"Making The Wedding Dress"

Silk-Tulle, Lace, Silk-Gazar, and Design Sketch for the Wedding Dress.

Since she's engaged, our good friend Yuki has asked me to make the Dress for her very special day.  Even though she is a designer in the fashion industry, she wanted me to design her dress.  I met her when she was a student at FIT studying fashion.  She graduated and has kept her job for more than 10 years. For a long time, I have made her many special occasion dresses and skirts and jackets, but I expected her to design her own Wedding Dress.  But she trusted enough me to do this work.  I knew what she wanted and what silhouette is the best for her to wear on her wedding day.
Ever since we saw the "Alexander McQueen Exhibition" at the MET last spring, we were obsessed with Silk Tulle.  I was not trying to make a copy of his creations, but we loved his idea of using silk tulle.  More is better, tons of silk tulle following her down the aisle.  That image did come to mind and stayed with me.
Last fall, she was in Paris for the fabric trade show, and she found a few qualities of tulles and laces.  She returned with samples of fabrics to show me.  We liked one of medium weight silk tulle very much, so she placed the order at end of last year.  Yes, 20 yards of almost weightless silk tulle came all way from France. Then our search for the Lace began early this year.  By the way, the wedding date was April 14th, last Saturday.
By the end of February she found the lace which also came from France.  So, my designing began right after that.  
I just can't design anything without having the fabrics on my hand.  That is how I design clothing.  The Fabrics always tell me what do with them, what to make with them.  Sometimes I play with fabrics in the front of mirror.  Jonathan always says, It looks like I'm having so much fun when I do that.  I think he is right, I do have fun when I have great fabrics with me.  
Some designers start sketching dresses and other clothing even before they get the idea of fabric, I don't know how they do it.  They must have trusty textile companies or suppliers who can produce fabrics they want for the design ?
Once she found the lace she loved, we came to the decision for basic silhouette of the dress easily.  
Soon after that I started making the pattern.  Since I have many patterns of garments I made for her the past, draping was not necessary for the dress. 
The draping is my method for pattern-making for the garments.  Using muslin (un-dyed cotton cloth made for fittings and pattern-makings, before cutting actual fabrics to try its fit) to create a silhouette over a dummy (cloth covered mannequin) then draft patterns from it.  That is my only choice for pattern-making.  Unless I already have patterns for a similar shape of garment.
After the First Fitting with muslin, Jonathan started to take pictures of the whole process of how those 2 chosen fabrics became the wedding dress for her friend and family to see later.
Normaly I do not post my work for this BLOG, but decided to make one exception. Just because many of my friends in Japan who know her as well as the new couple's friends who couldn't come to the wedding can all see how she looked on the very special day.  And I know they wanted to see what kind of wedding dress I created for her on the April 14th.  
And I decided to show what was the process for the Making the Dress.

"Fabrics & Design for the Dress"

After the fabrics arrived I started to design the dress.

The sketch will help her to look for Accessories and Hair Design.


"Cutting Fabrics"

For the 2nd Fitting I need to make the bodice of dress in the real fabric.

I also needed to cut backing for the lace bodice in Silk Gazar.

This made the lace more stable.  Lace is a very fragile fabric as you know...

Cutting the Lace.
Top and bottom of the lace scallops were all incorporated into the design. 
Some of them were added by hand.
Some of them were seamed in such way to make them look continuous. 
With this pattern in yellow architects' drafting paper, 
I can match motifs of the lace for the dress.

As you can see, Flesh Tone Silk Organza added to the bodice.

Besides adding strength to the lace, this would give it an Antique Look.

After all, Yuki loves Vintage Clothing.

 Too White, that is what we both wanted to avoid.

After this 2nd Fitting was done,

We decided to have the bottom part of dress's silhouette as a Soft A-Line.
The sculpted bodice will change to the soft flair below the hip line.

That is always a classic & elegant shape for the wedding dress in my opinion. 
And we agreed, it was the best way to show off the beauty of the lace.
As I always say, "Fabrics will dictate what to do with it !"
I never argue with that voice.

"The Third Fitting"

Organza parts of the bodice would be replaced by a second layer of Lace Scallops which doesn't get silk gazar backing, therefore you can see skin thought.

We didn't waste one scallop.  We used them everywhere we could.

That all had to be done by hand stitching.

"Silk Tulle Petticoat"

All 20 yards of Silk Tulle were made into the Petticoat. 

She worn this petticoat under the dress for the ceremony.

My initial image was "The Lace Dress with Train is Floating Over Spring Clouds."

The Tulle Petticoat would give it that look. 

And that would also add drama for her entrance !

The Wedding Day is all about the bride's entrance, isn't it ?

After the 3rd Fitting, I started to cut China Silk for the lining.

 I chose to have flesh tone silk for the lining.

I wanted to make the lace pop against right taupe color lining.
This helped give the dress the antique look as well.

This was the completed silk lining before it attached to the dress,

I needed to have one more fitting to decide the length.

Yuki was not successful finding shoes yet.

We scheduled the final fitting 2 days before the wedding day.

This was Ruched Ribbon that we made from China Silk. 

 This decorative ribbon sewn at the hemline of the lining.
This additional detail meant to be peek out under the lace when she moved.
Couture is all about Details.  

I still have many Secrets & Techniques for that !

The detail of the Back Bodice.

The second layer of scallops were carefully attached by hand at front & back.

"The Final Fitting."

The Final Fitting with Simple Veil.

We had to make sure Everything is right.

She looked perfect !

My seamstress is finishing up the hem of the Petticoat's Silk Gazar Lining.

Silk Tulle will be floating over this stiff skirt.

China Silk Dress Lining is finished with self ruching ribbon.
This addition will give extra protection for the Lace.

"All Hand-Work Had Began"

This was where all the weight of 5 yards of lace will gather. 

So we had to make sure the lace bodice will be strong enough.

Before the hand-stitching we had to do blind stitching by machine.

The skirt part of the dress get only one seam at center back.
4 yards of Lace will be attached to the bodice.
That seam also had to be hand stitched.

I was stitching the skirt part of the dress on to the bodice.

The stitching had to be done with following the design of scallops of the lace.

It was already past midnight, But I finished the dress before sunrise !

After a few hours of sleep, I was up doing the last pressing.

When I'm asked to make the wedding dress, 
I also make a Wedding Ring Pillow for the bride as a gift.

I always use leftover fabrics from the dress for it.

This one was filled with Dried Lavender, Yuki's favorite !

"On the Wedding Day"

 After she got her hair done, she picked me up to go to the temple together. 

The very last part of my work has begun !  
Putting the dress on the Bride.

The Petticoat was an easy one to put on the bride.

Every time she moved, the tulle made waves.

All the Bride's Maids thought that this was the dress !

By the Way, they all wore KIMONOS.

I was doing adjustment for the Dress.

It always has to happen, some small mishap.

This was a very tiny one for me to handle without sweating.
I put a few Stephanotis(Jasmine) Flowers in her hair.



I was checking all around her to make sure if any other adjustment is needed. 
Flower Girls were ready for the ceremony.

Next to the last fluffing.

Put the train of the Dress onto the Silk Tulle Petticoat .
She was ready for the silk veil.
Ready to go to the Alter.

"Bridal Bouquet"

It is call a "Victorian."   A very special bouquet made with many Parrot Tulips.

Each flower petal was carefully removed and individually hand wired.  Then crafted into one big flower.  Cradled in tulip leaves folded like silk ribbons.  
This was the most elegant bridal bouquet I ever seen.

When I saw pictures of this design at the meeting, I told Yuki "You have to have this one for your day ! "  After I showed the sketch and swatches of fabrics of the dress to the Floral Designer, she graciously told us that "It will be a perfect one for the dress."  We all smiled at each other that evening !