Something Old, Reimagined

Fliss originally came to me hoping we could transform her mum’s 1980s wedding dress into her own ceremony gown. But there was one fairly fundamental problem: Fliss is significantly taller than her mum, and there simply wasn’t enough dress to make it work.

So rather than force the original into something it couldn’t be, we made two dresses from one story.

For Fliss and Charlie’s legal ceremony in London, we carefully deconstructed her mum’s gown and used the fabric from the original skirt to cut an entirely new mini dress — a new bodice, a new skirt and a modern cut-out back.

I embroidered tiny pearl droplets across the silk as a nod to the pearl detailing on her mum’s original bodice, while the original sleeves and bow were preserved and worked into the new design.

And because absolutely nothing beautiful should go to waste, the pearl-edged frill from the original bodice became a heart-shaped bag, adorned with bows from the 1980s dress and finished with an embroidered monogram.

Rather than using the original gown, this time I recreated its language: the same textural dupion silk, basque waist, statement sleeves and that wonderful bow - but translated for Fliss.

The bodice became softly draped, the skirt wrapped across the body into a dramatic thigh split, and the proportions were redrawn entirely for her.

One dress preserved through its details. Another created in its image. Both unmistakably Fliss.

This is one of my favourite things about bespoke: heritage doesn’t have to be preserved exactly as it was to be kept. Sometimes the most meaningful way to honour something old is to let it become something new.

Photography by Lucie Watson
London Venue Marry Me In Chelsea
London Floral Arch Fleur De La Couture