Page 82 - The Digital Cloth Issue 6
P. 82

her wedding dress. Of               English crown jewels. I                                                                             Hydrangea crown        It is such a privilege to            the final piece, stitching,
      course, I was honoured,             sent images of my tiaras,                                                                                                  design and create                    cutting and hand
      if a little daunted. Whilst         and they said they would                                                                                                   something so personal                beading, using glass beads
      making the dress I came             like to commission several                                                                                                 and special to be worn               and Swarovski crystals.
      up with the idea of                 along with matching Nuno                                                                                                   as a statement and as the
      making her a tiara, using           felt wraps (I specialise in                                                                                                crowning glory of an outfit  Modern technology makes
      the free machine and burnt  Nuno felt), along with                                                                                                             for a special occasion.              it easy to update my client
      cutwork techniques. I felt          jewellery to compliment                                                                                                                                         along the way, no matter
      I could make something              the tiaras, made using the                                                                                                 I begin by discussing with           where we are in the world.

      to compliment her dress,            same technique. The                                                                                                        my client ideas of shape,            Each piece takes weeks and
      which was a gold                    commissioned pieces were                                                                                                   specific details, maybe a            sometimes months to make
      underdress with a gold              then displayed for sale in                                                                                                 particular era, historical or        so I like to have as much
      embroidered cream lace.             the shop during the tiara                                                                                                  theatrical feel and of course  time as possible to create.
      She loved the idea and              exhibition.                                                                                                                colours, before                      I find that the ‘thinking,
      looked every bit a princess                                                                                                                                    making a sketch. The                 planning and sourcing’
      on her wedding day.                 Since then I have made for                                                                                                 sketch is then worked up             part of the process can
                                          a London catwalk,                                                                                                          in more detail and I make            often take as long as the

      I continued to experiment           various weddings, and                                                                                                      samples of the different             making. Fortunately, by
      and made several different  most recently a lady in                                                                                                            aspects of the tiara to bring  the nature of weddings and
      designs. A friend                   Pennsylvania USA, who                                                                                                      alive the sketch. Once my            special occasions, deadlines
      mentioned that the                  commissioned a tiara to                                                                                                    client is happy, I spend             are usually many months
      Victoria and Albert                 add to her tiara collection!                                                                                               many happy hours creating  into the future.
      museum in London were                                                                                                                                                                                                    Lily crown
      having a tiara exhibition,
      which was to show all the
      tiaras and crowns from
      around the world
      including Russian Tzars
      and of course our own






































                                          Tatiana catwalk crown
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