Beaded sash belt

I missed seeing Kate Middleton's dress for the London Olympic Gala Concert but one of my client's didn't! She loved it so much that she asked her dress designer to make her a variation to wear to her upcoming brother's wedding.

This Jenny Packham dress is just gorgeous and I sighed when I first saw it! I've always loved the delicacy and feminine quality of Jenny's designs. Illusion or transparent elements are really popular for 2012 and this sheer lace back is gorgeous. Cap sleeves and fine pleating give lots of contrast and the jewelled sash belt is the perfect finishing touch. And that's without even mentioning the colour!

I was thrilled to be asked to come up with a design for the belt brooch detail. Norma said she wanted to keep a dark pewter base with some rhinestone as well as the zircon Swarovski crystal. I followed the tapered oval shape and came up with a beaded design that will be sewn onto a ribbon sash.

Of course, this dress will not be a replica. Norma's designer wants to give it a few creative twists! The back of her dress will have a scalloped edge opening from the neckline to the waist. Wow!

I was also asked to design a hair accessory. This is the finished design; a dainty jewelled comb to tuck into her soft chignon hairstyle. I think this lady is going to look stunning at her brother's wedding and I can't wait to see some photos.

I always like to share some of my bespoke commissions on my blog so that you can see what's involved in having a piece made. Your imagination is the only limitation. Please get in touch if you would like to visit me and discuss your ideas!

Rangoli lace headpiece

Sometimes it's hard to say goodbye! This bespoke headpiece was collected yesterday and is going to a lovely happy owner...(You may have read my previous post about this inspiring commission.)

I loved working on this piece with *Lena. She had very specific ideas about the look and feel of the piece as well as the shape. Her gorgeous lace dress will be worn with a long sleeved bolero. Pearl was to be the main component of the design. I had to create a flat design which replicated the delicacy of lace. Lena had an image of a rhinestone comb that she liked the shape of. We were able to use this as a starting point and template.

For this design, I printed the image of the comb that Lena had brought so we could look at this shape on her head. This probably sounds mad but it gave us both an excellent idea of how the form would look! Above, you can see how I have pinned on some small beaded shapes on top of the paper.

Once we were both happy with the scale and shape of the piece, I began working on detailed sketches of the intricate form. I then created many individual beaded elements which were finely woven together as the piece was being constructed.

Once I begin constructing the design, I work directly in three dimensions and I leave the sketches aside. This design took many hours to make but was a fascinating new direction for me in terms of assembling a piece from a number of smaller forms.

I'm really looking forward to sharing this wedding with you in a couple of months. Lena is so happy with the piece, especially as she had such a clear idea in her head of how she wanted the piece to look like.

You can read about some of my other commissions on the blog. All feedback is really welcome so leave me a comment or chat with me on my facebook page!

* For anonymity reasons, Lena is not her real name!

Siobhan and Eoin's wedding

I'm so excited to share this wedding with you! When I first met Siobhan, she told me about a special piece of jewellery that had belonged to her Nana. (You can read my earlier post about this). In fact this pearl necklace was an engagement gift from her grandfather and was worn on her wedding day. The necklace had got damaged over the years; the three strands were reduced to two and Siobhan loved the idea of somehow converting it into a bracelet and wearing it on her wedding day.

"...Being able to wear my Nanny's pearls feels like they'll be there in spirit and they'll never be forgotten, and means so, so much to me. I am so grateful to Aisling for making this a reality, when you strip away all the pomp and fluff from a wedding it's the people, present on the day and those we'll never forget, that really count."

Above you can see a picture of Siobhan's grandparents on their honeymoon along with some sketches and photos of the beautiful peach pearls in their treasured box. We decided to use the largest of the pearls and to make a feature of the striking rhinestone clasp as the centre piece. I also included a row of cream pearls, spaced with tiny rhinestone elements as a contrasting element to the design. It's been amazing for me to be involved in this project and to see these pearls being worn again on such a special occasion.

To complement Siobhan's delicate lace gown, she chose to wear a 'Diamond' design hairwire. I used soft gold beading in this piece along with some cream and peach pearls. I love how the pearl hairwire sits in her soft hairstyle. And to complete the look, I made a simple double pearl drop with tiny rhinestone setting. There is a single one of Nana's pearls in there too! Here's a few words from Siobhan -

"We have such wonderful memories from our wedding day, start to finish. Everything ran so smoothly, even down to the weather! The beautiful singing by the amazingly talented Naoise Stuart-Kelly, gorgeous flowers and our wonderful priest helped create a relaxed and special atmosphere in the church that continued throughout the day. Niall our photographer did and excellent job of capturing the atmosphere and the little touches we had wanted to include in our special day. Little touches, such as and in particular, the fabulous jewellery made for me by Aisling, re-modelled from my grandmother's own wedding pearls. It meant so much to me and my family that they were able to be restored.

Aisling did such a wonderful job. She was really creative with ideas on how we could redesign and update them. I'm delighted to say I've been wearing them regularly ever since after years of leaving them lying neglected in their box. Our reception in Ballyseede Castle surpassed our expectations, the setting was beautiful yet intimate, the food was delicious and the staff could not have been any more helpful or professional. It's easy to say we had our perfect day.

Thank you so much Aisling for all your help. It really was a pleasure to work with you, you took such care and interest in my project and created something really special and beautiful for me."

 

Doesn't Siobhan look gorgeous?! I'm sure you'll agree that they make a very stylish couple.

Siobhan - it was an absolute pleasure to be asked to design your accessories; in particular, your bracelet. I think your Nana would be so proud and delighted to know that you are continuing to get lots of wear out of it, while keeping her memory alive.

Thanks to both of yourself and Eoin for sharing these images and telling us the story of your wedding.

Credits
Photography - Niall McGann
Church singing and music - Naoise Stuart-Kelly at EncoreOccasions

Flowers -  Eleanor's Florist  

Reception - Ballyseede Castle

Rangoli headpiece - Lace love

I'm working on a bespoke commission and thought I'd share my work in progress. It's no secret that I love lace and find it inspires many of my designs. I love it on many levels, for it sheerness, transparency and romantic qualities...its timeless nature and ability to work with vintage and contemporary dresses. Most of all, I love the linear floral motifs that twist and flow, following the contours of the female form.

The person that I am designing this piece for is having her dress made by London designer Fiona Clare. Let's call her *Lena! The dress features Chantilly lace as seen above. Lena just loves pearls which are the perfect choice for this style of gown.

Once I had met Lena and heard about her ideas, I began by making sketches of the lace design. There's so many interesting forms in there if you look closely!

For this commission, I'm working to a specific brief for a glamorous side piece which will replicate the lace design. The finished piece will be striking and very feminine. I also like that I've been asked to exclude rhinestone elements - it will be interesting to focus purely on pearl as the main component. I can't give too much more away at the moment but I hope to be able to share some wedding photos with you at a later date!


I'm currently working on lots of individual beaded motifs which will be woven together to form an intricate pearl lace form. I'm having fun creating vintage roses and delicate twisted vines, all lavishly embellished with ivory pearls of different sizes.

Welcome to my world - Hope you enjoyed reading about this latest commission! Please get in touch if you'd like to discuss some ideas for jewellery or hair accessories.

Have a look at my other posts featuring lace or check out my other recent bridal commissions

*Lena is the secret identity that I have given this client but her real name is even more beautiful!

Susan and John's wedding

Susan and John were married in February 2011. Their wedding was in Ratheniska, followed by a reception at Killashee House Hotel, Co. Kildare.

Susan wanted a delicate hair accessory to complement her gorgeous lace gown. She really liked my Rangoli Hairwire styles and together we chose a beaded flower design which picked up on her lace detailing. Susan chose not to wear a veil and wanted something simple yet elegant to dress her hairstyle.

"Aisling, I got lots of compliments about the hair wire on the day and I loved it - it worked out perfectly in the end with the way the hair was done and I even think those that were against me not having a veil were happy enough in the end also!!!!

Thanks again for all your patience with me.

Susan"

Susan was lucky to have Mary Brown as her photographer. I think you'll agree that she captured lots of beautiful and relaxed emotions. Visit Mary's website or see more photos of the wedding on her Facebook page.

Congratulations Susan and John - You look amazing! Thanks so much for allowing me to share your photos on the blog.

Have a look at some of my other bespoke commissions on the blog, or get in touch if you'd like to arrange to visit my showroom.

Friday decadence with Yolan Cris

I don't know where Yolan has been hiding but I just discovered her dreamy collections online this morning. Delicate lace with a sculptural twist, layers of soft tulle - super sassy Spanish glamour.

There's definitely a goddess touch to these gowns but they are also so soft and feminine.

Yolan combines fabrics, mixing embroidered Chantilly lace with taffetas, crepes and sequins...not to mention unusual sleeve and strap detailing.


I hope all that prettiness has put you in a good mood for the weekend?! See you next week when I'll be sharing my 'long distance' commission.

'Three things' 3

The 'Three things' series is about things that inspire me to design. This is a visual diary of images I love... might be a colour, a form or simply something that triggers a happy emotion. Welcome to my world - I hope you enjoy leafing through my visual diary!

One of the things that inspires me most, (and is a favourite part of my job!) is looking at the selection of gorgeous gowns that clients have chosen for their weddings. Here are three dresses that I am currently designing accessories for - they each have distinctive features that inspire me to create...and drool over :-) As you can see - Lace is still popular in 2011 collections.

First up is a Cymbeline gown called Eleanor. It's from the 2011 collection. I love the neckline and the softly draped lace. This dress is so feminine and soft.

For this client, I am designing long delicate drop earrings and a fine pearl and rhinestone bracelet. As the hair will be worn up, the earrings will be the key decorative feature.

The second dress is called Satine by Johanna Johnson. Johanna is renowned for her Old Hollywood glamour styles and this sumptuous latte coloured gown features hand-beaded Parisian lace accents and plunging back.

For this client, I am designing a bespoke pale gold beaded comb. The beading will include topaz Swarovski crystal beading along with taupe and champagne pearls. The bride would like to wear the piece to the back of the head for the earlier part of the day and move it to the side for more of an evening look.

The final dress and commission that I am sharing is a Mon-Cheri dress called Emme. This sleeveless lace slim A-line gown features a hand-beaded lace bateau neckline and plunging V-back bodice with cowl draped chiffon straps. I love the back feature of this dress!

For this commission, I am making a delicate beaded hairwire with a vintage lace inspired side feature. The piece will combine both rhinestone and soft pearl detail, to pick up on the rhinestone belt detail.

Are you jealous of my job yet?! I love how varied these dresses and commissions are. I hope to share the finished designs when they are completed!

You can read more of my 'Three Things' inspiration posts or read about my latest Rangoli bridal commissions.

I'd love to design something for your wedding so please get in touch if you'd like to arrange an appointment to visit the Rangoli Showroom.

A very special cup of tea!

I'm delighted to share this special wedding with you. Fiona and Colm were married a week ago. Fiona rang me a couple of days before the wedding as she was still looking for something special for her hair. I didn't get to meet her in person but she had seen my Silver Lace comb on my website and thought it would be perfect for her bespoke vintage style dress.

This wedding is so stylish, yet completely laid back. Fiona and Colm invited their guests to the Shelbourne Hotel for afternoon tea after their ceremony, instead of the more traditional evening meal. This truly personal celebration was photographed by Christina Brosnan, who captured the emotions beautifully. Fiona and Colm - I wish you every happiness together and many more pots of tea :-)

You can read more about the wedding on Cristina's blog - as well as seeing some of the other engagements and weddings that Christina has photographed.


Read about more of my recent commissions or keep up to date with Rangoli on Facebook and Twitter.

Credits:
Photography by Christina Brosnan
Make-up by Aoife Callaghan
Hair styled by Susan Peggs

'Three things' 2

The 'Three things' series is about things that inspire me to design. This is a visual diary of images I love... might be a colour, a form or simply something that triggers a happy emotion. Welcome to my world - I hope you enjoy leafing through my visual diary!

My inspiration selection today has a theme of transparency. I have a fascination for delicate things which is carried into my designs. I love layering of colours as well as things that have dream-like qualities.

This first image is an installation made with coloured twine. It is titled Feathered Edge by Ball Nogues.

I've picked the second image because it is so magical. I love the delicate colours and can imagine this bubble sailing upwards in the sky!

And finally an image of Nalalie Portman in a delicate, transparent, lace dress. So feminine.

I'd love to hear about your style-files or other ways for gathering and storing visual ideas!

Have a look at some more pages from my visual diary...
Image source and credits -
Feathered Edge installation
Bubble photographNatalie Portman image via tumblr.com

I've been tagged!

I was tagged by Pamela from Farrell & Chase on her blog and the idea is for me to answer some questions about myself so you can get to find out some more about me! So here we go...

1. Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Dublin and I really love this city! It's not that I'm a home bird as I absolutely love travelling, but Dublin has a special place in my heart and I love 're-discovering it' when I've been away for a while.
2. What made you choose the career path you have?
I've had a curvy career path! I started off studying graphic design and illustration. A six month trip to India and Nepal in 1993 inspired a love affair with colour and ornamentation and I chose to return to college to study jewellery design. I also specialised in textile design and ended up combining traditional jewellery techniques with textile skills...and having lots of fun! I suppose everything that I do is inspired by pattern and ornamentation - I have to surround myself by it :-)
3. Who is your favourite bridal designer?
This is a really hard question for me as I get to see so many gorgeous gowns every day! For delicacy and femininity I would pick Claire Pettibone but I have stacks of 'favourites'.
4. What is your favourite colour?
I go through phases of loving different colours and it would be boring to have to pick just one...and so unfair. I just love everything between blue and green and I think peacock or petrol blue is my ultimate favourite.
5. Where is your favourite holiday destination?
Travel is one of my passions. Myself and my husband like adventures and discovering places that are off the beaten track. Two years ago we spent three weeks in Iran and it was one of our most memorable holidays for lots of reasons. The people are incredibly welcoming, (contrary to what the media might lead you to believe). I got to experience a completely different culture and occasionally, it felt like stepping back in time. I also had to get used to wearing a veil but this had its benefits - I was able to blend in and observe everything around me. Iran is a totally fascinating country and I would definitely go back if I can.
6. What is your favourite past time?
Hmm, sipping or guzzling wine with good friends...
7. Do you have any pets?

Yes, we have a gorgeous black cat called Samson. However, I'm number 2 in the pecking order for lap cuddles.
8. What is your favourite song?
I actually don't have a favourite song but I love listening to Bebel Gilberto in my studio. I can listen to her albums over and over and still love them. I also browse new music online at last.fm
9. What is your favourite meal?

Indian food is definitely top of my list - South Indian food in particular. It's much lighter, with lots of vegetarian and fish dishes subtly flavoured with chilli and spices. My favourite meal would have to contain dhal, vegetable or fish curry, rice, chapatti, raita and pickle. The image above is a South Indian Thali served on a banana leaf.
10. What items are currently on your work desk?
I bought a huge desk when I set up my business in 1998 and I love that every piece that I have made has been at this desk. However, in my case, it's really a question of what surrounds my desk. I have trays and trays of stones and pearls, tools and wires, inspiring pictures and drawings as well as photos of clients. It's very organised chaos though and it's my space which is what makes it special. I feel like my studio is my second home!
Well I hope you enjoyed reading a little bit about 'my world' - It's been fun thinking about the answers :-) And I have someone in mind to tag...

Fun with colour

Colour plays a integral part in any wedding. Lots of thought goes into choosing a palette of colours that reflects your personal style. There are so many ways to bring colour into your day, from flowers and shoes to food and decorations.



I chose the two images above of Sandra's wedding. Sandra's bouquet was really unusual, combining fruits, ivy and roses. I often use a colour palette generator when I want to have fun with colour.

All you have to do is choose an image that has a range of colours that you love. Then you simply submit the picture to the generator and it will do the rest. Might be handy for the initial stages of planning!

Sandra wears a Rangoli beaded hairwire, pearl studs and a double strand pearl bracelet.

See my hairwire and bracelet catalogue on my Rangoli website.

Photos by Peter Nash Photography

Rangoli Album

I was looking through my photos of client's weddings and came across this great photo of Sandra and Declan on their wedding day. Sandra was such a delight to work with and together we came up with this fine crochet hair-wrap which was tied with long organza ribbons.

Alternatively this piece can also be worn across the forehead and tied at the back of head, with the ribbons hanging down through the hair. I also made Sandra's earrings and pearl pendant.

A big shout to you both - I hope you're enjoying married life!

Photo by Thomas Mc Grath

Autumn shades

Autumn...my favourite season! I just love the colour bursts from saffron yellow to russet reds and everything in between. I like crunching through piles of fallen leaves and wrapping stripy scarves around my neck.

So when I came across this wedding by Benjamin Blood, it captured everything that I love about this time of year... You might remember my previous article about one of Ben's engagement shoots which was really quirky and fun.


And all this Autumn talk has got me thinking of blackberry picking and piping hot crumbly tarts! I found this image on The Good Mood Food Blog - an award-winning food blog by an Irish guy called Donal Skehan.

~ Bring on the seasonal kaleidoscope of colours! ~

A little peek...

I'm dying to show you some of Cliodhna and Robert's wedding photos...
Here is a quick peek! You can read more about Cliodhna's jewellery and hair accessories in my previous article below.

Photo by Angelo Mercone.

Bespoke accessories for bride and bridesmaid

This is the story of a lovely commission I worked on recently. It's interesting and fun to design pieces to complement particular colours and dress styles. For Cliodhna, I had the opportunity to design a bespoke comb for both herself as well as her sister Fainche who was her bridesmaid.

Cliodhna's dress was a beautiful colour - so hard to describe...somewhere between antique blush pink but with a hint of grey blue. I love colours that can be described with lots of adjectives :-)

Anyway, this dress is beautiful as you can see and has an overlay of antique style lace. Cliodna described her personal style as well as her favourite style icon, Grace Kelly. We looked at pictures of her half-up hairstyle. We then tried on a variety of combs and soon found one that had the perfect shape but simply had too much sparkle on it. I came up with a design that incorporated a beaded vintage rose made from dusky pink seed beads. The overall appearance was soft and romantic with pearls as the key feature... Here is Cliodna to share some of her thoughts and inspirations with you!

"I really wanted a dress that had a vintage look with antique lace. This dress was the very first one I tried on with Aoife in Ophelia Bridal in Drogheda. I instantly loved both the lace and the colour of the dress, which Aoife described as ‘Tea Rose’. The fact that the dress was Tea Rose, that I’m a huge fan of roses of any type and that Aoife said not one other bride had bought the dress in this colour – I was sold immediately! I liked the idea of wearing a dress that was a little bit different in colour, plus Aoife also made me a beautiful bolero in matching lace.

What to wear in my hair was the next challenge, as I knew I definitely didn’t want to wear a veil. Then a friend recommended Rangoli as Aisling had made pieces for both her and her bridesmaids.

The first meeting with Aisling was great. Visiting her studio is like going into a sweet shop – I so enjoyed trying on different types of combs and hair pieces. Once we decided on a particular comb, my biggest issue was with ‘bling’ - I didn’t want a comb with any sparkle at all! I just wanted something that was vintage, simple and feminine that would complement my dress. Aisling was brilliant, she studied the lace on my dress and came up with lots of different ideas on what I could have on the comb. I really enjoyed being part of this process and having some input into the design. I think the finished comb is beautiful and complements the dress perfectly. It was also very comfortable to wear – which really is an important factor for any bride!


Aisling also made a bespoke pearl bracelet and earrings for me. They are beautiful and worked really well with the comb and dress, but I love the fact that they are personal to me and that I can wear them again and again.

Aisling also made a stunning yet subtle little comb for my sister’s hair that matches her vintage 1950’s prom dress (from Dirty Fabulous) perfectly.

I would (and have already) recommended Rangoli to any bride or bridesmaids. It was a truly lovely experience in the lead up to the wedding with no fuss or hassle at all and beautiful, special finished products. Thanks Aisling".

Cliodna's sister Fainche was her only bridesmaid which made choosing her dress much more fun. And what better place to shop for a vintage dress in Dublin than 'Dirty Fabulous'. Caroline and Kathy, (who are also friends of mine), and have the most dreamy array of original 1930's to 1950's dresses and separates.

I designed this comb for Fainche, picking out olive crystal, sparkling rhinestone and creamy pearls to complement the fabric of the dress. I love the round vintage shape!

Look out for my second post on Cliodhna's wedding where I will share some of her gorgeous wedding photos with you.