Did you ever have to make up your mind

One of the things I love about what I do is seeing my ideas become reality. Going from the flat illustration and fabric swatch to a real, three-dimensional gown that someone is going to wear on the most important day of her life is a real treat. And now, you will get to experience it too, as today kicks off Diary of a Dress.

One of my lovely brides, Miss W, has graciously agreed to the project, so over the next six months, we'll be posting notes and photos of her wedding gown throughout the process.

Miss W and I first met to discuss design ideas. Some of the photos she brought to show me are pictured here:



Left to right, these are designs from Anne Barge, Monique Lhuillier, and Lazaro. Miss W liked the ruching element in the bodice of Anne Barge's gown, as well as the metallic embellishment under the bust. The Monique Lhuillier gown was the perfect example of a delicate wrap that she was envisioning- something to cover her shoulders and upper arms, but still with that bare feeling- very soft and sexy! Finally, the waistband from Lazaro's gown showed the heavy, densely patterned applique style that attracted Miss W's interest. Other design elements she was interested in were the wrapped or crossover bodice, an A-line skirt, and a possible applique or embroidery around the hem.

Keeping these ideas in mind, I worked on some drawings for Miss W. Following are some of the designs I proposed:

I included a sheer shrug or bolero in each design, knowing how important that was to Miss W. I showed a variety of ways to use lace or appliques, whether allover, or just in some places. I also included some variations on the ruching and the wrapped look.

Miss W liked all the designs but one was clearly the frontrunner. We made a couple of adjustments, and ended up with the final design:

Working from the original design, we added the metallic lace applique to the dropped waist and to the hem to complete Miss W's wedding gown design. We were done with the first step (whew!)

Next up: fabric!