Tuesday, May 7, 2013

I have been thinking about wedding dresses a lot recently. The more I think about it the more I realise I was somehow destined to do something wedding related. Even when I was a child my favourite nightie was the one that to me looked like a wedding dress because it was far too big and far too long but I loved it anyway. I also loved being a flower girl and being part of any wedding. I was riffling through pictures on my laptop and found some celebrity wedding dresses which is what has inspired this post. I thought I'd pick out a few of the looks I like (I like so many) and blog about them...

Bianca Jagger



I love the audacity of Bianca Jagger wearing not only a skirt suit but a cleavage bearing one at that! It's not your typical wedding dress by any stretch of the imagination but she dared to be herself and I loved her for it. The veil over her hat and her loose wavy tresses add a softness to this look, it captures the rock n roll era perfectly. It's hard to upstage Mick Jagger but she more than held her own. One of my all time favourites.
Designer: Yves Saint Lauren


Audrey Hepburn






I simply adore Audrey Hepburn. Slight with exquisite cheek bones, innately and effortlessly stylish. This is a star that embodies simplicity and the less is more philosophy. All these aforementioned points are exemplified in her choice of wedding dress. She understood her body and enhanced it with her choice of dress. Rather than overwhelm her minute frame she wore a tea length length dress. She didn't have curves so the cummerbund showed her waist and in so doing, gave her shape. The sleeve that she went for ensured her arms did not look too thin. Her pixie hair cut allowed her face to shine and the crown like wreath flowers on her hair softened the look further and made her bridal, perfect.
Designer: Balmain


Princess Diana



I feel its almost bridal sacrilege to do a post on famous wedding dresses and not talk about Princess Di. In all honesty the dress isn't me but it is so iconic and to me so poignant. I picked these particular shots because I think they are telling.  The dress totally overwhelms her small frame which ended up not being a departure from how her real life turned out. Amidst all the drama of the dress she still emerges a star, innocent and captivating, one might say these shots mimicked what was yet to come.
Designer: David and Elizabeth Emanuel


Grace Kelly




Grace Kelly. The definitive bride. For me and probably many others she epitomises elegance, class and a timeless bride, so much so I can feel her essence in some more modern day brides like Nicole Richie, Ivanka Trump and more recently Catherine Middleton.
Designer: Helen Rose 

 


Victoria Beckham



Anyone who knows me will know I absolutely LOVE Victoria Beckham. The frenzy in England at the time she and David were going out and eventually leading up to their wedding was fever pitch. A royal wedding was far off, Prince William still being so young so their's was the closest thing. Who can forget the thrones and the miniature crown she wore on her head?! A lot of people critiqued the setting of her pictures for being a nouveau riche but I am unapologetic in my love for her! Her personal style has evolved into a more refined yet relatable look and this is exemplified in her collections. Love, Love Victoria Beckham!
Designer: Vera Wang


Kate Moss



John Galliano captured Kate Moss' essence in her wedding dress. It personified her. It was ethereal, waif like with a 30's vintage feel to it, rock and roll, modelesque- it was Kate.  The backdrop and setting reminded me of Shakespeare's a Midsummers Nights dream.
Designer: John Galliano


Melania Trump




Haute Couture with no apologies! Melania's dress was very elaborate, very dramatic, very over the top and opulent. Only she could have pulled off such a big dress, with statement diamond necklace and that high veil altogether! Anyone else would have had to wear the dress with a simpler veil and no jewellery. It's no wonder that she was the only celebrity at the time to ever have been photographed in her wedding dress for the cover of vogue. 
Designer: John Galliano


Lauren Bush





Lauren Bush for me was breathtaking. The scenery in its simplicity adds an amazing backdrop (its the Lauren's 17,000 acre Ridgway, Colorado ranch), it was nothing short of stunning. When your future father-in-law is Ralph Lauren you can be rest assured you will look amazing.  In a nod to the past she wore a hand embroided antique tulle dress with cowboy boots. The boots are not conventional but genius and again evidence of someone staying true to themselves and embracing the scenery, it all tied in beautifully. 
Designer: Ralph Lauren


Georgina Champam





Georgina Chapman's look was delicate, feminine, soft, romantic and dreamy.  Marchesa represent all those elements and for me, their dresses our visually poetic, delicate, intricate and fine pieces of art. They are responsible for creating dresses for  Emily Blunt, Nicole Riche, Coleen Rooney amongst others. Beyond bridal, their dresses they adorn the red carpet beautifully and always catch my eye. Needless to say they are a brand I very much admire. Georgina Chapman summarised their essence well in saying "I approach wedding dresses the way I approach my evening dresses. We're a timeless brand as  opposed to a fashion focused one...I think it's really important to be true to your aesthetic, to feel beautiful and comfortable."
Designer: Georgina Chapman, Marchesa