Ever since we got engaged in March 2014, one of the things I’d been most looking forward to doing was trying on wedding dresses. I had simply just never gotten round to it until February this year. Two of my aunties and I headed to Norwich as I thought they’d have a bit more of selection that the town I lived in. I’d made appointments with two shops, but honestly after the day was over I needn’t have bothered booking the second.
The first thing we did is let them know we were here, just a bit early, so they told us about this beautiful and quirky tea shop opposite and we went for a cuppa – typical us! Forget the Prosecco, where’s my Tetley’s? Anyway, after going back into the wedding dress shop I was greeted by the most wonderful lady who, we soon found out, really knew her stuff. She ask me what I thought I wanted and then told me to forget everything. The plan was to look around at the shop, pick a few dresses that I liked and that we’d go from there.
I knew I didn’t want strapless, under any circumstances – I do not have the boobs and I didn’t want a halter neck. I love intricate lace and nothing so sparkly that it looks like I could have a prime spot on Big Fat Gyspy Wedding. Anyway, after a whole day shopping and sorting I finally settled on a Ronald Joyce beauty.
I recently had the opportunity to speak with a wedding dress designer called Sally Lacock. She is based in London and is well know for offering a bespoke service for beautiful and timeless lace and silk wedding dresses. Every dress is individually hand made and fitted. I have to be honest, I’d never heard of her before, but I really wish I had as I genuinely think I’d have visited her boutique for a consultation – the dresses are gorgeous!
I wanted to ask her about her inspiration, what brides should look for and the most favourite dress she’d made.
Where do you draw the inspiration from for your dresses?
I find inspiration everywhere and different things feed in to different elements of the dresses. I have always loved antique textiles so it would be fair to say a lot of my inspiration comes from looking at vintage and antique dress. I love gardening too and I think that feeds into the silk flower work and lace designs that I choose. My favourite era is around the 1900s, particularly the artistic bohemian style of the amazing strong women who rejected corsets in favour of softer more fluid draped garments.
How did you get into designing and making wedding dresses?
It is something I have always done alongside my career in fashion. I worked in the fashion industry for many years and always specialised in fit and cut so when I decided that I wanted to start my own business and realised that I wanted to work directly with the client I was designing for, made to measure bridal wear was the natural choice for me.
What are the top 3 things brides should look for in their wedding dress?
Comfort, excellent fit, beauty and originality – I know that’s four but they are all so important!
What’s your top wedding dress tip for a bride to be?
Have a dress made to measure if you possibly can do. There is nothing quite like a dress that fits to perfection and is perfectly proportioned for your figure and knowing that your dress was made especially for you is quite special. It also means you can choose your own unique design details and make it truly ‘yours’.
What’s your most favourite dress that you haven’t designed?
I don’t really tend to have favourites, mainly because I change my mind daily depending on my mood, and let’s be honest there are so many beautiful dresses out there! I’m always very drawn to vintage pieces, so if I had to choose it would probably be something from the Edwardian era. The images below are two of my favourites, I can’t tell you exactly what the dresses are but the vibe of the shots are so beautiful. Also, it’s probably very cliché but I love the emerald green dress Kiera Knightley’s character wears in Atonement, but I think the beauty of it has a lot to do with the scene itself and the attitude she has while wearing it. Clothes can be so evocative.
What’s your most favourite dress you have designed?
That’s another tough question because without the girl the dress is only half way to beautiful. So my favourites change according to who is wearing the dress. I adore the Isadora dress, one of the first styles I designed when I started the business. I had a length of silk chiffon which I draped on the figure and the style just evolved from there, there was no sketch and no idea of what I wanted it to be before I started. It resulted in a really interesting cut and is totally original. I love this dress because it stands outside of fashion trends and is utterly timeless.
Have brides ever gone against your advice and proven you wrong?
To be honest, I don’t think so. Obviously we work very closely with our brides here and are always happy to help and give as much advice as we can but ultimately I’d never try to sway someone away from a decision that felt right for them. Each bride is so individual which is what I love about working in this industry – even if two brides wear the same dress it can look completely different and they will style it up in totally different ways, so I always encourage our brides to show their personality and trust their instinct when it comes to their bridal look.
Obviously lots of women find, and think, that dresses are pretty pricey, what goes into the price of a good dress?
Beautiful fabrics and time. To hand make a beautiful dress with skill and accuracy takes a great deal of time and skill. There is also the time spent with clients in fittings perfecting the fit. Quality of materials also greatly affects the final piece so we only use the best quality lace, which also takes a great deal of time and skill to produce.
What many people don’t think about is that most fashion comes off a production line in a factory, a much cheaper way of producing clothes. We make each dress individually, one at a time, stopping part way for fittings so it’s a longer and more careful process which we take a lot of pride in.
What is the most time you’ve spent making a dress?
The process can take between 3 – 6 months depending on how many fittings are required, how much embellishment the dress has and what fabrics are used. If the dress is lace, first the lace has to be made in France, then we have to make an individual pattern to the clients specific measurements. We then do one or two fittings when the stitching of the dress is in progress and then there will be final alterations nearer the day.
What keeps the passion alive in wedding dress making?
Every lovely bride we get to work with at the happiest time of her life. Striving for perfection in each and every dress we make.
Sally’s dresses are exquisite, and hold detail beyond anything I could have ever imagined. Every time I look at one it’s like reading a different story. They’re all so beautiful and without a doubt when I’m next around I will be going to her shop even though I’ve already got my wedding dress. I just wish I’d known about her first!
What was your wedding dress like? Did you agonise over it, or knew as soon as you put it on? Would you change it now?
Such an inspiring interview. I really like bridal dresses from Sally Lacock and I wish I could buy her dress on my big day.
my wedding dress was an Alex Hanson dress, I loved it but now wish I’d had something different.
My wedding dress was a knee length peach summer dress from H&M and it was perfect but then nmy wedding didn’t have any guests 🙂 If I was going to have a big do Sally sounds right up my street.
Ooh Charlene that sounds really beautiful! Haha, maybe when you renew your vows you could go for one from Sally x