Posts tagged ‘fashion’

Apr 4

Urban Johannesburg Bridal Shoot

Hello lovelies! Things are all a bit hectic behind the scenes here at SBB, as I put the finishing touches on my course material for The Editorial Wedding, which is happening next week. So excited to show you what we have been up to – and photographers, if you haven’t booked yet, tomorrow’s your last chance! It’s going to be an awesome day, and I’m particularly excited to be co-hosting it with a photographer who I admire not only for her beautiful, colourful, crisp photography and ability to capture the moment, but for her business savvy as well. It’s been such a pleasure getting to know Anneli Marinovich over the last year, and I’m so happy to have her as one of SBB’s sponsors – anyone still looking for a wedding photographer in SA for the end of this year should give her a shout. Anneli is so enthusiastic about her work and the industry, and she makes it very easy for her subjects to relax. She’s also a true creative, and loves taking on new projects and shooting different things. I always love sharing her work here on SBB, and today we have a gorgeous urban bridal shoot that she did in Newtown, Johannesburg. I love the mixture of soft, romantic bridalwear (not to mention gorgeous Jannie Baltzer headpieces) with the industrial urban backdrop, and the way Anneli has her model interacting with the Joburg architecture. It would make for an awesome rock the frock – just sayin’! Anyway, big welcome to Anneli as always, and enjoy! Read more

Mar 1

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Elbeth Gillis 2013 Collection

Good morning friends! It’s time to share some dress inspiration, and today it’s from one of South Africa’s top wedding dress designers, Elbeth Gillis. I’m a huge fan of Elbeth’s work – not just because I’ve seen it sitting pretty on so many SBB brides, but because I was lucky enough to work with some of her dresses on a shoot last year. Our model that day remarked that they were so comfortable, especially considering how detailed and beautiful they were, which is kind of the holy grail of what you want to wear on your wedding day, right? So when Elbeth sent over her new collection, I couldn’t wait to share it with you all. I love love love all the illusion lace that’s going on – so pretty! I also loved that the pictures for the collection were taken at a mansion that’s undergoing renovation – something a bit Great Expectations about the combination of rubble and lace. Elbeth works personally with each of her brides, and her team handcrafts each piece to make sure it fits to perfection! Read more

Feb 6

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Coloured Wedding Dresses

Image: Michèle M. Waite via Elizabeth Anne Designs

A few weeks back, I gave my predictions for wedding trends in 2013, and today I’m exploring one of my favourite. Coloured wedding dresses have become a huge style crush for me, and it seems like just about every designer feels the same way. And why not? White dresses weren’t even a part of wedding tradition until Queen Victoria married in one in 1840, and they weren’t the norm until after the Second World War. Many brides simply wore their best dress, whatever the colour. So you shouldn’t feel obliged to wear a white gown, any more than you’re obliged to wear a veil. And as wedding dresses themselves move toward evening gown shapes and embellishments (and sometimes even actual evening gowns worn as wedding dresses), the field is wide open for you to wear something that really makes your heart sing. I think what I like most is that, unlike the coloured wedding dresses of the ’90s (which were mostly red and black and wrong all over), most of these combine soft whispers of colour with elegant flowing fabrics, resulting in all the romance of a white ballgown, but with a bit of extra zip. But it’s all very well to read this, and to see the dresses on the catwalk. What do coloured dresses really look like on real brides? Here’s a rainbow of loveliness to show you! Read more

Jan 11

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Cymbeline Paris 2013 La Parisienne Collection

Audrey Hepburn said it: Paris is always a good idea. And it’s not just the city in general that I have a total crush on, it’s the people. Parisian women (oh heck, all French women) are so impossibly chic, they frighten me a little. I look at the Facebook albums of French friends and wonder how not only do they always look perfectly put together, but so do their mothers, their grandmothers, their friends. I mean, we Italians have bella figura, but the French… well, they’re something else entirely. I’m not sure it’s something you can learn or buy or replicate – I have a feeling it’s part of the DNA. But what you can do, if you want to have that je ne sais quoi on your wedding day, is to invest in a dress by Cymbeline Paris. If there’s one label that embodies that French knack for combining vintage and modern, timeless and fashionable, formal and avant garde, then this is it. There’s even a bridal trench coat, fergoodnesssakes. Here’s what they had to say about it themselves: The Parisian lady is known worldwide for her “unconventional chic”. She highlights the basics and makes her daring a major asset. Everything is about attitude, being in tune with oneself and combining this with a little bit of irreverence.
I love every piece in this collection – appropriately named Le Parisienne - and even better, it’s photographed around the beautiful city, so we can do some Paris travel dreaming at the same time. Sigh. Oh, and the male model in this shoot aint too hard on the eyes neither. Oui to all of it! Enjoy. Read more

Nov 15

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Molteno Creations Bridal Shoot

Good afternoon, lovelies, I have some eye candy for you. Because we all love to look at gorgeous dresses, don’t we? Especially when they come from a local designer – in this case, Molteno Creations. I am hearting the hell out of the way that these pretty, unique but extremely wearable dresses have been styled with a slight vintage edge – I’m LOVING the red lip and feather headpiece (from Carrie B.) especially. Fab Cape photographer Abigail K. was behind the lens, capturing all the bridal fashion loveliness to share with you. Read more

Nov 9

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Rosa Clara 2013

Time for some more dress inspiration, my lovelies! When Natasha of Olivelli Cape Town told me the new Rosa Clara collection was in-store, I popped right over (virtually, obvs) to check out what this beautiful Spanish label had for us and oh my word, I am in LOVE. It’s like a cross between all the dress fashions I am obsessing about at the moment. A lot of Holly Golightly-esque 1950s/early 1960s styling, plenty of sheer and lace, a touch of ballet and feathery skirts, sweet pastels and some slinky chic numbers. With over 75 dresses in the collection, there really is something for every kind of bride, but I thought I would round up my Top 10. Okay, slightly more than 10. But whatever, they’re BEAUTIFUL. Read more

Oct 31

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Kelsey Genna Wedding Dress Collection

I’m so excited to bring you this post today and introduce you to the work of New Zealand-based dress designer, Kelsey Genna, because believe me when I say this is really a name to watch. When Kelsey sent me her very first bridal campaign, I was immediately struck by how unique, gorgeous and wearable her dresses are. I know many brides who aren’t into the whole traditional dress thing, and want something more boho without sacrificing that wow factor – in fact, I’ve featured many such brides right here, and I can really see Kelsey’s designs on South African brides. They’d be amazing at a farm wedding, for example, and I love that they combine a slightly vintage edge with an elegance inspired by flowers. Not to mention that I’m dying over these campaign images and how beautifully the dresses have been styled – I do love me a good floral crown! If you’re thinking “I love these, but New Zealand is, like, far”, then worry not, because Kelsey often works with brides in other countries and will happily ensure the dress is made to measure and supremely flattering. I can’t wait to see real life brides in these beauties, and to follow what Kelsey does next. Read more

Oct 16

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Fit for a Queen

So… you’ve met the man of your dreams, you’ve dated, you’ve met each other’s parents, you’ve realised you want to spend a lifetime together, and the moment you’ve been waiting for since you were a little girl has finally arrived. Not THAT big moment (we’ll assume he’s already popped the question) – the moment you get to go into a wedding boutique and play dress up. The first time you really get to feel like a bride, when your mom will well up and your best friends will sigh, and you’ll all drink champagne and say yes to the dress. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from visiting both high end boutiques and (sometimes slightly dodgy) budget ones with friends, not all dress fitting experiences are made equal. And nothing makes you feel less bridal than getting stuffed into a shabby sample by a grumpy assistant in a tiny changing room with peeling wallpaper and a curtain hanging precariously off the rail.

Fortunately, that doesn’t have to happen to you. If you read the blog regularly, you’ll know that a brand new branch of Olivelli has now opened in Cape Town, and as well as drop dead beautiful dresses, Olivelli is all about personalised service. Owner Natasha Colson, who was inspired to open her own branch after a blissful experience as a bride at the flagship Gauteng Olivelli store, is passionate about making all her brides and their guests feel like royalty when they come in for their fittings. More than just another wedding chore, it’s an experience. Read more

Oct 8

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Real Life Bride #7: The Details

It’s four o’clock in the morning and I’m singing “I could have danced all night; I could have danced all night, and still have begged for more. I could have spread my wings, and done a thousand things I’ve never done before…” whilst searching for pictures of wedding décor online. I think it means we are officially in the final stretch. Less than two months to go! :))

So, how will we decorate our wedding? Well… there’s table settings, for which I found myself reading a book on French and English etiquette (which I am utterly relishing) to be certain as to which cutlery to hire. There are colour schemes, where contemplation has brought me to the interesting conclusion that I am completely smitten with the colour seafoam green (or perhaps it’s just these shoes?).

Oct 4

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Flower Girl Dresses {Monsoon}

After taking a bit of a dip, having junior attendants is very much back in vogue right now (and it’s just as well, because everyone I know is pregnant right now. Seriously. TWELVE friends). I’ve been looking around at flower girl dresses recently, and I was struck by how gorgeous the ones at Monsoon are at the minute (they’re right on the cusp between a sale of their summer collection and the Christmas party one, so it’s a good time to shop). I feel like dresses for little girls should always be age appropriate, but there’s something completely adorable about a flower girl in a sort of mini version of the kind of dress that all of us adults would love to wear, isn’t there? I thought it would be fun to match ten of my favourite dresses from the Monsoon collection with some favourite inspiration boards from the archives. Aren’t they lovely? Oh, and I have it on good authority that Monsoon will be selling some feather angel/fairy wings soon too, which would be the cutest accessory for a little lady.