Rangoli Hair Accessories

I am noticing that many of my clients are looking for something delicate to wear in their hair, either instead of a veil or as something pretty that will dress the hair when the veil is removed.

As a result, I am designing lots of new pieces to complement a range of soft, natural hairstyles. These designs include delicate hairwires which can be woven through the hair or fine crochet headbands that are worn across the forehead and tied at the back of the head with a long organza ribbon.

There are lots of variations on these forms and it is fun for me to customise them for individual clients. A recent rhinestone crystal hairwire had tiny blue seed beads added to pick up on the colour of the bridesmaid's dresses.

For more images of my designs visit www.rangoli.ie or email me to arrange an appointment.

Myla Kent Photography

Love, love, love Myla's photographs and I have already blogged about her work here. I saw this image today on her own blog and just had to post it! I love the dramatic colours and patterns as well as the feeling of opulance.

...and of course the red dress by Luly Yang...

Sandra Backlund

Sandra Backlund is a knitwear designer who makes highly sculptural knitted forms. Individual segments are joined together to produce complex garments that accentuate the forms of the human body.

As I am a designer who uses crochet to create jewellery and hair accessories, I really appreciate the variety of wonderful shapes and textures that Sandra makes. Below, she describes her inspiration and design process.

The human body is always the starting point. I am really fascinated by all the ways you can highlight, distort and transform the natural silhouette of the body with clothes and accessories. I build my garments by hand from a couple of basic bricks which I multiply and attach to each other in different ways to discover the shape that I want. In that sense I approach fashion more like a sculptor than a tailor.

For more information on Sandra's designs visit www.sandrabacklund.com

Creative Space 2

This image reminded me of the 'Falling Garden' space in the post below. What a spectacular array of colour and pattern.

The space was designed by Lee Jang Sub as a place where children can experience the emotion of love. The interlocking forms are made from around 10,000 paper doll cut-outs. I like the modern, almost chandelier-like forms that he has created.

Creative space

I came across this image and just love the magical quality of the room as well as the colours of the mobiles suspended from the ceiling. The installation is called 'Falling Garden' and was part of the 50th Bienneial of Venice in 2003.

Here is list of the components that were used to create it -

Plastic berries (India), cow pads (Jura), waste paper (Venice), baobab seeds (Australia), beech, elder and magnolia branches (Uster), thorns (Almeria), nylon blossoms (one-dollar-shop), pigs’ teeth (Indonesia), seaweed (Seoul), orange peel (Migros shop), fertilizer crystals (home grown), pigeons’ bones (San Staë), silk buds (Stockholm), cattail (Ettiswil), cats’ tails (China), celery roots (Montreal), virility rind (Caribbean), wild bore quills (zoo), banana leaves (Murten), rubber snakes (Cincinnati)...

I think this would be a wonderful space for a wedding reception or party!

Style Me Pretty

I am really excited that Abby from the stylish wedding blog - Style Me Pretty, featured my designs on the homepage of her website!

SMP Loves…Rangoli

How beautiful is this picture? The hairpiece was made by the fabulously talented Aisling of Rangoli Jewelry in Dublin, Ireland. Every piece that she’s designed seems more beautiful than the next, crafted using very fine metallic threads so that they are actually a textile. Aisling’s work is absolutely stunning…from delicate tiaras to perfect bracelets. Definitely check out her site and her blog when you have some time!

Abby describes her job and what inspires her to write her blog...

'Admittedly, I have the best job in the world...Simply put, I write about all things beautiful. All things wedding. Everyday, I post my favorite finds, my latest loves…I try to create a place where creativity and ideas thrive, where you can find weddings that eliminate the walls of tradition and focus instead on the unique personalities of brides and grooms everywhere. And in the midst of all the beautiful pictures and the beautiful weddings, my only hope is that I will inspire you in some small way, to translate that perfect picture in your head into a day that will make you smile for years to come'.

Nervous System

I love jewellery that is inspired by patterns in nature as this is something that continues to inspire many of my own designs. The collection above is designed by Jessica and Jesse and replicates the interlocking forms of coral and seaweed.

What makes this jewellery special though, is the fact the designs are made using a physics simulator.

Tiny circles of varying sizes are aggregated into complex configurations that mimic the natural forms of corals and seaweeds. These are then etched in one piece from stainless steel and gold plated. There is no definitive, final product, instead the many designs created allow for mass customization.

See more designs at n-e-r-v-o-u-s.com

Custom handbound Photo Albums

I recently came across these beautiful handbound albums on Etsy which is a community of artists from around the world who sell their designs online.

These bespoke albums are made by Kristen Hodges who lives in Virginia. Her business is called Flyleaf Books and clients get to choose the pattern and colour of the fabric used to bind the cover and spine of each album. Personalised monograms can also be applied.

I just love the vibrant colourful patterns and think these would make a lovely gift for yourself or someone else!

You can view more of Kristen's albums at www.etsy.com

1950's Glamour

The 1950's was definitely a great fashion era and looking at classic fashion images from this decade, you can see a new daring approach to both fashion and photography. The dress above is absolutely timeless and would not look out of place if worn today. It's lovely too to see a bride with short hair!

Both of these images were taken by Norman Parkinson and the purple Vogue cover from 1957 exudes glamour, power and femininity.

I really love the classic shot of a bride arriving at the church and the open window provides a dramatic frame for the photographer to capture the moment. No wonder vintage cars are so popular for weddings.

Inspiration

I suppose I started writing this blog when I realised how many online resources I use myself. I have lots of interesting websites and blogs bookmarked, which I regularly check out on my lunch break or whenever I feel like I need a little inspiration.

The image above is taken from http://ffffound.com - this is not specifically a bridal related site but it is a great source for eye-catching imagery that users post and share with each other. I love the underwater image for its magical lighting and for the shapes that the floating fabric make.

This might inspire some adventurous bride to have an unusual post-wedding photoshoot!

Rangoli shoes

Recently I took on a special commission to embellish a pair of shoes for a client to complement her beautiful Tyrell and Brennan wedding gown.

Bronwyn had found a pair of shoes with a shape and style that were almost perfect for her dress. However they had been decorated with beading and sequins that were too fussy. As well as this, the beading colours were the wrong tones for the fabric of the dress.

The shoes were unusual, in that the upper parts were made from a fine gauze. This meant that I could un-stitch the original beading. It was also a suitable material for me to secure beadwork onto as normally a leather shoe is too tough to be able to get a needle through.

These shoes became a labour of love - let's just say that I now know why most 'designer' shoes are made in places like China where labour hours are much cheaper. But I took the job on as it was challenging and fun. I had already designed a crochet headpiece and matching necklace to match the lace of Bronwyn's gown so I used the same Swarovski crystal and pearls to embellish the shoes. The shoes were the final and very glamorous finishing touch to her gorgeous look.