Sunday Serving ~ 17 January 2010

"A dress makes no sense, unless it inspires men to want to take it off you..."
Françoise Sagan

Welcome, and thank you for finding your way here to Love My Dress on this snow-free Sunday in January 2010.  It's like Aslan has broke the witches spell in Narnia! One moment there are icicles hanging from our bedroom window at least 50cm in length, then, all we have are miserable grey skies, determined, it seems, to rain all over everything, every minute of every hour of every day!

So in order to bring a little light into this most dreary of weekends, I have composed this weekly article for your reading pleasure.  A little bit of escapism on a Sunday...

Enjoy...

Haiti... and escapism there will be, but I'd like to first pay my respects, with a heavy heart, to the people of Haiti, after the terrible and tragic earthquake of last week.  There are plenty of News sources online for you to keep a track of the latest - I just wanted to include a few links in this post to Haiti appeals.  Times are hard, but why not go easy on the Costa Coffee's next week, and donate £5 to one of the following funds instead, and play your role in helping the many thousands of desperate people in this devastated country ~ I have...

Save The Children

Disasters Emergency Committee

Bloggers for Haiti

Great Aunt Mavis.. This week, I had the absolute pleasure of writing about Tiffany Grant-Riley's wedding to her adored Husband Rob.  Tiffany is such a charming person, and I'm very much looking forward to meeting her very soon.  Tiffany runs a Vintage Wedding Planning company, and is resident Wedding Planner for Luella's Boudoir.  She had the most elegantly stylish of weddings,that was inspired by a photograph of her Great Aunt Mavis...

"For as long as I can remember  I had always admired a wedding photograph of my great aunt and uncle Peter and Mavis. Mavis holds a very special place in my heart and although she lost Peter 25 years ago, I still aspire to have the happiness they shared in their marriage. (Picture is attached). Their wedding took place on New Year's Eve 1949 but her gown and veil still reflect the 1930s glamour..."

Well, Great Aunt Mavis, who is 82 years old, logged on to my Blog this week to leave a comment about my feature on Tiffany's wedding. I spilt salty tears all over my keyboard, really.  Read Great Aunt's comment, and see her 1949 wedding photograph here...

Absolutely Beautiful Weddings ~ 28 March, Claridges, London...
I was contacted earlier this week by Lisa Harris, one half of the design team that is Magpie Vintage, and asked if I would join her and her colleagues that are 'The Absolutely Beautiful Weddings' team, at an exciting event they have planned for Sunday 28 March 2010 at Claridges.  Yes, Claridges ~ described as Mayfair's Art-Deco jewel, and one of London's most luxurious hotels.

If I'm really truthful with you, I'll admit to it having taken, ooh, let me think, roughly a full nano-second to reply back to Lisa with a very excited, delighted and totally honoured email.  We've spoken several times on the phone since and I cannot wait to meet Lisa in person; she is warm, affectionate, so incredibly passionate about what she does, and extremely very funny indeed :) 

So what's it all about?  Twelve of the UK’s most exclusive wedding services, dress and accessory designers including Sassi Holford, Emmy Shoes, Luella’s Boudoir, Magpie Vintage and Edwina Ibbotson are joining forces to host this exclusive event for brides that are seeking individual, stylish unique wedding ideas.

It's going to be a super amazing show, let me tell you!  Brides, their families and friends will enjoy bubbly and canapes whilst receiving advice from the cream of the crop working in the wedding industry, we're talking top-class professionals - those who are the very, very best at what they do:-

Magpie Vintage, Jewellery Designer (read our article here)
Julia Boggio, Photographer (read our article here)
Chartula Stationery
Edwina Ibbotson, Milliner
Emmy Shoes, Bespoke Bridal Shoes & Accessories (read our article here)
Luella's Boudoir & Resident Wedding Planner Tiffany Grant-Riley
Nicki MacFarlane Bridesmaids
The Utterley Sexy Cafe (read our article here)
Sassi Holford, Wedding Dress Designer
The Elite Hair & Makeup Company
Tenors Unlimited
Hayford & Rhodes, Florist

WOWSA! Isn't that a splendid, and rather impressive line-up?

I shall be posting more juicy details here on Love My Dress very soon, including information on all of the creative people above. You may notice too the absence of a link for Milliner Edwina Ibbotson - that's because she doesn't have a website. No, she's far too busy designing the most beautifully hand-crafted creations (with stitching so tiny you can barely see it) for the likes of Madonna, Royalty and a whole line of A-list celebrities. I am very excited to have an exclusive interview with Edwina Ibbotson lined up very soon.  Look at these incredible designs she created in collaboration with Magpie Vintage, they are so beautiful (more here)...

Tickets for the Absolutely Beautiful Weddings event cost £17.00 and are available from www.absolutelybeautifulweddings.co.uk.  Do try to get there, because it's going to be fabulous.  There is The Designer Wedding Show, then there's a touch of real luxury, with Absolutely Beautiful Weddings - don't miss out! (but if you can't make this event, another one is planned for October, at The Ritz).

For Press Information Contact Jules at Marie Louise Public Relations, 020 8537 0011 or Jules@mlpr.co.uk.

Lee Klabin... creates the most stunning corsetry I have frankly ever seen. Lee is responding to some questions I've put her way for a feature on Love My Dress ~ watch this space...

All Imagery Copyright (c) 2010, Lee Klabin

 

 

Charles James... I've been looking through the boy's library of fashion books this week and one that really stands out for me, is Charles James (Fashion Memoir), by Richard Martin.  Charles James was a huge inspiration to my Boy when it came to designing his Graduate collection and I always find myself in awe whenever I come to look at any of his designs - they were so avant-garde for the times...

'Charles James is fashion's best-kept secret.  Though largely unknown to the general public, he is one of the most hugely admired couturiers within the fashion world itself.  The inventor in the 1930s of American Haute Couture, his special talent was to combine the science of design with the eroticism of fashion.  With his magnificent sculptured dresses, he created an ideal of female beauty through carefully engineered boning and padding and an unrestrained use of romantic, luxurious fabric.  A difficult, temperamental man, James died poor and unfeted, but his  work has continued to bewitch, influence and inspire subsequent generations of designers.'

Fashion Memoir, Charles James, by Richard Martin, 1997

Image Sources, Left ~ www.artsjournal.com, Right ~ www.chicagohistory.org

Photography... I' fell in love with Katherine Robertson's vintage style photography as soon as my eyes fell upon it's beauty.  Katherine is another future Love My Dress feature. I just love the vintage styling...

All Imagery Copyright (c) 2010, Katherine Robertson

 

Lovely things to see & do when journeying through 'tinterweb...

Get 15% off at Poppy Valentine ~ when you mention "Love My Dress"...

Talking of bags, I wrote about these gorgeous Red Ruby Rose clutch bags a few weeks bag. You must like them with all their peacock embroidered prettiness, because the feature is bringing quite a few hits to my site...

London Plinth ~ Author Katie Antoniou (who has written for The Guardian, Marie Claire, Dazed & Confused, and who will be writing a feature for Love My Dress very soon) blogs about what she's up to in London, which, she says, "usually involves some vintage fashion, a bit of music, art and always tea".  Splendid!  Read Katie's lovely comments about this Blog here.

Anna and the Ring ~ One of my favourite Blogs ever, I love to follow 'Anna' in her journey through the crazy world of wedding planning. This Blogger is so funny and honestly has me in fits of giggles every week :)

Natasha Bailie Vintage Clothing Company ~  a lovely virtual paradise of a wardrobe full of vintage loveliness!  I just purchased this lovely little number.

Mademoiselle Robot ~ a Fashion & Lifestyle blog created by Laëtitia Wajnapel, a Parisian journalist now living in London.  Very cool. Much fun. Full of Parisian influenced inspiration.

My Sugarland ~ ...are responding to some interview questions from me, a feature will be here soon. In the meantime, check out their GORGEOUS beyond gorgeous (I mean, really too gorgeous for words full of the most amazing original vintage and vintage inspired fashion) here.

Pearl Lowe ~ Did you read my feature on my new friend Pearl Lowe? Pearl creates the most incredibly beautiful antique lace dresses...

This Lady has BAGS of style.  And she's writing for Love My Dress very soon! (and I'm writing for her Blog too - what a complete honour!).

Nine looks like one to watch...what an all-stellar line-up!

A couple of weeks ago, I featured Florence & The Machine in a Sunday Serving.  Well, SSHHHH!....but, a friend of mine is meeting her very very soon, to talk about something very very special!  Can't tell you any more - sorry! You'll have to wait to see the announcement on this here Blog! For now, some more lovely Florence ~ it's Rabbit Heart, a fantastic song indeed, and I just love the styling on this set...

My lovely new friend Anne Agoren, designer of izzi Bag has moved to New York this week.  Good Luck in settling down Anne!  Anne is set to become Chairman of Fashion Group International next month, what a brilliantly talented lady, who is so passionate about and genuine in her desire to help others too.

First dance solo? hehehe!

I really want this Smythson Diary, but it's £190, so I'll be going without for now.  Hmmph...

Bells & Whistles Kids ~ adorable vintage style for your little ones, as are Hucklebones...

Paris Atelier have some incredibly beautiful vintage and estate treasures in their Etsy shop at the moment...

Ann Guise produces 100% silk wedding veils that are beyond beautiful.  And she really does only work with pure silk - no synthetic fibres here.

And a bit of funniness, to round off....  :)

Noooooooooooooo!!!! Really?!?!?!?

This is just the END!  People, don't get this drunk at ANYONE'S wedding if you are a guest! Let this be your warning!!! .... but have a good old giggle for now ;)

And Finally...I dedicate this week's Sunday Serving to Kat Williams, author of the Rock n Roll Bride Blog.  She knows why.  Visit Kat's Blog, it's a mecca for uber-cool, cutting edge, world-class photography - Kat literally has some of the world's best Photographers clamouring to be featured on her site.  Pretty impressive if you ask me.

Have a good week ahead folks!

♥

Comments

[katie antoniou]

Love Lee Klabin and Charles James designs- funny how despite being decades apart, their work is quite similar, a structured, sculpted look.Thanks for the mention hun xxx

[Annabel]

You are welcome Katie. I am now obsessing over COMME de GARCONS. Forgot what an impressive library of books the boy has xXx

[kat - rock n roll bride]

ooh i might have to try and take a sunday off selly telly producing and go to that 'The Absolutely Beautiful Weddings' event!

[anna and the ring]

Eeek! Too many thrilling things again this week! Seriously, I have other things to do. Must remember to book a ticket for THE event!

[Madame Sucre]

lotsa great stuff.. huge yummy serving!! .. I adore Katherine Robertson's Photography!! Wow she is amazing.. !!

[jasmine]

I've just spent about 30 mins looking through your fabulous Blog! It's inspired me so much! Its really super and I love these Sunday Servings! Keep up the good work Love My Dress!

[Annabel]

Thank you so much Kat, Anna, Madame Sucre and Jasmine, it's always lovely to receive comments on my Sunday Servings. I can't stop laughing at the tap-dancing Bride!!! ;))) xXx

[fancy girl dress]

Great videos and photography i think magnificent sculptured dresses, he created an ideal of female beauty through carefully engineered boning and padding and an unrestrained use of romantic, luxurious fabric.

[Anne Agoren]

Firstly thanx for the mention and secondly the wedding teeth was so funny, but I think I almost wet myself watching the Pole dancer. SO Funny I love you x