Award winning designers Annalise Harvey and Holly Young will be selling off exclusive designs from their collection at a fraction of the cost during a weekend long sample sale on 8/9 March 2014.  A special preview evening will be held on 6th March from 6-8 for you to peruse the collections and book appointments to try on dresses over the sale weekend...

Designs from the Annalise Harvey Nostalgia collection will have to 70% reductions  - as well as two exclusive vintage dresses for sale, along with original vintage veils, accessories, and an array of top quality silks and laces for the home sewer at fraction of the retail cost.  

Holly Young's popular millinery designs have graced the heads of the rich and famous and will soon be seen in Warner Brothers cinematic blockbuster - so this is your opportunity to purchase an exclusive design to cherish forever!

Bring your Mums, bring your sisters, bring your dreams and ideas and we can help you make them happen and save you money in the process!

Contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information and check out their Facebook pages for images of samples and designs going in to the sale!

www.facebook.com/Annaliseharveycouture
www.facebook.com/pages/Holly-Young-Millinery-Accessories

www.hollyyoungboutique.com
www.annaliseharvey.com

Our studio is based in truly beautiful Grade 2 listed Georgian Mansion house in the heart of the Cornish capital, Princes House.

It's full of artists, designers, makers, photographers, chefs, beauty therapists, stylists and more all working together to help brides look and feel their very best on their big day.

It's so exciting walking around the building every day and peeking into character filled rooms where real creative magic happens - and beautifully crafted things leave with happy owners.  

Below is a little montage of what's been happening today - including a photo inside the studio showing Annie and her assistant Claire beavering away on some very special commissions for weddings in the coming months!

Top left - Amongst Make Up Artist Ella Butler's clients today was her lovely bride to be who has flown in from Perth, Australia for her wedding at the idyllic venue of St Just in Roseland Church, Cornwall in a couple of weeks.

Top right - Anna D'Souza was beginning work on a new toile for one of her Brides. Anna specialises in corsetry and has a wonderful range of hand made garters to compliment your wedding gown.

Middle left - Jeweller Victoria Walker was working on one of her commissions, a stunning silver and 18 ct gold Rose locket for a couple who have enjoyed other pieces of Vicki's work.

Middle right - We welcomed home jeweller Mirri Damer who returned from the sapphire mines of Sri Lanka with a beautiful collection of jewels.

Bottom left - Annalise Harvey was working on a fairly last minute wedding dress in preparing this cotton toille for her Bride's fitting tomorrow. With her wedding fast approaching in October, a truly personal service is mandatory. You will see Annie's Assistant Claire hand stitching lace in the studio.

Bottom right - Having completed portrait shots as a Case Study photography project forwww.convergencecornwall.com Simon has spent the afternoon post producing his earlier shoots this week for Shield Environmental.

Cornwall Chef were enjoying a group tasting session this afternoon and our milliner Holly Young was busy working in her studio too.

www.princeshousecornwall.com

You might have noticed that a large quantity of photos has been appearing on the Annalise Harvey business Facebook page over the last week....  We've been having a sort out and wanted to share some photos of last year and the previous years brides with our followers.

It was a real trip down memory lane and super lovely to revisit those happy brides and their gorgeous dresses!

Today we're looking in a bit more detail at Tiffany's Grecian inspired oyster satin gown.

Tiffany's wedding plans were relaxed and pretty - a Cornish coastal wedding with a blue and white theme.  She wanted a dress which would reflect the ideas inherent in her day, pretty, natural and a little bit different!

We found a wonderful lace which has a very fine cording in a coffee colour and this inspired the rest of the dress.  An oyster coloured silk satin crepe made up the base fabric of the dress, and this was over-layered with an ivory silk chiffon.  THe result was soft, romantic and very pretty, with tiny motifs cut from the lace and placed around the neckline, keyhole back and covered button back detailing.  

A sash in the oyster satin completed the look and this perfectly complemented the oyster binding which picked out the neck and arm holes.

You can see Tiffany in her final fitting below - and at the bottom, a perfect picture by Urban Sugar Photography of Tiffany and Justin on their big day.  Tiffany's hair and make-up was styled by Neila Dawes, and she wore a bespoke hair vine by the very talented Sarah Drew.

Some months ago I was involved in a very pretty shoot at the Hotel Bristol in Newquay - an Art Deco, family run hotel overlooking the sea and right at the top the cliff leading to Tolcarne beach.

It was a brilliantly collaborative day with some top notch suppliers and a creative buzz like I've never known on a shoot - real focus and dedication from all involved!  All superbly styled and captured by Synergy Styling and Photography.

We were delighted to see the 30s look feature in this months Wed Magazine - and a little snippet is below - if you'd like to see the full shoot you can order your copy of Wed here - it's a thoroughly recommended high quality publication sure to inspire you!

I spent ten years designing costumes for ballet before I set up the studio and as such the movement of each design is paramount.  As a bride you really want to make an impact on your wedding day - whether it's in the flutter of a silk chiffon sleeve, or the swish of beautifully cut skirt.  I often get requests for my commissions to make that 'Szhuszhy' sound as the client will walk down the aisle.  

Over the next few weeks we'll be sharing little tasters of some of our more popular dresses - which will give you an opportunity to get up close and personal to these glorious dresses which are all breathtakingly beautiful works of art in their own right.

First up it's Evangeline - a glorious 1920s confection of Chantilly lace and jersey silk tulle, with hand cut and finished detailing on the bodice and a wonderfully romantic sense of movement in the skirt.  

Enjoy!

No two clients are ever the same and neither are their dresses - even gowns commissioned from the collection are made solely for that particular bride and even the tiniest touch of embellishment or alteration in cut can transform a dress to become unique to its wearer.

As a result every day in the studio is unique as we get to meet such wonderfully creative and excited brides. Fitting days are often the best as clients get to see their dress evolve, catch up with all the work we've been doing behind the scenes and show their Mums and Maids the confection of loveliness being created just for them!

Jo's visits to the studio were no exception - with many an hour spent drinking tea and getting excited over her wonderful take on the popular Frances dress...  when the wedding is over though of course there are no more visits - and so it's just as well that Jo is a top doggy hair 'coifurrer' - and consequently deals with Tilly's mop regularly.

Her dress was a beautiful silver corded embroidered tulle over an ivory satin doupion, with oodles of net in her petticoat and covered button detailing all the way down the back.  The three quarter sleeves and open neck give it a real vintage feel, with the sharp sash and square bow adding a touch of modernity, fusing heritage and contemporary in the way I like best!

The official photos were by Keith Riley Photography and you can see a little teaser shot below.... rest assured that official pics of this gorgeously smiley bride and her lovely relaxed and oh-so-pretty wedding will be shared soon!

Award-winning bridal designer Annalise Harvey to design ‘Pride & Prejudice’ inspired wedding gown for the Jane Austen Festival

Couturier Annalise Harvey will design the showpiece bridal gown that will close the fashion show at this year’s Jane Austen Festival.

The festival, now in its twelfth year, is an annual celebration of the ever-popular novelist and her work. More than sixty events are held over nine days, including readings, workshops and a costume ball, with the fashion show amongst the highlights of the busy schedule.

Taking inspiration from Pride & Prejudice, Austen’s most loved novel, the catwalk show will trace a history of fashion throughout the 200 years since the novel’s publication before breathing life into the story with a parade of costumes inspired by its much-loved characters. 

In keeping with tradition of fashion shows throughout the decades, the event will conclude with a wedding gown, designed by award winning bridal designer Annalise Harvey and inspired by Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist of Austen’s most enduring work. 

A 200-year old literary heroine makes an unlikely muse for a bridal designer but this commission is custom-made for Cornwall based Annalise. A graduate from Central St Martin’s with an MA from the London College of Fashion, Annie’s unusual CV boasts ten years as a theatre costume designer, most recently at internationally acclaimed dance house Sadlers Wells. 

But alongside her lifelong love of Jane Austen’s work, Annalise’s true and most enduring passion is reserved for fashion heritage, exploring the history and the significance of clothing throughout the centuries. 

“Every piece of clothing has multiple personal history stories,” says Annalise. “Clothing is not just an expression of our own personalities but of the social conventions of the time. 

“Regency England, which Pride & Prejudice depicts, was a society largely defined by class and sexual inequality – a woman’s financial security was almost entirely dictated by her ability to secure herself a husband of means and position and making a personal choice or marrying for love were privileges very few could afford.

“Her refusal to adhere to those conventions is what makes Lizzie Bennet one of literature’s most popular heroines – instead of allowing herself to be dictated to she shows herself the equal to any man of her acquaintance with her intelligence, wit and courage.

“The force of character that Lizzie displays is what makes designing this gown for the festival such a fascinating project. Before beginning the design process for any gown, whether for a fashion show for a character such as Lizzie or for a modern bride for her own wedding day, I make sure I have a good understanding of my ‘source material’ – the personality, the likes and dislikes and the aspirations of the wearer. By regularly returning to those key factors throughout the process I am able to create a gown that is beautiful, entirely unique and so natural to the bride that for her to wear any other gown on her wedding day would become unthinkable.” 
Part of the Prince’s House collective of bridal creatives based in Truro, Cornwall, Annalise began designing wedding dresses in 2001. Having moved to the area from London three years ago, she was named Cornish Brides magazine’s Designer of the Year for 2013 and the South West Regional Winner in the 2013 Wedding Industry Awards.

Alongside her bespoke bridal designs, Annalise also offers the Nostalgia Collection, a range of exquisite heritage inspired bridal gowns hand-made to order. The collection captures the essence of 20th century design throughout the decades, reclaiming ‘vintage’ fashion by combining period inspired designs with contemporary couture techniques.

Following the Jane Austen Festival, Annalise will be holding a series of events in and around Bath to showcase her collections. Prices start at £850 for the Nostalgia Collection and from £1,500 for a bespoke gown. For further information regarding these events or to book a consultation please visit www.annaliseharvey.com 

Working with my bespoke clients is always a rewarding experience - so much time is spent discussing the dress, and the wedding, and the details of the day, that you can't help but get to know each other well.  

Lucy's commission came through in the Autumn last year and she knew that she wanted something fluid, and thirties, with some loose sleeves, and a lace edged veil.

This is a real example of how a bespoke dress can totally reflect who you are, your aspirations for your day, and the odd surprise along the way!  We were just about to get started on the make in the new year when Lucy confided in me that she was expecting a baby!

Needless to say a little bit of a re-design was required, something that wouldn't have been possible with an off the peg dress, and the cut was carefully thought through to allow for an un-predictable size of bump on June 8, her wedding day.

The resulting dress, and beautiful hand made veil - really shows off the loveliness that is bride Lucy on her big day, at a happy time full of excitement for the future.  

I loved our fitting sessions and am so looking forward to news of Baby Beckley's arrival!

Enjoy these wonderful photos by talented photographer Ross Talling - I just love the one of Lucy and her bump just before she left for the ceremony.

I was delighted to see Lulu featured in the last but one issue of Wed Magazine - a favourite publication in the Studio and packed full of incredible suppliers and inspiration.

This wonderfully serene picture  was taken by Keith Riley - a popular photographer among many Annalise Harvey clients, more of whose work you will see soon in real bride features!

It's a magazine designed for Industry pro's - from designers, to suppliers, to boutiques and online retailers. 

Attire Bridal is a highly respected publication that keeps us all up to date with developments in the trade - trends, advice and much much more.

I was thrilled when the editor contacted me to fine out more about the Nostalgia Collection and very excited to unwrap my copy this month to see the interview in it..

You can read it (I hope!) below...

Photo credits:
Photography: Ashley Hampson and Andrea Pennington
Hair: KJR Hairdressing with Louise Richards
Makeup: Ella Butler
Models: Rain Brooks, Niamh Carolan, Zoe Hoy, Jess Harper