalyn' from the Northern collection is a white silk organza strapless bustier dress with fishtail skirt embellished with scattered hand applied silk tafetta pansy flowers.

Going down under is 'Alana' , a silk Moracain strapless column dress with inverted pleat on bustier bodice centre, lace and organza detail under buts with bow and puddle train.

 Another southerner is 'Aeryn', a silk satin chiffon bias dress with silk satin lining, low v back, full godet skirt and chiffon corsage.

Back up North is 'Antonia', a Chantilly floral lace dress, applique full skirt silk chiffon with extra long train and hem frill, accompanied with chiffon sash at waist ( seen here wrapped around the model's wrist)

She's getting straight 'As' from me and not jsut because of the names.
www.sarahjanks.com

New Bridal Talent Preview at the White Gallery- Tobi Hannah

Tobi Hannah's 2012 bridal collection titled 'Youthquake' was inspired by the self assured youth of the mid to late 1960's.

Looking every bit amazing is the 'Amaze' dress with its tiered layers of tulle over a boat neck satin dress

Taking centre stage is the tea length 'Faith' dress with its three quarter length sleeves, v neckline and cute bow detailing. To the left is 'Nataliya' -duchess satin and sweathheart strapless bodice, with rose tulle applique embellishing the skirt and top. To the right is 'Edith' - Guipure lace shift dress with duchess satin underlay and sweatheart neckline.

Next to Faith is our 'Vera' , a strapless tafetta short dress adorned with a large bow on the bodice and softly pleated tiered skirt.

And the only wedding dress that comes close to being long is 'Olga' a strapless tafetta short dress with a detachable tiered ruffle train.
More details on www.tobihannahbridal.co.uk

New Bridal Talent Preview at the White Gallery - Elizabeth Stuart

White Gallery presented new bridal talent at their London show this May.
First off was Elizabeth Stuart whose vision is to create designs where future meets fairytale and falls in love.

Titled Ambrosia. If it's good enough for Greek Goddesses then it's good enough for the bride. Here the halter neck bodice sparkles with hand beaded embroidery on silk gorgette, whilst the silk satin crepe a-line skirt gently swirls under a soft silk georgette overlay and is lined with habotai silk.

Dahlia is a smooth silk satin crepe strapless gown with scoop neck and gentle mermaid silhouette.

 Loving Delphine with its fishtail silhouette and shown here worn with an overlay accessory. By itself the bodice is plain with a sweatheart neckline.
Check out her website: www.elizabetstuart.com

Stephanie Allin 2012 Bridal collection

Stephanie Allin took her inspiration for her 2012 bridal collection from the sounds of 1930's jazz and the golden age of glamour and sophistication. Each gown was named after a screen icon - well you and the gown will be the Star of the show so why not?

Named Tallulah, the slim silhouhette was adorned asymmetricallly with exotic feathers giving a light and playful twist.

For the retro 50's look, there was Bardot with a full tulle calf length skirt and cinched waist adorned with silver ribbon and a dusty pink corsage .To complete the look, a delicate lace shrug.

Hayworth showed simple elegance with cool silk satin caressing the neckline and waist.

Aphrodite raising from the sea! The Olivia's figure skimming silhouette was adorned in wet look satin shimmer whilst layers of tulle frothed around the bottom like sea foam.

Lucille was having a ball in a full voluminous floor skimming skirt with its cascading front layer.

Similar to Lucille was the Madison. Here the look had a younger prom feel with a lower waist and a shorter ankle length hem

Ingrid went for the simple column silhouette but added texture with beading and embroidery.

Always one for drama- Garland with its plunging back and neckline, silk embroidered figure skimming silhouette and tulle overlay.

And bringing 40's silver screen glamour was Ashlea with its cinched in belted waist, sweetheart neckline and structured short peplum which graduated in to a train at the back of the floor length column skirt.

Check out the website on www.stephanieallin.net