The Art of Couture
Sarah is an award winning bridal designer renowned for simple and uncluttered elegance and subtle detailing. Tiny pearl buttons, delicate hand dyed lace appliqué, and light catching crystal beadwork are all mixed to create soft and pretty dresses and bridal separates in the most beautiful fabrics. All of Sarah’s dresses are created in the English countryside from fine fabrics and delicate laces, with tiny details that add elegance and allure. A couture dress is a luxury. It's the chance to wear a beautiful handmade gown, designed just for you and cut to flatter your figure so that it fits perfectly.
Bespoke dresses begin as a sketch on a blank sheet of paper and are cut to a client's individual measurements and handmade to fit perfectly. You may have fragments of ideas about your dream dress – images from childhood, dreams, a time period in history or style icons; pages ripped out of glossy magazines, or doodles on a page. The skill of Sarah Willard Couture is the ability to capture these ideas and use them to create an elegant and stylish gown that reflects your personality. Sarah’s keen eye and immaculate sense of style will ensure that you will see your dream dress become a reality. This is the excitement of having a dress designed just for you. It’s like going on a journey – you may not quite know your destination, but you will discover things about yourself on the way and when it is over, take with you a fabulous array of memories and experiences.
Sarah begins by listening – she wants to know what design ideas you might already have, what the dress will be expected to do and what the wedding venue will be like. The first step in creating your perfect wedding dress is the development of the design. You will be able be to talk through your ideas and thoughts with Sarah, before having the opportunity to try on dresses and separates from the Bridal Collection. This allows you to play with different ideas and find out what style of dress will suit you – you may be surprised at how your original thoughts change in the first stages of the couture experience! Sketches are then drawn and your measurements taken. It’s also the time to choose from an extensive range of luxurious fabrics including silks, lace and velvets; browse through boxes of trimmings; tip out jars of pearls, beads and crystals and let your imagination run wild. Sarah’s expertise will guide you.
As one of Sarah’s happy brides said, “Having my dress made by Sarah was an amazing experience – she knew what I wanted even before I did and the end result was perfect.” Once you have chosen the style and design of your dress, the next appointment will be for a block pattern fitting, an important first step in the couture dress making process. For your next fitting, a ‘toile’ (a mock-up of the dress design in cotton calico) will be created. The toile is then tweaked so that it is the perfect fit for you. Lastly, come the final dress fittings where any necessary alterations are made and the hem is finished.
Expect to attend for four fittings altogether. You will be made to feel extremely special at each of these and be able to have an input at every stage of your dress’s development. Once all the work on your dress is complete and your anticipation and excitement levels have reached their peak, you will be able to collect your finished dress. Not only will you be thrilled with the result, you will also never want to buy another dress off the peg again! The cost of your dress will depend on the silhouette, fabric and the amount of detailed work undertaken. Bespoke simple wedding dresses start at £1500, with more elaborate designs costing up to £3000.
A few words from Sarah’s brides: “Sarah made me the perfect dress for my special day. It was all I asked for and more.” “Sarah went out of her way to find the perfect silk in the perfect colour. She has a fantastic knowledge of fashion and knows just how to create stunning, flattering dresses.” “Sarah and her team are so welcoming and friendly – they really put you at ease. What was particularly nice was that I had a choice on every detail of my dress, which meant I had a completely original and perfect dress.” “Sarah’s expertise and talent blew me away… My dress was everything I’d imagined and more – from the quality of the fabric, down to the little pearls on the straps which were hand sewn on as if they were gold dust.”
Sarah’s studio in Sugnall is in a pretty attic overlooking the most magical walled garden. And although it’s set in the beautiful Staffordshire countryside, it’s only a quarter of an hour from the M6 motorway. It’s a true atelier, surrounded by jars of pearls and crystals, rolls of silk fabrics and boxes overflowing with lace Sarah designs wedding dresses that are elegant, ethereal, graceful and beautiful . “We work surrounded by so many things that inspire us and we use old fashioned couture techniques to hand craft heirloom dresses that we will hope will be treasured forever.”
Sarah Willard Couture Unit 1A Sugnall Business Centre, Sugnall, Staffordshire, ST21 6NF Telephone: 01785 851208 07815 740116 Email: info@sarahwillard.co.uk
www.sarahwillard.co.uk