Once in a while a dress comes along that just seems to capture the attention of many. For whatever reason it may be, it tells a story, it leaves people talking about it, and many begin to clamour for one of their own. Such was the case with the wedding dress of Hayley Monson the bride featured on the cover of our second issue of Hello May.
Just months earlier we’d featured the dress on our blog. It was listed for sale among a slew of other amazing vintage frocks on Dear Golden’s Etsy shop. These folk know their vintage and are pros at finding and restoring the very best ?stuff. It wasn’t until many months later that an email would pop up in our inbox with the wedding pictures featuring that very same dress that would eventually make it to our cover.
It embodied a perfect balance between demure and playful. Elegant without being overly so, and fun without being ridiculous. It was pure 1950s, all at once, in one enviable white wedding dress. But the thing about vintage which we all know well and appreciate, and yet can be frustrating of stupendous proportions is that it’s a one-off.
So, in the tiny Tasmanian town of Penguin, a small bridal boutique by the name of Studio White, with nothing in their minds and hearts more than the fact that all they wanted in the world was this dress, set about making a perfect copy. We quizzed them on the process, while ?Tassie wedding photographers Fred and Hannah and cinematographers The Love Lab, were there to capture it all .
Tell us a little about who you are and what you do? Studio White is a small boutique in a little seaside town called Penguin, on the North West Coast of Tasmania. We initially started out as exclusively bridal but have moved into vintage-inspired day wear, accessories and gifts as well. We love to work with our customers to create unique gowns, that showcase their personal style and individuality.
What inspired you to create this particular dress? Hello May did! Every ?one of us who work at Studio White fell in love with the vintage gown from issue two, and we decided we had to have it, the only problem being it’s a vintage gown. It fitted perfectly with our favourite era and we really love to be able to offer brides a vintage-feel design for their wedding day as something a little different.
Talk us through a little of the design process… Our seamstress Rose has a lot of vintage patterns that were her nanna’s. There happened to be one which was a very close resemblance to the gown so with some tweaking and adding some details,we have changed the design from ?a day dress to a wedding gown.
What kind of materials did you use? ?We knew we wanted a lace which was a little different to a lot of the floral designs that are around at the moment. Sharon and Emily did a scouting trip to ?Melbourne and Sydney in search of the perfect lace and when we spied this design we were hooked! Its a cotton lace which ?we love, as it is very similar to what would have been used originally in the 50s. The lace is then paired with dupion silk and bridal tulle.
How many metres of fabric go into a creation such as this? There is close to 20m of fabric used in this design.
Style icons? We have so many! We love looking at photos of real women from the 50s and seeing how they interpreted fashions. Anything Dior is up there with our ultimate gowns, and then from the current day, we adore Zooey Deschanel, Kate Middleton, Kate Spade… anyone who has a unique style and owns it.
What is it you love about this era in fashion? Dressing up for the occasion. Hats, bags, gloves the accessories complete the outfit. Its not just about the dress, its about the whole look.
If you can bring one thing back from the 50s what would it be? It’s a toss up between the art of dressing for occasions and cocktail hour!
And if you could leave one tradition in the 50s? The concept that a woman’s place is just in the home women can bring home the bacon and fry it up too!
How long did the dress take to make? From start to finish, the process of making a dress like this takes weeks, as we ensure the quality and fit are perfect.
Does it have a name? We released this gown as part of our new range which is named after our favourite flowers. We think the skirt is a real bell shape so she has been named Bluebell’.
Where can brides go to try this bad boy on and how many cool bucks will it set them back? This dress is exclusive to our shop here in Tasmania, and our online store. Bluebell’ retails for $1890and you can check her out in greater detail right here.
CREDITS Photos Fred and Hannah // Bridal gown Studio White // Video The Love Lab.