Date: 2015
Origin: United States & United Kingdom
Fabric: Grey dot broché cotton coutil, silk and lace embellishment
Brands: Directed by Pop Antique (Marianne Faulkner), fitting and silhouette under the advice of Dark Garden (Autumn Adamme), embellished by Sparklewren (Jenni Hampshire), Karolina Laskowska, Neon Duchess (Hannah Light) and Laurie Tavan.
For designer Marianne Faulkner, the hardest part of getting married was designing her own wedding dresses. She eventually settled on an elaborate Balenciaga-inspired look for the reception and collaborated with several other designers to make the vision a reality. The corset’s silhouette is inspired by 1950s bodices and has a darted bust construction.
The course the corset took was unconventional: it was passed from designer to designer to have embellishment added piecemeal and in layers before making its way back to Marianne. After stitching the base from a single layer of cotton coutil, she didn’t see it again until she was about to wear it at the reception.
The creative team received a mood board and some key words, but otherwise were left to play to their own strengths with very little direction. The fit and silhouette were developed under the advisement of Autumn Adamme of Dark Garden. Jenni Hampshire of Sparklewren laid the groundwork for the embellishment, defining the main motif and texture. Karolina Laskowska, of the eponymous lingerie line, built on and refined Jenni’s work, using her extensive lace knowledge and collection as well as vintage rhinestones. Neon Duchess’s Hannah Light’s touch is evident in the oversized pearlescent beads, bringing a level of quirkiness that brings it to life. Laurie Tavan added the finishing touches, bringing it to a cohesive whole, all the way through to the modesty panel.
Photographed at the Oxford Conference of Corsetry 2017, garment loaned by Marianne Faulkner.
