BE INSPIRED
The Couture Bride by Pixie Tenenbaum
BE INSPIRED
The Couture Bride by Pixie Tenenbaum
My mantra is 'People will stare, make it worth their while' and when it comes to bridal, never was there a truer word spoken. As a bride, all eyes should be on you and if anyone challenges this on the big day, have them promptly removed. You are a queen for the day and you should dress as such.
With the rise of the 'Couture Bride', bridal couture has never been more accessible. Where 10 years ago, a simple two piece with clean lines and swathes of fabric was the height of sophistication, in 2017 that just won't cut it. Attended many weddings as a guest recently? Then you'll know that guests talk about everything in relation to cost and expense. Therefore, if you produce your wedding on a budget, you'll want to make it look like it cost a gazillion dollars and if it did cost you a gazillion dollars, well it had better damn look that way.
My top pick is Inbal Dror. Still gathering pace in the bridal world and introducing fabrics other designers can only dream of, this gown is understated opulence at its very best. Why Inbal Dror you ask? Because it's bridal, but it oozes sex appeal and you'll have every guy in the room wishing they were waiting at the end of that aisle for you.
A strong dress requires 'Take Me To Bed' shoes, otherwise they're just not going to be noticed. I'm touting Ralph & Russo as an abso-must! Taking regular day-to-day shoe shapes and switching them up with a quirky bridal twist - they'll give your guests something to talk about for months after.
In terms of head wear there's only one lady for the job and that's Kathryn Russell. A small pointed crown is a must, think Dolce & Gabbana or the Queen of Hearts on a much more wearable scale, and you've got yourself a bridal outfit to inspire envy, lust and a thousand copycats who will use you as their barometer. Trust me, Pippa's ass has nothing on this.
Want to achieve this look on the high street? It's a pretty tall order, but with a little scouring you can create a similar look on a budget. Try ASOS for couture mimics on a shoestring. Taking inspiration from the 'naked dress' trend, ASOS come up trumps in the style stakes for youth-led bridal trends at the moment. This style is a pretty good, clean homage to a trickier bridal trend (dare to wear it without the slip and throw on a bustier and Bridget Jones-style knickers for extra style points - H&M do the best ones by far).
For shoes, Kurt Geiger is home to the two-part Bond shoe from the brand's B Series, with its metal cigarette heel it spawned copycats everywhere in 2016. 2017 will bring us the updated Britton version, prefect for bridal with its diamanté studded mesh upper and slim heel. At £420 it's an investment. I know what you're thinking, but this is your wedding - stop being cheap!
High street head wear is a minefield and it's tricky to navigate, make one wrong move and you're in Claire's Accessories territory. Crown and Glory comes up aces every time, their star halo crown is a safe bet on the high street and looks way more expensive than it's £37 price tag.
Like what you see? Everything here is stoppable right now but don't hang around, you're not the only one getting married in 2017....
Pixie x
Words by Pixie
