This is the story of a dress made over two continents and in just two fittings. Liesl is Australian, we made her lovely sister-in-law Anja’s dress earlier last year.On Anja’s recommendation Liesl decided to come and see us while in SA to organize the wedding. Unfortunately I was in Paris seeing our lace suppliers at the time, so she met with my assistant. They came up with a design and we got going with the dress. 

Liesl chose a simple Chantilly lace dress with a cap sleeve, the design of the lace was very important to her and with some pictures and emails we settled on a lovely lace from Solstiss, our one supplier in France.

I only met the bride for the first time when she arrived two weeks before her wedding! As most brides do, she had lost some weight, so we had to take the dress in a bit. We then added a ribbon and a lovely vintage broach. By the second fitting it was all perfect !

This is what Liesl had to say about her dress  ”Thanks again for an amazing dress! Everyone who saw the dress was blown away by it and most importantly, I loved wearing it on my special day. “

For more pictures look at http://desmondlouw.co.za/?p=1469

Sonja and Paul had intimate ceremony at the Retreat in Camps Bay. 

This was Sonja’s second wedding, so she chose one of the designs from our Cocktail Collection. We did some minor changes to the skirt design and added a fitted corset.

The style is sexy, yet feminine and reflects her style and personality. We settled on a delicate Chantilly lace for the blouse that arrived just in time from our supplier in France, the ostrich feathers are of course from Oudtshoorn, the only locally manufactured trim we use.

We were moving premises while making the dress, so things were a bit crazy. For one of Sonja’s fittings the curtains on our display windows were not up yet, two gentlemen walked past and peeped in. The one came back and gave Sonja huge smile and thumbs-up! The bride did look stunning on the day, the pearl choker was a gift from Paul for her birthday. 

Rudeon and Nansriyn got married at the beautiful Mount Nelson Hotel on a perfect spring day. Nasriyn’s first consultation with us was a year before her wedding. She wanted a classic dress with clean lines, but is a girl who loves her bling!

We decided on a mermaid cut style in duchesse satin, to show of her petite hourglass shape and added some Swarovski beading.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Nasriyn lives in Johannesburg and with the two of us traveling backwards and forwards we managed to have enough fittings. The beading was another story though and we had to try and get the intricate pattern just right via email.This was not an easy task, but we eventually settled on a design in Swarovski crystal,diamante and tiny sliver seed beads. Our very talented beading lady Taurai spent more than a week creating this masterpiece!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    When Nansriyn arrived for her final fitting just days before the wedding, she was ecstatic, the beadwork was just as she had imagined and she loved the clean lines and beautiful pleating detail on the bodice.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  We enjoyed creating this stunning dress for Nas.

We have been very busy working on our new 2012 Bridal Collection in the last month. Our inspiration for next year’s gowns is all about romance and feminine grace. Strewn with petals and finished off with delicate hand embroidery the gowns tiptoe lightly into the new season.

Tarnished silver, soft bows and distressed vintage flower embellishments bring an element of nostalgia to this otherwise modern and playful collection. Gentle shades of eggshell white, ivory and nudes sets an elegant mood. The sensual transparency of Chantilly lace, silk and filmy tulle is used to interpret timeless style in an impeccable fashion.

This collection takes romance off the big screen and onto the aisle. The collection will be launched towards the end of September.We will keep you updated.

In order to make space for all these new gowns we are having a sale until the end of August.There is a 50% discount on dresses from the 2010 collection and other gowns we made for fashion shows and shoots.Don’t miss this opportunity!

Elbeth will be in Johannesburg at the Protea Fire & Ice Melrose Arch on the 13th of August with the 2011 Bridal Collection. Please contact us if you would like to set up an appointment to view the gowns.

Elbeth and team

We have had a very busy and successful season at Elbeth Gillis  and things are calming down now that winter has set in.

I have just returned from an incredibly inspiring trip to Paris, the home of fashion, and thought I’d share some of the things that stood out for me.

I visited the biggest antique market in Paris and was overwhelmed by the beautiful vintage couture on offer. Dresses from every fashion designer that you can think of was available, at quite a price though! I did wonder whether there were any of these great creations floating around South Africa somewhere ….back in the 50s the Rand was worth more than the Dollar!

Being in Paris gave me the opportunity to drop by the showrooms of my three lace suppliers Solstiss, Sophie Halette and Riechers Marescot. It was amazing to be able choose from the same collections as well known couturiers like Chanel, Dior and Elie Saab.I had great fun going through all the designs and spent hours in every showroom. We have just received all the new samples and now have a huge variety of laces to choose from.

One of the main reasons for the trip was to get fresh ideas and inspiration and as we know, in fashion, this often comes from looking into the past. Unfortunately the one fashion museum was closed , but there was an exhibition on the work of Madame Gres in a small museum that was once a private home. This Parisian born fashion designer trained as a sculptor and it shows in her Grecian styled  jersey dresses. She is the doyen of  draping, cutting and simplicity. I loved all the intricate hand pleated details on her evening gowns.

We have been very fortunate to be featured in 5 magazines in the last month: Wedding Album; My Wedding Day; Rooi Rose; Tuis Dekor Gids; and  You and Huisgenoot Make Over.

For more fashion news and for regular updates on our Real Weddings please follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

The 2012 Elbeth Gillis Bridal Collection is the embodiment of romance and feminine grace. Strewn with petals and finished off with delicate hand embroidery the gowns tiptoe lightly into the new season.

Tarnished silver, soft bows and distressed vintage flower embellishments bring an element of nostalgia to this otherwise modern and playful collection. Gentle shades of eggshell white, ivory and nudes sets an elegant mood. The sensual transparency of Chantilly lace, silk and filmy tulle is used to interpret timeless style in an impeccable fashion.

This collection takes romance off the big screen and onto the isle, you will fall in love.

With twenty years in the industry Elbeth has honed her technique in producing garments that are of exceptional quality, that dare to challenge tradition, and whisks the bride away on the experience of a lifetime. With Elbeth, the dress is only the beginning of the journey; she offers insightful creative direction on all aspects of the Big Day, tying the different elements together to create an occasion that is breathtaking, flawless, and one that will always live on as a cherished memory.

As we all now know the most anticipated wedding dress of the year was designed by Sarah Burton designer for the house of Alexander McQueen. The design reminded me so much of the styles in a 1956 Modern Bride magazine that I unearthed in an antique shop recently.It is a beautifully understated and modern version of the nipped-in waists and padded hips reminiscent of this era.