Number 1 in Catwalk Couture

It’s been that time of year again when I have been neglectful of my blog!! Sorry to all those waiting for fashion news…
My excuse was our annual event in Melbourne – The Melbourne Bride Wedding Expo that has now been and gone for another year and didn’t we have a ball again? This year was probably one of the best catwalks that we’ve ever done with such a fantastic array of bridal couture – we all felt proud as punch!

Exciting young designer Jason Grech (right) has just arrived on the bridal scene with his JASONGRECH White collection. Just gorgeous – all soft fabrics and swishy trains – the models on our catwalk sashayed around in these ultra modern looking and feminie too. Just gorgeous! Other designers that came on board this year for the first time were Izaro – (see below Mel & Hong from Izaro with their models backstage) and Shane McConnell.

The girls from Izaro opened the show with some stunningly pretty and varied styles of gown. Their inspiration is Hollywood glamour and it was very appealing, One lucky bride won a gown from Izaro as a part of our major Expo giveaway and she was so excited she could hardly breathe when we called to let her know!

Shane has been around for some time and is known for beautiful evening wear – his name often pops up at the Logies etc and he does stunning wedding gowns. His creations are exquisitely cut & finished and gorgeous fabrics too. For some great bridesmaid ideas and some more left-of-centre bridal ideas, legend of the Melbourne fashion scene Jenny Bannister added colour and movement and tons of fun with cute short styles, avant-garde shapes and sexy silhouettes.
All the above were very inspiring and well worth checking out their websites for inspiration. Mariana Hardwick and Angelina Baccini from Baccini & Hill have lost none of their class either. Both of these designers have been a part of our show for a long time now and never disappoint. Added to this mix were Annette Of Melbourne – amazingly decadent and incredible couture, Dimitria - strong, dramatic and beautifully finished, Gulderen Sivalsi – pretty, soft, girly and well structured and Mathieu Salem –artistic, versatile and theatrical, showcasing 2 black gowns. Wow!
Although catwalk shows are tons of work – and madly chaotic (see our backstage pic) they are quite thrilling and a great experience for the bride-to-be. We had fabulous feedback from brides and that makes it all worthwhile. If you missed out this year – hope to see you next time around in 2010!




(All images courtesy of Bride’s editor extraordinaire Jamie Doyle!)

Catwalk fun!

Wow! - it’s been hard to find the time to do a quick bit of blog after such a busy time here at BRIDE headquarters. The Bride team’s combined energy and creative talent has been channelled into organising and presenting our annual expo at Jeff’s shed in Melbourne.

From my end of the business – fashion – it has been exciting and triumphant! The array of simply gorgeous bridal creations on our stunning catwalk was inspiring.

There is so much for brides to choose from today. Brides are SO lucky! From the ethereal 1920’s style from the designer Gwendolynne to simplicity and elegance from Baccini & Hill – theatrical and unusual creations form Dimitria, Annette Of Melbourne and Mathieu Salem Design, traditional romantic looks from Gulderen Sivasli and the grand dame of Melbourne bridal fashion Mariana Hardwick proved her worth again with gorgeous fabrics and beautifully cut designs. From innovative looks, funky style to conventional bridal they are all so beautiful.

Spunky boys (yes I will get some pics up here soon!) strutted their stuff in the latest men’s formal wear – and you have got to love a guy in a kilt! They looked great. If you have a bit of Celtic blood it’s a fantastic option. Guys really do look handsome in a skirt!

We are really lucky to have so many excellent designers in our small neck of the woods and seeing them up close and personal is one of the major advantages for brides going to a quality bridal event.

I think we all still like to get a feel for fabric and how it moves when we walk – how it flows or shimmies, drapes or sparkles - this is the best part of catwalk shows. It’s exciting and super glam – bridal is allowed to be over the top and Hollywood. Dreamy music and lighting add to the atmosphere. Even if you’re not getting married it’s so much fun.

It’s all over for another year but we can start imagining the next grand fashion show now!

Kirstie