Rangoli bridal hair chain

Rangoli headpiece sketch

I always think of my headpieces as jewellery that you wear in your hair. Why should a necklace only be worn around your neck? Here's a peek at a recent commission that's got me really excited! I know it's going to inspire a whole new collection.

 

Thanks Tara, for letting me share your bespoke headpiece! It was designed to go with the Lita dress by Catherine Deane, (seen below).

After lots of chatting and sketching, we came up with a design that can be woven into Tara's soft up-style. The idea for the beaded chain came from the petal shapes in the skirt. They're so delicate and are trimmed with tiny pearls and antique silver beading. The beaded chain moves in the same way as the fabric. Little details like that, really matter to me! And the beaded flowers pick up on the lace embroidery.

I know that Tara's hairdresser will create an amazing style around her headpiece. I can't wait to see the pics!

Rangoli, beaded bridal chain.

 Lita dress by Catherine Deane

It might also surprise you to hear that I design very few bridal necklaces. Have you ever considered not wearing a necklace for your wedding? Here's my personal thoughts about necklaces and wedding dresses.

• Most dresses are absolutely stunning by themselves. This goes for the most minimal of dresses to ones that are embellished with thousands of sequins and pearls. By not wearing a necklace, people get a chance to really see you in your beautiful dress, without being distracted by a neck-piece.

• Your dress may have a beaded belt or striking, decorative detail. Think of these details as your jewellery, but worn on a different part of the body. Sometimes, adding a necklace to the look is just too much.

The best piece of advice I can give is to just be you - wear what makes you feel happy. I spend lots of time with clients, just listening to how they talk about their own style and what makes them feel comfortable. At the end of the day, I believe that's the most important thing.

Most people who visit me don't have a clear idea of what they're looking for. That's one of my favourite parts of what I do; to offer you lots of advice and show you styles you may never have thought of! I'm always up for a chat about bridal accessories - you can get in touch by email or phone.  Or if you're at the early research stage, check out some of my recent commissions here on the blog.

Credits:
Rangoli website
Rangoli sketch by Aisling Nelson
Photos of Lita dress taken from the Catherine Deane Website.

Designing a silent bracelet

Yesterday there was a surprise in my in-box. When you lovely people get in touch to thank me and share photos, it means the world to me. Thanks Deirdre!

Deirdre made me laugh non-stop every time we met! She had absolutely no time for people telling her what she should or shouldn't do or wear for her wedding. She had some quirky must-haves (and have-nots). She wanted a 'silent' dress and was appalled by the thoughts of ones which make swishing sounds when she walked (more on this later!) and she wanted to wear a big statement bracelet, despite what everyone else thought.

I like how this girl thinks! Deirdre had a dream bracelet in her mind and had trawled the internet for it. She had spied January Jones wearing a wide pearl cuff and had even managed to source the designer's name. But her hunt for this elusive bracelet was in vain.

So, Deirdre got in touch to see if I could design something similar for her. I was on for the challenge. I started experimenting with techniques to create a solid pearl cuff. This style of piece is very different to my signature style but I loved the simplicity of the pure pearls.

The design of this piece took a long time to crack but I thoroughly enjoyed the process. Deirdre was involved at all stages, from initial sketches right through to her finished piece. At first I was going to add moving pearl drops to the crochet structure but Deirdre was fearful that the moving pearls would make a sound :-) More laughter...

The finished cuff was almost 6cm wide at it widest point. Every space was woven with hundreds of different sized pearls. The photo on the left shows the crochet framework that held it all together. The pearls gave an amazing bubbly, organic texture.

"I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for my beautiful cuff, I absolutely loved it on the day and got a million compliments about it!

What a gorgeous picture - Deirdre's dress was designed by Kathy De Stafford. You can't see the bottom of the dress here but it was a beautiful soft tulle.

Thanks for trusting me to make your bracelet Deirdre and for being so much fun to work with!

For more inspiration you can check out my latest commissions or give me a call to chat about your own ideas.

Image credit:
Photo of Deirdre: Icon Photography

It's two thousand and thirteen!

It's a brand spanking new year and I'm glad to be back to my studio after a thoroughly relaxing break. How was your holidays?

This Christmas was all about chilling for Ben and I. We spent a few days unwinding in windswept Donegal. Lots of (indoor) swimming and saunas and long beach walks! The bliss of doing very little was perfect.

Today, I'm sitting at my table, sketchbook in hand. I'm designing some unusual back headpieces to be tucked into romantic rolled hairstyles. And I have a beautiful Spanish wedding to share with you in the next couple of days.

The studio is open for appointments, so get in touch if you'd like to arrange a visit. 2013 brides, this is your year!

Style my wedding dress

Today I'm launching a brand new series on the blog. Here, I'll be sharing some the styling advice that I offer my customers when they visit my studio. So if you can't meet me in person, I can help you here! Most of you tell me that you need help and advice in choosing your accessories. And that's a really important part of my designing process. I start by getting to know you and then we look at your beautiful dress.

"Here's my top tip; stay true to your own personal style. Of course, you'll be a much more glamorous version of your everyday you but you should still be very much you! Does that make sense?"

I'm really excited about the first dress in this series. I've chosen the Bettina dress by Rembo Styling. It's from the 2013 collection. The series will cover a variety of different style dresses. Please get in touch if you'd like me to feature yours!

Bettina dress by Rembo Styling, 2013 collection

 So, first of all I'm going to start by describing this gorgeous dress in a bit more detail!

The style

This soft, romantic dress is contemporary in style. It is unstructured and slightly asymmetric. The silhouette is slim but not figure-hugging and there is no embellishment. The layered tulle folds create an organic and very natural feel.

Lines

The lines of this dress are so soft - it almost looks like a sketch. So much so, I grabbed my pencil and sketchbook! The delicate irregular folds along the neckline look like waves. If you have a look at the video below, you'll see that it was shot on a beach and the collection inspired by the sea.

My sketch of Bettina dress by Rembo Styling showing the delicate lines

Words

I often use words with clients to describe dress styles. Sometimes a client may have chosen a dress and has an idea for accessories that I feel may be at odds with it. By using words to describe both things, it can highlight why things may not be a good match.

Here are my words to describe this gorgeous dress: floaty, whisper, transparent, layers, waves, soft, quiet, romantic, playful.

 

A quirky 'behind the scenes' video of the Rembo Styling 2013 collection

 

Advice on jewellery and accessories to match this dress

Everything about this dress is soft and romantic. I would suggest delicate and unstructured accessories. I would (and often!) say no to a necklace. The halter-neck straps create a neckline that jewellery would interfere with. I think a beaded hairwire or wrap would be perfect with this dress - something to mimic the soft waves in the dress. Alternatively a pair of long delicate earrings might be just enough with some small hairpins dotted through the hair. A fine or multi-stranded bracelet could also be an option. Remember, you don't have to go for every possible accessory option. Often (another favourite mantra) less is more. An example of something that I feel wouldn't work with this look would be a vintage rhinestone comb or chandelier earrings.

Hairstyles

Although this is not my area of expertise, I have been looking at dresses and hairstyles for fifteen years now! I visualise the hair as another important element in the look. As crazy as it might sound, I think of hairstyles as sculptures. My skill is to design headpieces to suit the form of the hair. If someone hasn't had a hair trial, I'll often offer advice too.

I like the asymmetric braid that the model is wearing. There are lots of amazing variations on a soft or woven style which is up or down. The words that come to mind are soft and unstructured rather than defined or classic.

For hairstyle inspiration you might like to check out my Pinterest board called 'Yummy Hairstyles' as well as my photo albums on Facebook.

This ongoing blog feature is for you. I want to help you choose gorgeous accessories that you will love wearing! Please get in touch if you'd like to arrange a visit to my studio; I'd love to meet you and chat about your ideas! And if you can't meet me in person, I'd be delighted to offer you advice through this blog. Just email me a picture of your dress[aisling at rangoli dot ie] and I will come up with lots of suggestions and a string of words to describe your yummy dress :-)