In the new series, brides tell how they chose their wedding dresses. Perhaps the most exciting yet overwhelming sartorial decision you will ever make, there is so much to learn from those who have gone through the process, from the pitfalls you need to avoid to how to know when you’ve found ‘the one’. . This time, writer and Harper’s Bazaar contributing editor Ella Alexander reveals how she chose her dress for her Sicily wedding.
I can pinpoint the day I think I’ve found my dream wedding dress. On May 4, 2013, Keira Knightley married James Righton in a knee-length Chanel couture light gray bustier dress. She left the French town hall, where she married her husband hand in hand, wearing sunglasses and ballet shoes. I loved everything about this look; how comfortable she looked and how her dress was beautiful, comfortable and yet unusual. You can imagine him wearing it again in the years that followed. It wasn’t dramatic, and it didn’t look out of place with the clothes he might wear in his ordinary life; More importantly, it looked like a dress to dance in. The dress I wore on my wedding day couldn’t have looked more beautiful. It was different from Knightley’s, but the spirit was the same; it was unconventional, quite beautiful, and made maximum mileage on the dance floor.
As any bride will tell you, the pressure to find the perfect wedding dress is immense. I had to find not one but two outfits. My partner and I were getting married in Sicily, in a city we both loved, but we were legally required to get married in the UK first. We checked into Lambeth Town Hall in the heart of Brixton, a bus ride from where we live with our young son, where we hosted an intimate ceremony for 17 close family members and then had lunch at a beloved Italian restaurant called Maremma. Sicily would be a bigger celebration; a ceremony led by one of our best friends, followed by a giant kneeling ceremony in a baroque palace.
The dress I wore to my London ceremony was easy to find; Monique Lhuillier’s full-skirted, midi-length style from The Outnet. I ordered a white and red model, but decided on red. It was the color I truly fell in love with; I’ve had the idea of wearing a red wedding dress ever since I watched Gone with the Wind when I was a little girl and saw Scarlett O’Hara in a dazzling shade of blush. I found a pair of Ganni taffeta mules that would add a contemporary flair and we were done.
The second dress was a more circuitous journey. I never thought bridal boutiques would be my bag until a PR friend suggested I visit Halfpenny London, a friendly bridal store in Bloomsbury and a favorite of celebrities and fashion editors. My appointment there changed the way I thought about wedding dress shopping; After kind, thoughtful suggestions from founder Kate and her knowledgeable team, I tried styles I never would have considered. There was one dress that I really liked; A white halter-neck dress with a wide cape. I had gone from thinking I would be a quirky, low-key bride in a comfortable, knee-length dress to a bride who imagined herself as the wedding version of Superman.
Weeks have passed and I still haven’t bought the dress. It wasn’t that I didn’t love him, I did, but something was holding me back. Taking advantage of this delay, my mother questioned why I hadn’t asked “the great fashion designer in my life” in my quest to find the perfect dress. At the time, I was co-authoring Zandra Rhodes’ memoir, Iconic: 50 Objects In My Life In Fashion. Zandra had been a friend for a long time, but I was nervous about approaching her. I didn’t want to seem greedy or arrogant. I also knew that Zandra no longer produced in-house, but only designed in collaboration with other brands. He’s also one of the busiest people I’ve ever met, and as someone who was constantly telling him to sit down, I didn’t want to increase his workload even further. Perhaps most importantly, I didn’t have the budget required for his pieces.
In the end, I couldn’t get the idea out of my mind. I liked the idea of wearing a friend’s dress, it felt personal and appropriate to our story. If the wedding dress is ultimately a blend of style, individuality and emotion then this will be the perfect choice. Zandra’s aesthetic has always resonated with me; Her dresses from the 70s are a mix of beauty, romance and whimsy. Hers are dresses made to return. They transform everyone from Bianca Jagger to Princess Diana into chiffon-clad bohemian fairies. They are also extremely convenient and allow making more than one pie of pasta in Sicily. I spoke with Zandra and she asked if I would be open to borrowing from her archives. I took this chance; Who wouldn’t want to get married in a piece of fashion history?
A few weeks later, my mother, son, and I met at the loft where Zandra had put together a rack of white dresses dating from the ’80s to the early ’70s. Again, I tried everything – demure off-the-shoulder numbers and full-skirted 80s looks, before finding ‘the one’: a floor-sweeping chiffon dress from 1973 with billowy sleeves and a low-cut neckline. My favorite of his prints is ‘Field of Lilies’, which he designed during his first trip to Japan in 1971. It was delicate, ethereal and dreamlike. As my jaw hit the floor, Zandra said nonchalantly, “I think Donna Summer wore the same style on one of her album covers from the ’70s.” I loved it.
Zandra generously suggested embroidering pearls and crystals around the neckline and sleeve ends. She covered some of the fabric with flower-shaped sequins “to capture that light lover of Sicily.” She walked around me like a pink-haired fairy, taking my measurements, pinning and curling when necessary. He tightened my waist with a satin ivory colored belt, I wasn’t sure until I saw it. I asked if we could lower the neckline so I could look more like Bianca Jagger in the low-cut Zandra Rhodes dress she wore for a night out with Mick in the 1970s (as if the neckline was the only thing keeping me from looking the same). Zandra raised an eyebrow but agreed. I couldn’t believe any of this; I still can’t believe it. My son kept it real by crushing cookies on his rainbow striped backdrop. It was very different from what I had imagined wearing – there was a lot more fabric, I was a lot more covered up – but it was absolutely right. I felt like myself but a perfect version. I didn’t want to take it off.
After three pieces, we talked about accessories. Jordan, Zandra’s incredibly smart assistant, suggested I consider Elsa Peretti jewelry. Elsa and Zandra emerged in similar periods and were part of the same New York 70s fashion scene; It felt like a great match. Tiffany, which exclusively sells Elsa Perretti’s sculptural, distinctive pieces, agreed to lend me a necklace; An open-top gold bottle necklace will perfectly complement my lily-covered dress. For the bag, I chose Stone & Mason’s ivory-colored stone drop design, which is large enough to fit my phone and comes with a jade roller perfect for breathing in the next morning. As for the shoes, I wanted something chunky to balance the lightness and femininity of the dress; Terry de Havilland’s gold, rock ‘n’ roll-tinged platforms were just the ticket. Zandra and I talked about the veil, but after we both agreed I wasn’t a shy bride, she put me in touch with acclaimed milliner Piers Atkinson. Piers, known for creating avant-garde hats for Lady Gaga and Rihanna, very generously and skillfully created a subtle, intricate headpiece made using haberdashery tulle, crystals, sequins and printed organza to match my dress. Even though it doesn’t sound like a cliché, I felt like Cinderella.
When it came time for the wedding day in Sicily, Zandra insisted on coming and dressing me. He decided that I couldn’t use an iron by his standards, so he did the same. My parents, Zandra, her friend Marjorie, and I shared arancini around a large Italian table before walking toward the timelessly beautiful Palazzo Biscari, where the ceremony and reception took place.
Walking around with my family through the streets of my favorite city, in a courtyard I know very well, and marrying the man I love was truly the happiest thing I’ve ever experienced. I’m sure there will be even happier moments ahead, but it’s nice to acknowledge when joy gives itself to you so fully. As for the dress, it came to life that day; All clothes need people to bring them to life, but ZR pieces are designed for movement. It’s hard not to dance in Zandra’s dresses; dresses are made for twirling, sleeves are designed for big moves and big moments. They’re made for fun, as evidenced by the early morning Prosecco that may or may not have been spilled on the dance floor as my guests and I twirled around on the dance floor. That evening we put on a spectacular show on those fresco ceilings (I’m not sure England Garage or Take That have ever played in these historic rooms before).
I know not everyone has a fashion designer friend they can trust with their wedding dresses, and I am a privileged and grateful newlywed. But what every bride can achieve on her wedding day is a look that makes her want to twirl. Aim for this and you won’t go wrong.
You may also like