Bridal Designer Blog

It’s 24th December 2019 and I have just finished working on one of my bridesmaids dresses for my wedding this weekend! Sounds exciting and it is, each wedding I do involves many hours of work and each one is personal to the bride that it has been worked for.

Sometimes I wonder could I have picked a different job but I guess it picked me.
There is practically nothing I wouldn’t do for my customers, especially ones that I have stayed in contact with over the years. Today’s bridesmaid just arrived in from Cork last Saturday with her children who are attendants at the wedding. I suppose the correct term is matron of honour as this is one of my former brides. I’m guessing that word of mouth meant that my present bride was reassured by her sister in law to be that I was capable of doing her whole ensemble for her. I think most of my brides are referred in this way. It means my work is so personal and special.

This is a special time of year, romance and family traditions are key. It’s an exciting time of year to get married but it is also a venerable time to arrange so many things what with Christmas and all that it brings. Making sure that wedding outfits stay the correct size over the festive season is one concern, however I will do my best to make sure that that is sorted. As you can imagine it is a busy time for florists and entertainers and even venues such as hotels as they have so many parties to cater for at this time of year. The advantage is that everyone is off work and looking forward to family get togethers. Maybe some people are travelling home for Christmas.

Whatever you are up to enjoy it. Merry Christmas from me.

Competition Time

It’s a busy time of year but here’s a Competition for
 All Brides to Be.

For your chance to WIN @ bit.ly/2XsEPDB

Costume Designer, Vicky Gill, who leads the team delivering the visual va-va boom every week.

Have you been watching Strictly and wondering?

So how do you go about dressing the nation’s favourite show?

Vicky Gill designs the costumes we see on the Strictly Come Dancing shows. She has a background both in fashion and dance Costuming. Her clients have included girls Aloud, Cheryl Cole, Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue. However in the last ten years she has been involved in the costuming for Strictly,which takes her through from August to December each year.

Let's take a look as to how it works .

                                                 Vicky works the sketches of ideas.

Once the shows are under way it is totally Full On, with up to 14 new sets of costumes per week.

"The Executive Producer will flag up the theme they want to portray each week and so I use that as the launchpad for my design concepts.
My whole aim is to meet the producer's needs while making the celebrities look and feel fantastic.
Some people are naturally more confident than others so it's vital that we take everyone's personality into account as we are presenting mini-stories with each dancer
taking the starring role. We have the most fabulous job to be allowed to design and create these costumes that even when the pressure is on and the days simply
disappear I guarantee no-one minds about the hours we need to put in as it's all absolutely worth it. It's a real privilege to be involved in the show, every crazy minute! 

Approximately 200 costumes are created for each series, with every design needing to take into account the type of dance and the kind of moves and lifts incorporated".

The dummies taped with padding to replicate the dancers body shape to help with fittings

Vicky leads the team delivering the visual Va-Va boom each week, there are loads of workers behind the scenes.

 The pattern cutter in action.

The fabric being cut out in shapes to make up the garments

One of the many stitchers sewing at her machine.

The garment being pinned on the dummy to see how it is shaping up

The skirt and waistband being added

The many many layers of tulle being trimmed into shape.

Having grown up with dance and design as very much part of her life, 

Vicky is uniquely placed to make the Strictly dancers not only look fantastic, but capture the movement and theatre of the dances they perform.