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| Photo by Ria Mishaal http://riamishaal.com |
What
first sparked your interest in bridal design and how has your journey led you
to where you are today?
It was my own
wedding in 2009 that got me interested in bridal design. At the time, I couldn’t find anything that was really ‘me’ and found myself wanting to wear something a bit different. It made me question what was ‘traditional’ in bridal wear and, if I'm honest, I didn’t enjoy the dress shopping experience. I actually felt nervous about setting foot in a bridal shop.
That's when I decided to make a career change. Having trained and worked in surveying, I felt creatively unfulfilled so decided to do something about it. Although this was a very tough decision, it was the start of a new road for me.
I took evening and weekend classes, learnt millinery, dress making and beading. Later on I worked as a milliner in Bristol for a few years and, in a twist of fate, got a job selling reproduction 1920’s dresses. Luckily, this led onto me doing custom orders for brides, which snowballed. It was then that I started to design what I really wanted to have worn on my own wedding day.
In 2012, I decided to take the plunge and leave behind the reproduction gowns. London stockist Luella's Boudoir saw my initial designs and stocked them, and they've been extremely supportive considering I had only been on the scene for such a short time. Things have developed from there and I am now getting quite exciting, particularly in relation to the USA which I can’t talk about yet! I’ll be in New York Bridal Fashion Week though next October.
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| Photo by Ria Mishaal http://riamishaal.com |
Can you describe what your wedding dress looked like?
My dress was a reproduction of an original 1920’s style. I’m 6ft tall and not of model proportions, so I’d never have got in an original. It had a car wash hem and it was fun but most definitely a compromise because what I was looking for wasn’t out there.
What is the best part of your creative role?
Watching
a dress develop from the initial sketch idea into something so intricate and
tangible feels great. Each design has its own back story and is an expression of how I feel. These
dresses are a creative outlet, which I find so fulfilling, and as it enables me to design from the heart. For a bride to wear one of my creations on their day is the ultimate honour for me, being part
of such a special occasion in someone’s life does feel wonderful .
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| Photo by Ria Mishaal http://riamishaal.com |
How do
you go about designing a wedding dress?
The
process usually starts in my studio or my kitchen table! I have sketch
pads everywhere. I usually have a theme I stick to initially otherwise
ideas can get out of control quickly and it keeps me on track. I
start with the overall silhouette of the gown and get some ideas for shapes -- does it have a low back, sleeves, plunging neckline etc?
Then comes the
real fun part. I am a big fan of pattern and colour, and don’t shy away from
this with wedding gowns, so I work on the overall ‘look’ of the beading. For
example, my Rose gown took inspiration from a rambling rose which blooms in my
garden for a few weeks each year and the scent is mind-blowing -- everyone
comments on it. When I was designing that collection, the rose was out and it
just happened. Next I make my toiles and on the paper patterns sketch my
beading designs. Finally I get the sampling done by my beaders; I go out
to India for a month and work with them there getting the collection finished,
selecting beads etc.
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| Photo by Ria Mishaal http://riamishaal.com |
Where do you take inspiration for
your gowns? Do you keep an eye out for current or emerging trends?
My inspiration
for the dresses has its roots in two places. I'm always referring to
beautiful gowns of the past but equally I’m besotted by current Haute Couture
and watch the catwalks. These are passions of mine, so I just look all the
time. Then it's personal interests that filter in such as Art Nouveau and Deco
Architecture, as well as my travels.
When the time comes for me to work on a new
collection, I simply black everything out and just
sketch. I never choose a 'trend’, because they are just that, I aspire to design
dresses that are timeless. The truth is everything I read and love is influencing what I
do, so a few emerging trends may sneak in there if it captured me, but I don’t
design a style because it's popular; there’s enough people out there doing that
already.
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| Photo by Ria Mishaal http://riamishaal.com |
Your second couture collection
entitled ‘2016 Nouveau’ was inspired by the 1970s
style. Why have you chosen this particular era and what
would you say are the key features of this collection?
I’m a
child of the 70’s and was on a nostalgic revisit to those looks and ended up
experimenting a bit, so the dress silhouettes are all 1970’s
inspired, they have a relaxed bohemian feel but then I wanted to
introduce some nouveau style beading which I love and see what happened, and
the overall look is very chic.
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| Photo by Ria Mishaal http://riamishaal.com |
Do you have a favourite dress
from your collections so far? If so, which one and why?
I have
two: Petra and Celeste. They are my show stopper dresses and I feel
like they really capture the very essence of what I’m about as a
designer. Petra’s beading was inspired from an Art Nouveau comb; it has a
low back and long sleeves with big beaded cuffs and a full train. It’s a
dramatic dress but my goodness it feels amazing to walk around in -- so chic yet
comfortable. And Celeste -- a real statement dress with the wide beaded
collar -- is the dress I would wear down the aisle again (to renew vows),
it's Art Nouveau meets Egypt and very me.
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| Photo by Ria Mishaal http://riamishaal.com |
As a keen supporter of bygone eras, who would you consider your
favourite bride of all times?
There are
many, but I think Grace Kelly. 60 years on and her style is still being
emulated by brides and her dress -- more complex and embellished than it looked and rocking a Juliet cap, which I’m a big fan of -- still serves as inspiration for designers.
Another bride I admire is the Queen Mother. I was taught millinery by the Queen Mother's milliner, who specialised in 1920’s style hats. I heard many a wonderful tale about the Queen Mother whilst learning to sew hats that had me laughing out loud at it totally changed my perception of the elderly lady in pastels that we all remember.
Indeed I was pleased to discover what a rebel the Queen Mother was -- her wedding dress was totally different
from what was expected of her. Although not quite made for her shape -- the designer in me would have tweaked it slightly -- I admire her for stepping out in something
so bold and different; it spoke volumes
about her character and that is what you see when you see the photos of
her.
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| Photo by Ria Mishaal http://riamishaal.com |
Could you describe the 2016 bride, who wears one of your designs?
The bride who chooses a Vicky Rowe wedding dress is creative, smart, individual and stylish. My gowns are statements and a
bride who wears one is proud to be showing the artistry and craftsmanship that
has gone into them.
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Vicky Rowe
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