Editorial, IMAGE Magazine, Jan 2011
The Bespoke Route
It would have been easier to track down the Holy Grail than source my wedding dress.
Despite months traipsing around bridal showrooms and endless hours online, The One still eluded me. Then, backstage at Milan Fashion Week, a vision (pictured above), wafted past me in a white silk Pucci evening gown and my infatuation began. It swiftly ended, however, when I flew to London to try it on, only to discover it was rather poufy when not worn by a size six model and, moreover, that it came with a £7,000 price tag. Hence, I gathered as many images of my fantasy gown as possible and called into our neighbours at IMAGE Towers, Roisin Cross Silks, and beseeched them “to make me something like
this”.
Fortunately, couturier Ann Flavin, right, had recently joined the team and, despite the complicated design and the nightmare client in question, she stepped up to the plate. Once we sourced the perfect silk from Japan, Ann set to work on creating a pattern inspired by the original concept but tailored to better flatter my figure. With just eight weeks to D day, it was a huge leap of faith, but three fittings later, and having put her own stamp on the design, Ann had pulled off a miracle. The finished creation surpassed all my expectations and was a lot more graceful on me than the original, not to mention about 80 per cent cheaper. Moral of the story? Try to think outside the box. If you’re getting nowhere with traditional bridal stores, look to the catwalks and eveningwear collections for inspiration and don’t let budgetary restraints hold you back – there’s a plethora of skilled local couturiers out there only dying for exciting commissions. Just be explicit about your wishes and the dress of your dreams is yours for the taking. Ann Flavin can be contacted at Roisin Cross Silks, 22 Crofton Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, 01 284 6282 |
