1980's -Glam Sequin Wedding Dress

A dress that Lucy was unsure was possible, things weren’t coming together easily in planning the dress - unsure that her ideas weren’t possible. But one rainy afternoon I happened to email Lucy to see where her thoughts were at, we discovered that we loved only a ten minute walk from each other so I took a little walk to see her. Her inspirations were her 1980’s idols, Goldie Hawn and Meryl Streep, sequins, wrap dresses and big shoulder pads. A challenge for me in design for sure, the 1980’s isn’t my usual territory.

Lucy had already spotted an amazing sequin fabric in white with a great texture of different sized cupped sequins, but stock was dangerously low, and it was discontinued - I was a little worried that I’d never find another fabric to offer Lucy that was as she dreamed. But luck had it that there was just the right amount to create Lucy’s dress! How fateful is that!?

Lucy’s dress has a slim-fitting wrap skirt funneling gently towards the hem, cut to calf length. The wrap over-laps to reach across the hip, but the opening at the hem crosses in the centre and curves in symmetry, showing off Lucy’s shoes. Lucy originally chose some ankle boots to go with her dress (I love something a bit edgy), but then these 80’s-cool white court sling-backs turned up, which I think actually complete the look perfectly.
The sleeves have very large pads, built up from 2 pairs each side, and are cut in a kind of “leg ‘O mutton” style, which at college I found really old fashioned - but now - they work! The idea is that they are large at the top and slim down to the cuff. For Lucy’s we pleated the cuff and added some small silk buttons.
The bodice wraps to meet the skirt, but is pleated and blousoned over the waistline and a narrow gros-grain ribbon belt; an internal, hidden and fitted bodice keeps the waistline in place and the shoulders stay where they should be, with the additional help of a narrow rouleaux across the back, sewn with scattered and matching sequins.

Lucy married at the very cool Asylum in Peckham. Another Wilden Bride married at the same venue last year, with a very different dress. It’s so awesome to see everybody’s interpretation of the same venue when it already has such a unique style of it’s own.

Photographs by Lozza Kelly (awaiting website links).