Wedding Gown Design with Laure de Sagazan
Hello everyone & welcome back to my House Gleaves Style Journal! Today’s post is extra special to my heart, not only because it involves my wedding to my sweet husband, but also because I’m going to walk you through the incredible process of collaborating with Laure de Sagazan & her team to create my custom wedding gown! When Laure’s team first reached out to me in March of last year, I was so excited to hear from them because I was familiar with their Instagram (they have a beautiful, super romantic page @lauredesagazan on IG- definitely check them out if you haven’t already), and I was so honored that Laure felt like our aesthetics were in line with each other. The Laure de Sagazan brand is so gorgeous & timeless. Her collections have notable vintage influences -especially in her techniques- which is what drew me to the line initially, but they always feel fresh & modern. When we first began discussing the design of my gown, Laure asked me to send her some reference images so she could get a sense of my style & what I wanted from my dress design. Below are the reference images that I sent:
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I knew that I wanted a long sleeved, full length dress with a collar & an open back, and I also included some reference images for technique & fabrication. I loved the idea of using a contrast lace and pleating/shirring for interest on the bodice. I had my first meeting at Laure’s NYC atelier in SoHo with Eugenie who oversees the NYC studio, and I was able to check out all of her pieces in person and try on styles from Laure’s current collection to help me get a feel for her aesthetic before heading to Paris to meet with Laure in person.
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In May, I flew to Paris to spend a day with Laure in her atelier. The entire experience of being in my favorite city in the world, working on my wedding dress with such a talented designer was honestly unreal. The atelier is this beautiful, two-story space in the 10th arrondissement- it’s super dreamy & exactly where you would picture Laure’s romantic French gowns to come from. The first floor is a showroom with all of her current collection gowns on display where brides can come in for appointments & try everything on. Upstairs is where the magic happens. Upstairs is a bustling atelier with sunlight streaming in from skylights while pattern makers & seamstresses create the gowns of Laure’s brides’ dreams. Based on the reference images I had initially sent Laure, she had a really good idea of what I wanted by the time I arrived and already had some options sketched up. We got to sit down & chat in person and go over every single detail of the dress- from the fabrication to the silhouette to the cuffs, buttons, & collar. I also tried on some more styles with Laure so that we could have visuals and make sure all of the details were worked out. Once we had the design finalized, we went up to the atelier to discuss trims, pick out the lace qualities we wanted to use, and to give me a sneak peek behind the curtain. I have to say, I don’t know that I’ve ever worked with such an all-around lovely team. Laure & everyone who works with her is so sweet and kind and I had the nicest time working with them.
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After our initial design meeting in Paris, all of the fittings took place in NYC with Eugenie & Marine (the NYC-based pattern maker/technical designer). We had four fittings, each about a month apart in New York. The first fitting was just a fit sample (which means it wasn’t in the final fabric), the second fitting was in the final fabric, but without the lining, and the third was the full final dress and we just made minor tweaks, and then the fourth and final fitting was when Laure was in NYC for her Bridal Week presentation so she was able to see the dress in person.
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Eugenie & Marine were so incredible throughout the process, and Marine is truly a wizard. The dress fit like a second skin, without being uncomfortable, and on the day of the wedding I was able to dance (with the train bustled up) and have full range of motion throughout the night. The final product truly was my dream wedding gown. It was a long sleeved, silk crepe gown with a contrast lace collar, cuffs, and ruffle down the front. The skirt had a train and self-covered buttons all the way down the back, and the back bodice was open with lace around the edges. It was everything I could’ve wanted and more. Laure & her team listened to all of my requests throughout the entire process and made them happen- it was such a dream to work with them. Check out the below images from my wedding day to see the dress!
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As always, thank you all for following along with me here on House Gleaves- and thank you especially to Laure de Sagazan and her entire team for such a special, unforgettable experience.
Xx
Alexi
