Ritz-Carlton Weddings - January 2012 - (Page 39)

DESIGNER profiles Q BRIDAL GOWNS One-ofa-Kind Design Q FLOWER GIRLS The Littlest Details Love Jay Girls ensures that design leads the way for the first one down the aisle , no more scrutinized member of the bridal party than the ﬂower girl. The ﬁrst person to walk the aisle, and typically the youngest, the ﬂower girl does more than just scatter ﬂower petals. She sets the style and tone for the entire processional. No wonder so many of them get nervous. Shana and Rebecca, To help ease ﬂower girl jitters, Love Jay owners of Love Jay Girls. Girls specializes in creating quasi-couture dresses for this all-important member of the wedding ensemble. Playful, vibrant and fashion-forward, the dresses are designed in a way that helps make the special little girls feel wholly comfortable when they’re the center of attention walking down the aisle. Instead of the typical satin and tulle of ﬂower girl dresses, Shana Cutler, a co-owner of Love Jay Girls, says she and her partner, Rebecca Gold, use light, comfortable fabrics, amplifying color, styling, textures and tones to complement the appearance of the rest of the bridal party’s wardrobe. The result: a look that is just as at home walking down the runway as the wedding aisle. “Children have an expression of style,” Cutler says. “We always want to reﬂect their playfulness in an age-appropriate way — so One of a wedding doesn’t try to forcethe playful ﬁt the ﬂower girl dress into Love Jay Girls’ dress too-adult styling or alternately, designs. clothing that’s too childlike.” And given the designs of the company’s current collection, ﬂower girls the country over can relax. And rejoice. For more information, or to ﬁnd a store, visit lovejaygirls.com. SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION Harold Clarke takes brides beyond the pages of magazines to create wedding gowns that are wholly unique , - poring over magazines, trying to anticipate trends as they clip together a look book for that perfect once-in-a-lifetime day. But according to Harold Clarke, head designer and owner of Harold Clarke Couturier Atelier, there’s another approach. “If a bride-to-be takes her cues from what’s in the bridal stores or magazines, she is only seeing what is currently on trend — along Harold Clarke with every other bride in the world,” he says. “What’s on trend now won’t be six months from now. And that means she’s not getting a dress that’s unique.” So, instead, Clarke meets with brides to develop a gown design that speaks to their personal sensibilities, shape and, well, dreams. Then, he creates a series of sketches, often using eight or nine variations to develop a dialogue with the intended bride. Sometimes, however, he goes directly from the initial consultation to draping a form, working with di erent textures, fabrics and lines to craft a one-of-its-kind gown that easily surpasses any tornout pages of a look book. “Draping allows for an immediacy — you can see the vision for a piece that much clearer,” he says. “Then, gown design is less a science than an art.” An art in which Clarke is an acknowledged master. For more information or to set up a consultation, visit haroldclarke.com. http://www.haroldclarke.com http://www.lovejaygirls.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ritz-Carlton Weddings - January 2012

Ritz-Carlton Weddings - January 2012
Contents
Inspiration
Jewelry
Beauty
On the Runway
Going to Great Lengths
Let Them Eat ... Cake?
The Beautiful Table
Isle Do
Beach Chic
Princess Brides

Ritz-Carlton Weddings - January 2012