Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Fall 2010 Collection Preview





Thank you to everyone that attended the Collection Preview! It was nice to meet new Brides-to-be, see old friends, and make some new ones. Among some of the attendees were Cynthia and Kelly of Kelly Oshiro Design, Katrina Centeno of Calligraphy Katrina, Noelle Arias of getmarried magazine, Designer - Vanessa Louise Marie, and writer Emily Pedraza.

We also had our special Brides-to-be joining us for champagne and a first look at the Collection before it's reveal to the public. I was overwhelmed by the compliments and very excited on the amount of great feedback that I received for all of the gowns. A very special thank you to David Kim for documenting the evening and all of my gowns. So, without any further ado, here are sneak peek pics of the Fall 2010 Collection...all are now available at the Salon, still individually handmade right here in Pasadena!





Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The Process of Design: Part 2



Now for the fittings...In Part 1, I designed a gown for my Bride Tina Marie. Now we will move onto the next phase.
The first step is to take the approved Design and create patterns that will be used to fabricate the gown. All of the patterns not only correspond to the gown, but more specifically to Tina's measurements. In total, I usually take up to fifteen different measurements.
Next, I transfer the patterns onto a light weight cotton fabric called muslin. Here is where the physical dress takes shape. This preliminary dress is cut and sewn just as the final gown will be. It is at this stage that the first of the alterations will occur.





So now that the gown is on my Bride, I can truly see how it will fit her. I may also make alterations to the Design to flatter a particular area over another, or maybe collectively we decide to eliminate a part of the gown altogether. In any case, this is the stage where all of the necessary changes can occur.
Now that we have made all of the adjustments to the muslin, I then take it apart and transfer this new information onto the patterns. Once the patterns have been adjusted, we are ready for the next step...the creation of the actual gown from the inside out.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Fall 2010 Collection


Well...here we are! The release of my latest Collection! Inspired by the Garden, sprinkled with elegance, sophistication, modernity, and a dash of sexiness, the Collection speaks to the beauty of the Bride on her special day. Although typically the Preview of the Collection is only open to Bridal Industry, Buyers, and Editorial, this year I will be doing something a little bit differently. I am inviting 5 lucky Brides/Fans to attend as my special guests! I will be pulling names randomly from those that I receive of whom would like to attend, and they, along with a guest, will be invited to the Salon to view the Collection before it is released to the public. I will be there to greet you and enjoy a glass of sparkling champagne as we toast to the new Collection!
Cheers and I look forward to meeting you!
Alina