This year I organised our work Christmas party, and to be just a bit different, I asked my mum to make my outfit. I have always loved guipere lace, and wanted this to be the main fabric for the dress. I sketched out a design based on two amazing dresses I had seen, one by Oscar de le Renta and another by Sue Wong, and between my mum and I we found a pattern that could be adapted.
Guipere lace can be very expensive, so I was thrilled when I found a listing on ebay for some beautiful silver guipere lace that wouldn't cost the earth and was being sold in this country. I was a bit dubious about not being able to handle it before I bought it, however I ordered a sample and rang the fabric shop to talk to them about it directly, which really put my mind at rest. My mum sourced the draping weight nude jersey to use as the lining from a trader in Kettering, which was a perfect base for the delicate lace.
The original sketch for the dress had crystals around the neckline, which I took off a bodice that I beaded for my 6th form prom, and ostrich feather trim around the hem. However, when it came to sourcing all of the different elements, the feathers worked out to be very expensive, so I changed the design to include a double layer of silver fringe.
As with any project or design, alterations are made constantly throughout the process, and in the end, we decided to keep the neckline plain, as the lace was so beautiful we didn't want to clutter it with extra decoration. The fringe was also a great decision as it gave a weight to the hem that made the dress sit correctly, and it was fab to swish around when I was dancing.
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