Olive | From Sketch to ceremony

I was always drawn to the iconic nipped in waist and big skirt silhouette when I was a child. I’d doodle it on everything I could find, letting my pencil sweep across the page, the curves exaggerated and sweeping. I adore the romance of it and it’s a shape that always features, albeit in new and fresh ways, each time I design a collection. The Olive dress from the Wonder collection is a completely modern take on that classic silhouette.

I don’t have a set process when I design. It’s different each time and I’m constantly curious, always seeking little seeds of inspiration and magic everywhere I look. Fabrics and textures consistently give me the ultimate inspiration and I’d previously discovered the most delicious, crunchy taffeta. Instantly, I knew I need to use it in the collection.

I love seeing a garment take shape on a mannequin before my eyes. It’s such a wonderful, collaborative process with my design and atelier teams as they take my sketches and ideas and make them into the most beautiful 3D garments.

The result is the glorious Olive dress. It’s as light as a feather and the texture of the fabric, with its folds and natural volume make it the perfect destination wedding dress as you can pop in your suitcase and unpack at the other end ready to wear. We had enormous fun capturing it in its full floaty glory during our photoshoot with Zach & Grace at The Londoner Hotel. It looked wonderful paired with Sophia Webster’s beautiful shoes.

With the option of styling the neckline plunging or demure, this beautiful dress is nipped in at the waist to accentuate the dramatic skirt, complete with front split and extra long train. It can also be styled with the Sun sleeves or the Inga bow to add extra magic.

It’s always such a thrill to see the final result at the photoshoot after the team worked so hard bringing it to life and now I can’t wait to see the first Halfpenny London bride wearing it on her big day.

Love,

Kate & the Halfpennys xxx