Kelly & George

My bride Kelly, who I now refer to as my "Number One Fan", is more than just a previous Client, she has truly turned into a friend.  She discovered me in Pasadena, as she was starting her search for her wedding gown very early on.  In fact, Kelly visited me almost 16 months prior to her wedding.  When she made her appointment and came in to try on gowns, she instantly fell in love with two different gowns, the Veronica gown, which is a twist front design, and the Marilyn, which has a beautifully tiered train. 
So, I redesigned her gown to incorporate both of the beautiful features from these gowns...
The final result looked very vintage Hollywood, with all the glam, beauty and class that fit Kelly to a tee!
At her fittings, her Mom and friends would also attend, and our meetings became more like girlfriend sessions.  I don't think we ever talked for less than an hour as we laughed and chatted together.
So now, Kelly has become a great supporter of me and my work and has become my "Number One Fan" as she continues to give me love...Thank you Kelly!
Kelly's wedding and reception were wonderfully captured by Cean One Photography at the beautiful Mission Inn in Riverside.

Congratulations Kelly & George!

The Art of Couture

 

So many Brides ask me this question when I first meet them, "What is couture?".  Of course, the word couture is used by many bridal designers and bridal salons to describe their gowns.  But, what does it truly mean?  And, what really makes a couture gown?

Well, the word comes from the French "haute couture", which means "high sewing" or "high fashion".  It is a word that is actually protected in France to describe only those designers and Fashion Houses that meet a certain criteria on the fabrication of their clothing.  These pieces are typically made to order for each client, made with high quality fabrics, and sewn and finished by only the most experienced seamstresses with a great amount of time spent on the details.  To be even more specific, a true haute couture designer must even have a workshop in Paris that employs at least 20 full time people among a few other rules.

Now, at this time, that I am afraid I am not able to do.  Although, working in Paris sounds fantastic! Lol!!

But, unlike many other salons and designers, that just call themselves couture for marketing purposes, I strive to reach much of the "couture" criteria with each and every one of my brides.

• It is just as important to me as it is to my brides that her gown fits beautifully, so however many fittings as are needed to achieve this must be met.
• I am also proud to be able to say that I make each and every gown locally, at the Salon in Pasadena, yes, something actually "Made In America"!
• Attention to the details is paramount and nothing should be overlooked.  As many of my brides know, I am a bit compulsive and if I personally feel that the gown is "not quite there", I will be up all night, all week, whatever is necessary, to get it right and even deliver the gown myself to my bride.

I believe that trying to keep couture "alive" is what makes my brides experience and her gown so special and dear.  After all, this is her wedding day, one of the best and most important days of her life....and that is something to be valued and cherished.

 

 

 

 

The Process of Design: Part 3 (Raquel)

Now that my bride Raquel's wedding has been celebrated, I can post the images from our last and final fitting without worrying about her new hubby seeing them.  If you recall, in Part 2, we had a full version of Raquel's gown fabricated in muslin to insure the correct fit and make any design changes prior to cutting into the actual finish fabric of her gown.  After all of the corrections and alterations to the gown and tweaks to the design were completed, I took apart the muslin and proceeded to use this as my new pattern to trace onto the final silk fabric.  Getting the muslin version of her dress (or of any of my brides) correct is crucial to allowing our final fitting to go smoothly with minimal adjustments.

I put her gown back together, leaving any small details to be adjusted the days Raquel came in for her final appointment.  This time Raquel set aside a full week in L.A. to be sure we had enough time to get everything right before she flew back East with her gown.  

After a little bit of pinning, adjusting, tacking and sewing, Raquel's gown was complete!  

As she is on her honeymoon now, I am waiting for her return and looking forward to the photos.  Oh, I also created three cute dresses for the little flower girls, their photos are coming as well...

Ali & Pehr

My bride Ali was shopping for a wedding gown that was definitely non-traditional and unique, and happened to find me online through her searching.  She wanted her dress to be asymmetrical, light, airy with just a touch of green.  I set forth to design and incorporate all of the things that she wanted in her gown.  Another design element on Ali's list was for her gown to be short and fun for her reception, but she still wanted a longer length for the actual ceremony.  So, I designed her gown with a detachable tulle overlay which was quite different texturally from her short reception dress underneath, which was created with layers of silk organza, just like silk hankies, one of my favorite techniques.  I added the green to the asymmetrical part of her gown and to her belt, by hand dipping the fabric in my own concoction of shades of green to achieve the desired effect that Ali was looking for.  Just enough color, but not too much.  And for the final touch, I designed a custom head piece with a pop of green to tie everything together.  I think the final result speaks for itself, as Ali looks absolutely radiant and beautiful in her gown.

Photographer Julie Harmsen, who was actually Ali's housemate back in Michigan, has such a wonderful eye for the details and really utilizes the natural light and gorgeous setting to compliment Ali & Pehr's wedding just perfectly.

Congratulations Ali & Pehr!

Anna & Thomas

Anna's dress all started with her fabric.  It was a fabric that had been in her family for over 60 years and was brought back from Asia by her grandfather upon his return from war.  When her grandmother saw it, she thought it was so beautiful that it should be saved for future use by one of her unborn grandchildren.  It is amazing to think that something so beautiful and delicate could be saved during a time of war, only now to be used in a time of love...now that is a wonderful cycle.   

Unfortunately, when Anna brought the fabric to the Salon and we opened it up, we discovered a large water stain.  So, her mother began looking for the remainder of the fabric in her attic space to see what was left that we could possibly use, she actually discovered an even more beautiful fabric wrapped up within the original!  Just our luck!  

Not only was the fabric a part of the long family history, but we also used a dress that her mother loved and wore, and that Anna had inherited, as the design inspiration for her own wedding dress.  

Seasoned photographer Mike Colon, of Newport Beach,  captured all of the lovely details and the beautiful wedding location of this special event.

Congratulations Anna & Thomas!

4th Year Anniversary!

Well, here we are...our 4th Year Anniversary of the Salon!  It has been a great journey so far with so many amazing things that have happened and wonderful people we have met.  Of course there have been challenges as well, but we are still here and pushing forward and upwards.  We hope that you will join us in our celebration of this great moment.  The Fall 2012 Collection will be on hand to view along with cocktails provided by our co-sponsor Tequila Campo Azul, and giveaways from co-sponsor California Wedding Day!  So come join us, for a fun night of fashion, friends, sparkling lemonade and tequila...please rsvp to rsvp@alinapizzano.com. See you there!
Best regards,
Alina + Jameel

Abi Q Photography

My latest Collection, Fall 2012, was recently photographed at the Salon here in Pasadena by the very talented Abi Q and I thought that I would share her talent with the rest of you.  I actually got acquainted with Abi through one of my Brides, Sarah, who's Wedding Abi shot in Palm Springs, and was featured on Style Me Pretty.  I thought that the photos were amazing and captured the moment wonderfully.  Her attention to detail, emotion and the excitement of the day all came through in each photo I saw.  So, I decided to get in touch with her and see if she would photograph my Fall 2010 Collection.  When she said yes, and we met, there was instant chemistry and she understood exactly what I wanted to portray with my gowns.  So, now after shooting a third Collection for me, I thought that I should definitely share her with all of you...

Brides, future Brides, and anyone in general, if you are looking for a no-nonsense photographer that will capture your Wedding or Event with a wonderfully stylish eye, then Abi is your choice.  I am now looking forward to the release of my next Collection, Spring 2013, and already I've prepared to shoot with Abi... 

Here are a variety of photos from her site that show her style...enjoy!

Sarah & Andrew