WHAT'S NEW IN THE GOWN GALLERY?

Tashiko! A silk dupion modified A-line. If you like embossed chiffon, you’ll love the treatment I gave it here. The sleeves look more like lace folding into a gathered sweetheart empire waist that ties in back creating a sweep train. The underskirt is layers of crin trimmed in yards of lace.

Photos by Smoot Photo/Hair by Gayle Parker
Inspiration for this dress came from two sources: the obi sashes on the backs of wedding kimonos and this 1805 portrait of Mlle. Riviere by Ingres, a copy of which hangs in my kitchen and I guess has been inspiring me a long time now. The regency look of the early 19th century is visible here but so is the Asian influence with the back sash that ties like an obi. Also, the chiffon is embossed with lilies and they always remind me of the Far East.

TRUNK SHOWS

Suppose you’re in love with one particular designer’s collection? Unfortunately, due to space and overhead issues, your salon can only stock one or two samples—not the entire collection. Still, you want to actually get a real live look at those 20 other gowns you saw online. In that case keep a lookout for your favorite designer’s trunk show. A trunk show is when a designer like Reem Acra makes a personal appearance at a nearby salon or department store, say Friday and Saturday only. What’s great about this is she or her representative will be there along with the entire (yes entire) collection. So all those gowns the salon doesn’t carry in sample form you can finally get a look at. In addition, you can actually meet and pick your favorite designer’s brain—ask about any changes in fabric, lace, color, etc. The result: your best opportunity to get your dress customized.
Keep in mind, just like Cinderella’s Ball, trunk shows have a time line. You pretty much have to know what you want and make your choice before the weekend is over. Therefore trunk shows are not ideal for the browsing phase of your search. Hopefully you’ve shopped prior and at length so you know for sure that this is it, this is The Gown.
If you think you’ll be placing an order at the trunk show, be ready. Bring along the shoes and kind of underwear you’ll be wearing your wedding day in order to have measurements taken correctly. And do make an appointment. Just imagine if Vera Wang showed up this Saturday at Saks. Enough said.
FYI: Though this is an in-store event, gowns at trunk shows are rarely reduced and typically go full retail.
FYI: Miss that trunk show last week? Or maybe no salon in your area carries the designer you want. If you absolutely love a particular designer consider traveling to her flagship store. There you can see her complete collection. Also, if you want something custom designed, think about becoming one of her private clients. True, you’d have to invest much more time and money, traveling to New York or LA. But if you happen to in be the metro area of your favorite star, do check into this. Although you won’t hear it publicized much, most top designers have a flagship store as well as custom clientele they cater to.

UPCOMMING TRUNK SHOWS

SAK’S FIFTH AVENUE, NYC
Edgardo Bonilla SEPT 4-5-6
212.940.2269

AMSALE
WEDDING SALON OF MANHASSET, NY
August 14-16
516.869.8455

PRISCILLA OF BOSTON
Kleinfeld, NYC
Aug 26-28
646.633.4300

Alexandra, San Francisco
Aug 20-22 Reverie-Melissa Sweet
Sept 5-6 Ulla Maija
415.951.0400

MORE ABOUT CUSTOM DESIGN

There are FAQs I get all the time. My email box is proof the two most frequently asked are: 1.) How long does it take to create a custom designed gown? and 2.) How much does it cost?
OH HOW LONG OH LONG MUST I WAIT?
We designers put in oodles of hours and a high level of craftsmanship when it comes to creating one-of-a-kind gowns. Working with fragile, white fabric and delicate laces is an art form. Add to that keeping those fragile laces intact and white gowns looking fresh through fittings. Figure a gown hand-crafted by a designer usually takes 4-6 months to complete from a listing of your measurements. The greatest thing about custom design is that you'll have more of a one-on-one collaboration with the designer and input on any choices of fabric, silhouette and overall style.
WILL MY CUSTOM DESIGNED GOWN COST ME THE DOWN PAYMENT ON A HOUSE?
Chances are, no, unless you order Lady Di's silk taffeta gown with the 25 foot train and layers of uber-pouf. Most custom designs run neck and neck with the prices you'll find in better salons. Custom designers usually work all the materials and labor into the price of the garment. Prices can range from, $1000.00 for something simple and unadorned up to $10,000.00 for the works: full trains, petticoats, underskirts, bustles, intricate beading, etc. Medium price range for a custom wedding gown as of this writing writing would be around $2500.00-5000.00.

Overall, brides are happy with custom design because of the leeway it offers. Where and in whose bridal collection can you find cotton wedding dresses these days? Or suits? Or two-piece dresses? Or convertable gowns? Custom design is optimal for the bride who wants some individual touch not offered in salons or boutiques.

THE PROCESS
The designer/client relationship is one that's very special so enter with care. Just like any relationship you must be in simpatico. In simpatico first with the design vision and then with your working relationship. You can help by bringing photos, magazine clippings, sketches or swatches of fabric to the initial consultation. All your ideas are discussed with the designer running a few ideas back to you. Choices and cost of materials, fabrics and a few other details are usually explored. If the designer has a small sample collection, this is usually when you can begin trying gowns on to see what the fabrics are going to look and feel like with you in them. This is the time too to look over how well the samples are made. Don’t worry about whether or not you know haute couture techniques here—just pull up a hem or look at the inside of one of the garments and you’ll know if its cleanly made and as beautiful on the inside as out.

THE MUSLIN
Eventually, a gown is in the making. After a final sketch is approved, a written estimate follows, complete with fabric swatches and your measurements are finally taken. For every gown order, a paper pattern is made. Think of the paper pattern as a blueprint, a record with all your dimensions on it. From this, most designers (some dressmakers too) work out a muslin. A muslin is an actual cotton mock-up and ‘living pattern’ of the gown design, fitted exactly to your body. Now, think of the muslin as the foundation work—laying all the necessary groundwork upon which your dress will be built. This is where most of the fine-tuning is done to get the perfect fit before one cut or stitch goes into the true gown fabric(s).
After your muslin fittings (there may be two of them), the muslin is unstitched and laid out on the actual fabric and the gown is made up. Since most of the fitting is worked out on the muslin, second and third fittings usually follow up with finishing touches on the gown like, final hemline, closures, remaining design details, etc. Be prepared for more than three fittings though. A gown made from the ground up is a work in progress and each step along the way is painstakingly taken, checked and rechecked. Keep in mind you want your gown delivered at least a month before your wedding. Yes. You need to synchronize your calendars on this one. You want to be able to relax and deal with all those other last minute details involved in your wedding, not still fussing around over hemlines.

If you want to view some awesome samples of custom design, visit my new pages at http://amyjotatum.googlepages.com

WHAT'S NEW IN THE GOWN GALLERY?

Imagine the formality of an elegant silhouette with all the ease of informal cotton. Here's my 'Daisy' dress in a pure white eyelet. I love this fabric. Every bride who has tried it on says its so comfortable. Audrey Hepburn as Sabrina was my original inspiration for this design. The bateau neckline pictured above was actually renamed after this character from the mid-1950s movie. The rest of the dress is a classic A-line with a to-the-floor skirt held out by layers of petticoat. I topped it off with one of my shorter veils reminiscent of 50s-60s brides.

WHAT'S NEW IN THE GOWN GALLERY?

Every so often I'll be adding new photos as samples are finished. Meet Cosette, the newest member of the Spring/Summer 2008 collection; a silk chiffon and crepe empire with peau d'ange lace at the bodice. There's a sweep train and the gray satin ribbon is a sash all the way down the back. This gown was inspired by a dress I saw in Follow the Fleet, a 1935 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers flick. When the 'Cosette' design first started going round in my head, I envisioned it on a bride at an outdoor garden wedding. But I think 'Cosette' would also look awesome at a cocktail or evening wedding. As far as the head chic goes, you have so many options with this gown: flowers in the hair, a snood, a veil of almost any legnth . . . .