Fun in Formal-wear

This week, the lovely Alexandra and her formal dress.

Alex and her mum Bev came to me wanting an elegant, unique gown for Alex's year 12 formal in July.

As usual, what Mum thought Alex wanted was a bit different to what Alex actually wanted, so much of our time together during the design phase was me sending images between mother and daughter, and getting enthusiastic "yes" or "no!"answers from different quarters.

I also found it quite challenging to just hear what Alex wanted, so we where back and forth for quite some time...me suggesting things that were not quite right, and Alex suggesting designs I couldn't reconcile with her shape and look.

Ultimately, we went with a dress that was a development from an original idea about draped georgette, a full skirt and a boned bodice, to ensure a perfect fit for Alex, which was a major goal for both Alex and her Mum. It was the main reason they chose custom-made, over ready-made, as Alex is both tall and statuesque, which I really love to design for: you can get away with much more hanging from a lovely tall frame without drowning the woman underneath the frock. Much fun.

Initial design for Alexandra, in blue georgette and satin.
 © E.Stanistreet, 2012

So we moved along to construction and Alex ended up choosing a beautiful and very elegant navy blue georgette over a blue gray silk crepe, which just lightened the heaviness of the navy, and gave it some dimension.

Navy georgette and blue-gray silk crepe de chine.

The difficulty I find with formal dresses is getting it both age- and person-appropriate, as teenagers are so unique in their journeys and the way they want to project themselves. Alex had a great idea about her look, and wanted what was basically a very restrained and sophisticated dress, which took Bev and I a while to grasp, as a team.

I made Alex's dress with a bodice boned, in the gray silk crepe, and with a full circle skirt attached. Over this went the navy georgette, in another full circle skirt, with ruffled sleeve and draped georgette across the bust, and through the waistline, to elongate and create interest through texture and direction.

Throughout the process, Alex the feature that Alex remained committed to was the silk ruffle "streamers" and pearl buttons. These came from my own wedding dress, that she saw in the studio in photos. I replicated this onto her dress, with the help of very accurately coloured pearl buttons from Buttonmania.

I extended the bodice draping down into the skirt to add a strong diagonal line and break up the dress as bit, as it was very "navy and georgette".

It all turned out to be very simple and more elegant than I could have imagined I wanted at 18, so snaps to you Alex, you classy lady, and for pulling off a dress with 13m of fabric in the skirt... a tall order, no pun intended. 

So here are some pics of Alex, heading our on her big night.

Alex with her Dad

Thanks to Alex and her mum Bev for their patience and persistence. I hope this dress will be in Alex's wardrobe for a long time, and maybe come in handy at some of those University balls. Watch out with the spilled beer on that silk though...

Lace and Layers

This week's feature is a bridal gown I made earlier in the year, for a friend, Rebecca, for her wedding to her partner Ruhsen. They were married in Edinburgh gardens, with a relaxed local reception afterwards. 

Rebecca is the designer behind Silver Addict, which sells beautiful sterling silver jewellery. She also hand-makes the awesome "Necktie Necklace", which have been a popular and unique fashion item in Lissom Yarn for several years now.

Rebecca wanted a relaxed, modern dress to suit her elegant style, but one with a hint of "vintage" about it. It had to suit an outdoor ceremony, and gastro-pub reception, so a full-length style was out of the question. 

I designed three quite distinct dresses for Bec: two of which were more of a waisted, 50's-inspired line, and the last of which was the most removed from her initial descriptions: a 1930's-inspired bias-cut design with French Guipure lace and georgette. I like to give my clients a design surprise where possible, and an option that they haven't considered. Very happily, Bec chose that last design!

Wedding Gown concept design, silk and georgette with guipure lace.

This dress features a raglan-sleeved bodice in georgette with open back and contrasting sleeve detail, and a high-waisted bias-cut skirt with lace overlay.

I have to say, I did slightly regret my suggestion, some way into the construction when I was doing french seams on bias georgette which intersected at acute angles: not fun. Like herding cats, or sewing smoke. Hard. But reeeeallly pretty in the end, thank heavens.

Georgette raglan bodice with pieced, guipure lace insert, and contrasting dark grey cuff on sleeve. 

The back was totally transparent, with an open keyhole design. Time for the stick-on bra to get a work-out.

I tied the skirt and bodice together visually, by adding the lace boarder to the seam line under the bust with hand-applique.

Guipure lace detail with grey pearl buttons.

The dress was made from silk crepe de chine, with the georgette overlay, both in "Platinum". The lace was a stunning lozenge-shaped guipure from France, in ivory, bought from Tessuti.

I textured the skirt by cutting out the lower third of the lace overlay, and piecing it together again in a staggered, layered method, like overlapping leaves, to create a more hand-crafted result, and to lend a more organic look to the bottom half of the dress. It also helped break up the block of lace and brought out the extremely beautiful textures and patterns within the lace.

There were a couple of fittings where I was almost in tears from cutting up this beautiful lace, but Bec's enthusiasm and trust were amazing, and she was supremely generous with her time and very excellent decision-making!

Guipure lace overlay, over silk crepe de chine and georgette skirt, cut and pieced by hand.

And here are the happy couple on their big day, with beautiful weather and everything!

Bec accessorised her dress with a sparkling textures, both in her blue-grey shoes and her beaded head-band.

Their photos are by My Wedding Photos.

Thanks to Bec for being a gorgeous, inspiring (and patient) client, and also to both of you for sharing your photos! 

Get your Hollywood on..

In preparation for the Met Ball, happening tomorrow, I am sharing this Hollywood- inspired gown today.

This gown was for a lovely lady called Lyn. She was to be the bridesmaid at her sister's wedding, and the theme was Hollywood Glamour.

Lyn's sister's brief was "not Black, please", because Lyn is a good Melbournian, and enjoys the delights of all colours from black, through charcoal, navy, serge, dove and slate grey. And yellow.

So my challenge was to create something wedding-appropriate, and yet still connect with Lyn's tasteful, restrained aesthetic, and her penchant for neutrals.

She gave me a series of amazing "inspiration" photos, including, you know, some Eli Saab, that kind of of gown. Nothing too spesh. Or difficult.

Elie Saab Spring/Summer 11 Haute Couture

Elie Saab Spring/Summer 11 Haute Couture

Lyn loved the classic line and bell-shaped skirt, so I went in search of interesting fabrics and colours that would make the bride and Lyn happy..

I found this ace printed nylon net in the Fabric Store (Brunswick Street),

which really inspired me and eventually also inspired Lyn, once we had a whole design worked out. 

Design for Lyn, © Ellen Christian, all rights reserved. 

The top is made from silk crepe de chine, lovely, and very flimsy. 

I really liked being able to achieve a layered, exciting, textured skirt, that is not too conservativly "glamourous", and has a quirkiness that suits Lyn. 

We also added a yellow velvet belt in the end, to sass it up a bit.

The hip portion of the skirt was made in panels of bias-cut crepe de chine, layered with the net over the top, and draped down the centre front.

Skirt layered in triangular 'kerchiefs.

Silk crepe de chine gown with layered net skirt and velvet belt.

And here are a couple of pics from the wedding day - thanks Lyn!