Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Spring 2012 Inspiration Board


As part of my Design Process, I look at many different fabrics, from intricate laces to silky chiffon. I look at all of the beautiful textures and wonderful colors of each fabric, including ways to create my own fabrics and colors. I look at how the fabrics will fold and drape, how they will conform to a Bride's figure, how they will feel against her skin.
But, before I ever even get to this point, I always look for inspiration. It may be the detailed folds and beautiful symmetry of a flower as I did for my Fall 2010 Collection, or the incredible organic layers and structure of a Frank Gehry building for the design of the gown, as was the case for my Fall 2011 Collection. It can be the rich blue colors of a Caribbean Sea, the soft whiteness of a snowy day, or the sexy silhouette of an Italian sports car .  There is no limit to what inspires me each season and where that inspiration may come from...
My new inspiration for my Spring 2012 Collection is Miami. The beautiful turquoise hues of the ocean, the stunning colors of the sky as the sun rises over the water want to seep into my fabrics. The energy of Miami and the people, the great sense of style that fits the outdoor living, the rich unique colors, textures, and patterns that are so specific to Miami can be found no where else. The wonderful lines of the Art Deco hotels that line Ocean Drive, inspire the curves of my gowns.  The beach living, with crocheted swimsuits and sexy sheer wraps want to flow into these dresses.
These images, ideas, inspirations are so important to my Design Process, that they help to guide my vision, my passion, my creativity for each one of my Collections.  Now, stay tuned for the release...

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Michelle & Chip


Michelle was referred to me by my dear friend Farrah. Michelle had been trying on gowns at many other boutiques and came to me only two months away from her wedding. Through her searches, she discovered that alencon lace was her ideal selection for the fabric of her gown. But not just any alencon lace would do, she found a scalloped lace from another Designer to be the perfect pattern for her dream gown. I designed her gown keeping in mind the lace she desired. As time was of the essence, I immediately took the challenge to find a similar lace to the one Michelle wanted. But, due to the short lead time, we kept running into delivery issues. As Michelle and I met various lace vendors, we came up with the solution to combine three different laces to create one...and so we did.


In the end, Michelle was so in love with the final gown that she simply could not believe how we took three different laces and created a beautiful dress to look like one...the one! In her words, even more beautiful than the original gown that she had first envisioned.
The wedding was captured wonderfully by Isabel Lawrence Photographers .

Congratulations Michelle & Chip...

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Teresa & Brian


When I met Teresa and her mother Ingrid for the first time, I knew that Teresa was going to be a delightful bride to work with. Her search ended when she came to see me and learned that the option to design a truly couture gown was available. Once Teresa heard that, we moved forward with the design of her gown incorporating elements from a vintage one that she had seen.
Teresa's venue was not your typical location. She and Brian are avid travelers, so it was a natural choice to opt for a destination wedding... Costa Rica.
Knowing this, I designed her gown to suit this exotic location with a update to a classic style.
The bias cut crepe back satin gown with chiffon gusset had such a beautiful flow which moved gracefully with her silhouette. The plunging back neckline was framed with a beautiful floral lace applique which carried around to the front.
A perfect gown for a perfect setting...
The wedding, festivities and beautiful location were wonderfully captured by Photographer Tracy Moore.


Congratulations Teresa & Brian!