By Diana Appleyard
Flawless: Dressmakers are full of admiration for Kate's Alexander McQueen gown, with flowing train held by her sister Pippa
Dressmakers across the world were poised to pick up their scissors as Catherine Middleton arrived at Westminster Abbey on Friday. The race to produce a replica of ‘The Dress’ was on. Here, wedding couturier Annette Carey tells Diana Appleyard how she did it in six hours...
As Catherine stepped out of the bridal car, I held my breath — and then gasped. She looked unbelievably beautiful and the dress she had chosen (by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen) was flawless.
The royal wedding dresses I’ve most admired until now have been those of Grace Kelly and Princess Margaret, and Catherine’s boned and corseted bustier top, nipped-in waist and full skirt appeared to draw inspiration from those two elegant dresses. It was perfect for her. As a bespoke dress couturier, I produce two collections a year, but I wanted to create my own individual version of this iconic dress
Many of today’s bridal gowns are bought from China and the majority of copies of Catherine’s dress will come from there, so I wanted to produce a British version. This one, though, will be different from my normal dresses, which retail at between £2,000 and £6,000, because for them the bride has to have at least five consultations and fittings.
As I watched Catherine emerge from the car, I had my sketch book on my lap. Within minutes, I had drawn the outline of the dress, with its sweetheart neckline and Victorian corsetry so typical of McQueen.
Then my pen travelled down to the nipped-in waist, which perfectly silhouetted this slim young woman. She has lost weight, but I was glad to see the dress did not make her look too thin, and revealed — if subtly — her impressive bust-line. I took special note of the long lace sleeves with delicate scalloping.
The skirt was perfect for her build. Made from ivory and white satin gazar, it was designed to look like an opening flower with beautiful arches and pleats.
11am: Annette starts sketching out the design, taking note of details such as the lace sleeves and sweetheart neckline
I could see the months and months of work which had gone into this dress. The train and the bodice had been decorated with incredibly delicate lace applique flowers, hand-crafted using the Carrickmacross lace-making technique which originated in Ireland. It is the tiny detailing that takes the time — down the back of the dress were 58 satin gazar and organza-covered buttons, fastened with Rouleau loops, all hand-stitched.
The lace applique for the bodice and skirt was made by the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace. Teams will have laboured endlessly over the delicate work — you must keep washing your hands to keep the lace pristine, and constantly swap needles to keep them sharp.
Once I had an accurate sketch of the dress, I began to make it. Having trained in fashion and art at City and Westminster University, I opened my couture studio in 1996 and have been making bespoke wedding gowns for clients ever since. I’ve even designed for the film industry.
I already had the satin fabric at my design studio — I buy British whenever possible, and some of the best lace is still made in Nottingham, with silk from Sudbury. From my sketch, I started cutting out a paper pattern. First, I concentrated on cutting out the bustier top, as the design of the dress stems from this fitted bodice. From the paper pattern I made a ‘toile’ — a muslin representation of the dress which I use as a template.
Noon-2pm: Once the bustier is boned and finished, the seams are stitched by seamstress Serena Pretorius, right
Working with my top seamstress Serena Pretorius, we cut the satin bustier from the toile pattern. It was very delicate, exacting work. Catherine’s bustier was boned, so we created this by using tiny tubes of nylon, held in place by ‘wefting’ — a cross stitch.
I constantly referred to the sketch and paper pattern, to make sure we were getting the detailing right.
Once the bustier was created, we overlaid the lace, which was already cut out. The seams were sewn on the machine, but tiny details like the buttons and the lace are all hand-stitched.
The lace overlay was carefully stretched so that it fitted like a second skin over the bustier, but also allowed enough room for movement. I used British lace already stitched with flowers — the lace on Catherine’s dress will have been hand-stitched to incorporate the flowers chosen by the bride.
Next, I sewed tiny buttons onto the edge of the sleeves, which are delicately hemmed and scalloped. Once the top of the dress was complete, I could start pinning on the skirt and two-metre train. I laid out the satin fabric on the table and cut from the toile pattern before laboriously starting to create the pleats and ruffles at the back. It was a relatively simple job to attach the skirt to the bustier — the hard work came in making the applique flowers and all the beautiful detailing that could be seen on Catherine’s skirt.
2pm-3pm: The gown is overlaid with lace. Lastly, the skirt is attached
This will have taken months of meticulous sewing — but I only had an afternoon! I did what I could with French lace, tacking it on to the fabric to be hand-sewn over the weekend.
Even once the skirt and train were complete, the dress was by no means finished. I had to create the petticoats which give the dress its shape and lightness. Again, I understand all Catherine’s petticoats were hand-sewn, and would have been works of art in themselves. So I used tulle, creating the ruffles and fullness which will give the dress its silhouette.
Sarah Burton will have known it’s important to give the bride a light, flexible dress. While the bustier will have been boned, the designer would have used tiny nylon threads instead of bone. They allow it to move with the bride so she doesn’t feel she’s wearing a tight Victorian corset.
The final hemming will have been the last thing to be completed, with lace detailing added by the Royal School of Needlework.
Creating a dress like this is a labour of love. Many brides buy their dress off the rack, but buying a bespoke dress should be a delightful part of the wedding planning. I try to make my fittings as fun as possible.
5pm, the finished article: Annette's replica dress, right, will be auctioned for charity
I also always welcome the ideas of the bride, and I believe Catherine has been very involved in the making of her own dress, which makes it an heirloom to treasure.
Now my dress is finished, I am thrilled. Creating this fairytale version of the McQueen design has been exhausting. It looks sharp, beautiful and elegant — a dress truly fit for a princess.’
source:dailymail
Flawless: Dressmakers are full of admiration for Kate's Alexander McQueen gown, with flowing train held by her sister PippaDressmakers across the world were poised to pick up their scissors as Catherine Middleton arrived at Westminster Abbey on Friday. The race to produce a replica of ‘The Dress’ was on. Here, wedding couturier Annette Carey tells Diana Appleyard how she did it in six hours...
As Catherine stepped out of the bridal car, I held my breath — and then gasped. She looked unbelievably beautiful and the dress she had chosen (by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen) was flawless.
The royal wedding dresses I’ve most admired until now have been those of Grace Kelly and Princess Margaret, and Catherine’s boned and corseted bustier top, nipped-in waist and full skirt appeared to draw inspiration from those two elegant dresses. It was perfect for her. As a bespoke dress couturier, I produce two collections a year, but I wanted to create my own individual version of this iconic dress
Many of today’s bridal gowns are bought from China and the majority of copies of Catherine’s dress will come from there, so I wanted to produce a British version. This one, though, will be different from my normal dresses, which retail at between £2,000 and £6,000, because for them the bride has to have at least five consultations and fittings.
As I watched Catherine emerge from the car, I had my sketch book on my lap. Within minutes, I had drawn the outline of the dress, with its sweetheart neckline and Victorian corsetry so typical of McQueen.
Then my pen travelled down to the nipped-in waist, which perfectly silhouetted this slim young woman. She has lost weight, but I was glad to see the dress did not make her look too thin, and revealed — if subtly — her impressive bust-line. I took special note of the long lace sleeves with delicate scalloping.
The skirt was perfect for her build. Made from ivory and white satin gazar, it was designed to look like an opening flower with beautiful arches and pleats.
11am: Annette starts sketching out the design, taking note of details such as the lace sleeves and sweetheart necklineI could see the months and months of work which had gone into this dress. The train and the bodice had been decorated with incredibly delicate lace applique flowers, hand-crafted using the Carrickmacross lace-making technique which originated in Ireland. It is the tiny detailing that takes the time — down the back of the dress were 58 satin gazar and organza-covered buttons, fastened with Rouleau loops, all hand-stitched.
The lace applique for the bodice and skirt was made by the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace. Teams will have laboured endlessly over the delicate work — you must keep washing your hands to keep the lace pristine, and constantly swap needles to keep them sharp.
Once I had an accurate sketch of the dress, I began to make it. Having trained in fashion and art at City and Westminster University, I opened my couture studio in 1996 and have been making bespoke wedding gowns for clients ever since. I’ve even designed for the film industry.
I already had the satin fabric at my design studio — I buy British whenever possible, and some of the best lace is still made in Nottingham, with silk from Sudbury. From my sketch, I started cutting out a paper pattern. First, I concentrated on cutting out the bustier top, as the design of the dress stems from this fitted bodice. From the paper pattern I made a ‘toile’ — a muslin representation of the dress which I use as a template.
Noon-2pm: Once the bustier is boned and finished, the seams are stitched by seamstress Serena Pretorius, rightWorking with my top seamstress Serena Pretorius, we cut the satin bustier from the toile pattern. It was very delicate, exacting work. Catherine’s bustier was boned, so we created this by using tiny tubes of nylon, held in place by ‘wefting’ — a cross stitch.
I constantly referred to the sketch and paper pattern, to make sure we were getting the detailing right.
Once the bustier was created, we overlaid the lace, which was already cut out. The seams were sewn on the machine, but tiny details like the buttons and the lace are all hand-stitched.
The lace overlay was carefully stretched so that it fitted like a second skin over the bustier, but also allowed enough room for movement. I used British lace already stitched with flowers — the lace on Catherine’s dress will have been hand-stitched to incorporate the flowers chosen by the bride.
Next, I sewed tiny buttons onto the edge of the sleeves, which are delicately hemmed and scalloped. Once the top of the dress was complete, I could start pinning on the skirt and two-metre train. I laid out the satin fabric on the table and cut from the toile pattern before laboriously starting to create the pleats and ruffles at the back. It was a relatively simple job to attach the skirt to the bustier — the hard work came in making the applique flowers and all the beautiful detailing that could be seen on Catherine’s skirt.
2pm-3pm: The gown is overlaid with lace. Lastly, the skirt is attachedThis will have taken months of meticulous sewing — but I only had an afternoon! I did what I could with French lace, tacking it on to the fabric to be hand-sewn over the weekend.
Even once the skirt and train were complete, the dress was by no means finished. I had to create the petticoats which give the dress its shape and lightness. Again, I understand all Catherine’s petticoats were hand-sewn, and would have been works of art in themselves. So I used tulle, creating the ruffles and fullness which will give the dress its silhouette.
Sarah Burton will have known it’s important to give the bride a light, flexible dress. While the bustier will have been boned, the designer would have used tiny nylon threads instead of bone. They allow it to move with the bride so she doesn’t feel she’s wearing a tight Victorian corset.
The final hemming will have been the last thing to be completed, with lace detailing added by the Royal School of Needlework.
Creating a dress like this is a labour of love. Many brides buy their dress off the rack, but buying a bespoke dress should be a delightful part of the wedding planning. I try to make my fittings as fun as possible.
5pm, the finished article: Annette's replica dress, right, will be auctioned for charity
I also always welcome the ideas of the bride, and I believe Catherine has been very involved in the making of her own dress, which makes it an heirloom to treasure.
Now my dress is finished, I am thrilled. Creating this fairytale version of the McQueen design has been exhausting. It looks sharp, beautiful and elegant — a dress truly fit for a princess.’
source:dailymail
