Portugeuse inspiration

Hi everyone - I'm back from sunny Portugal, feeling relaxed and recharged. I thought I'd share a couple of photos of the things that stole my heart. First up are the amazing decorative tiles that cover many of the buildings in Lisbon. They are called Azulejo and were introduced by the Moors in the 15th Century. Pattern inspires so many of my designs and these Arabic beauties are truly amazing. Soon these patterns will be weaving their way into delicate hairwires and combs!

And sometimes a girl can get inspiration from beautiful pastries. (We made a point of sampling up to three a day and washing them down with strong espressos!) Pastéis de nata are the most traditional Portuguese pastry - a delicious crispy layered pastry cup filled with baked custard.

Left to right - an almond paste sweet, a wibbly wobbly coconut delight, pastéis de nata and an iced cupcake.

I even managed to peek in some wedding boutique windows, which were filled with show-stopping gowns like these. Ruffles, tulle and pillow-box layering made these gowns good enough to eat. (Are you noticing a trend here?!)

I'm happy to be back at my design desk and discussing interesting commissions with clients. This morning I had an enquiry about an embellished belt to go with a Jenny Packham, teal green dress. More on that in a future post.

I'd love to hear from you if you'd like to chat about accessories or Portuguese pastries! Have a look at my website or get in touch to arrange a visit to my showroom.

a thousands words - Brancoprata

Great photographs tell a story by capturing a moment in time. In this series, I am asking some of my favourite wedding photographers to describe one of their cherished photographs. My inspiration is the book Photography Speaks: 150 Photographers On Their Art. This book features a number of iconic photographers who share some personal reflections about one of their photographs. Although I don't yet own a copy of the book, the idea captured my imagination and is the inspiration for a new series of guest blog posts with photographers.

Thank you Twitter for introducing me to the work of of Sophia and André from Brancoprata! (I just found out that branco means white and prata means silver in Portuguese... lovely!) I enjoy getting glimpses into their dreamy Portuguese weddings. André is a photographer and Sophia styles weddings. Great combo! Here's André to describe one of his favourite images -

"I really love this photo because I think it captures the couple's personalities. Paolo, an Italian groom, that married Ana, a Portuguese bride, was so passionate and caring the entire wedding that I think it reflects this couple from perfection.

When I was doing their portraits, Paolo wrapped himself in Ana's veil, and kissed her. I almost didn't pick that up because I was crossing the road and I had to shoot in the middle of a road with some traffic.
 
Let´s just say that was worth every bone that I fortunately didn't break! I love to keep things simple and natural instead of poses that don't reflect their personalities."

Thanks for being part of this series André. Well done on capturing this moment while manoeuvring through traffic! Check out the Brancopatra website and blog for lots of inspiration. And Have a look at the rest of the photos in the series too! Do you have a favourite?