Two Dresses, Two Cultures:One Fusion Wedding
Author: Natalie Barclay
The start
Newly engaged Anna came to Beauty by Design in October 2019 with the dream of an Indo-American Wedding, blending her Catholic American upbringing and her husband’s Indian roots into one seamless day of celebration. The piece de resistance of this magical day would of course be her wedding dress, the perfect way to pay homage to both heritages.
The process
With just under a year to bring her Indo-American fusion wedding dress to life, Anna started her custom dress journey off with a consultation with Beauty by Design designer, Deborah. She described to Deborah an ensemble both royal and whimsical, modern and traditional. Although these concepts seem conflicting, Deborah saw her vision and was prepared to make Anna’s dress come to life. After the initial consultation, Deborah and Anna worked cohesively to come up with the design for the perfect dress.
First Anna came up with images found on Pinterest of dress silhouettes, fabrics, and colors that she liked. Based on the images Deborah compiled a selection of fabrics and corresponding prices, as well as hand-sketched drawings of dress designs.
After the proposal of fabrics, prices, and designs, Deborah walked Anna through each option helping her select the best options in order to make her dream come to fruition
Then the fun part! The dress was created, first in a “mock” or “trial” garment to ensure that the silhouette was how the bride envisioned it and to leave room for any additional changes
After the “mock” garment was approved, the fittings ensued! Every couple of months, Anna would come and try on her two bridal outfits, checking that the fit, material, and details as they progressed.
Anna’s final fit and pick up of her dress was just three days before her wedding day, August 15th,2020. We encourage brides to pick up their dresses closer to the wedding so we can make sure the dress fits them like a glove (even a couple months before your body could change), the dress stays safe from any mishap, and for a chance to steam the dress right before the big day!
The dress
Anna’s dream wedding “dress” was not a dress at all, in fact, the wedding look consisted of multiple pieces: a cropped bodice, two different skirts, an under skirt, and a Dupatta. This was the perfect choice for the fusion wedding because while it mimicked the traditional garments worn at Indian weddings, it also played on modern two-piece bridal wear.
Once the silhouette of the gown was decided, Anna was torn between having a colorful dress following the trend of the typical Indian bride or sticking to the traditional white wedding dress of Western culture. Why not both?
A white beaded cropped bodice with sheer detailing was decided to be one of the conjoining elements for two different skirts. For her ceremony, an ivory tiered skirt was created to fulfill her dream of a traditionally white ensemble. To meet her desire for an Indian inspired outfit a colorful floral skirt of buttery silk charmeuse was designed to dance the night away at her reception.
To complete the look Anna decided a Dupatta would be the perfect accessory for both her ceremony and reception outfits. A Dupatta is a shawl-like scarf, traditionally essential for women’s clothing in India. According to Anna’s mother in-law the Duppatta is what makes the outfit a wedding dress! Not only did it add to the bridal effect but it also imparted a regality to both “dresses”.
The fabric
There were so many beautiful fabrics that went into the making of Anna’s two bridal outfits. Here at Beauty by Design, one of the ways we ensure our fabric is ethically made is from sourcing locally as much as possible, if not from Minnesota here in the United States. Our two favorite vendors are Treadle Yard Goods (St. Paul, MN) and Mood Fabrics (New York, New York); in fact, all of the materials used were from these two fabric stores!
Bodice
Fashion Fabric-Fancy Off-White Beaded Bridal Lace (Mood Fabrics)
Lace Trim- Ivory Beaded Lace Trim (Treadle Yard Goods)
Illusion-Sand Leonardo Plus Soft Tulle (Mood Fabrics)
Lining- Ivory Silk Crepe Back Satin (Mood Fabrics)
Skirts
Colorful- Multicolored Floral on Ivory Silk Charmeuse (Treadle Yard Goods)
White- Ivory Silk Chiffon (Treadle Yard Goods)
Skirt Linings- Ivory China Silk (Tread
Dupatta-Fancy Whisper White Pearled Mesh/Lace (Mood Fabrics)
The review
“I went to Beauty by Design after I knew I wanted my wedding dress to be customized for my wedding to my Indian born fiancé. I had tried going to a couple of other bespoke designers both locally and nationally and none of them could not offer me the design detail or color and fabric selection like Beauty by Design had – all within a reasonable price point. My wedding and dress were an Indo-American fusion…
…What Deborah had created was better than anything I had brought along for inspiration on my very first appointment. She used them as a guide, but she put my spin on it. She had successfully managed to get inside my head and see what I saw through my eyes. I honestly don’t know how she did it, but she did and for that, I have no words other than THANK YOU!
She also created a beautiful alteration for my mom’s dress…My mom is plus-sized, so she is very self-conscious about her mid-section, arms, and her legs. Deborah helped my mom see herself as I see her. I see my mom’s mid-section as the place where she carried me and my siblings to term – healthy and happy. I see her arms as the first place I want to run to when something good or bad happens. I see her legs as the anchors to our family – they never wavered in any storm. Again, there are no words, but THANK YOU!
If you have the chance for Deborah to make your dress or alter it – hands down she is the best in Minneapolis! She doesn’t just make a recreation of a dress (unless that’s your strict instruction), but she takes a journey with you to get to know you, your style, and all the pieces in between to create a one of kind look that everyone won’t be able to stop talking about at your event!”
- Anna G.