The Making of the Train

Brooks Ann Camper Bridal Couture

Many brides these days are opting for two looks for their wedding day: a ceremony look and a different reception look.  Some brides opt for two completely different dresses, but I always find it fun to have a transitional garment in which something is added or removed to create a completely different look.  I did […]

Fit Week pt.3 – Mockup Fitting #2

Brooks Ann Camper Bridal Couture

Lila Rose came to my studio one last time before heading back to Boston.  This was for our second mockup fitting and she brought along her two best friends!

Pattern drafting for Lila Rose’s mockup dress

Now that I have my moulage and my custom dressform created using Lila Rose’s unique set of over 30 measurements, it is now time to start drafting her pattern.  Pattern drafting is one of my very favorite parts of the bespoke process! Since this dress is a sleek design, my first draft was to create […]

Lila Rose’s (first (and second)) Design Proposal

After my Design Consultation with Lila Rose, I spent many hours thoughtfully considering all of our ideas as I delved into designing!  I needed to create a colorful wedding dress that encompassed all of the bride’s wants into one cohesive budget-friendly design that I could stand behind.  The pencil sketch above is what I came […]

If it’s not perfect, it won’t do.

As you know by now, every Brooks Ann Camper dress has never been made before and will never be made again.  The design and construction choices are unique and unprecedented.  It is an organic, improvisational process that evolves at each step; constantly perfecting along the way.  It is important for me that, no matter how […]

Wedding Dress in Progress

Whew!  After Michelle’s special order fabrics arrived, I began working like crazy on her wedding dress.  So much so that I haven’t blogged in a few weeks!  I’ve now got everything ready for our first Fabric Fitting next weekend, so I have a few days to try and catch you up.  I tried to remember […]

Threadmarking, Basting and Assembly

A mockup is not put together like a real garment.  All of its seams, trims, edges and closures are temporary and assembled in a way that makes it easy to make changes during a fitting.  After I cut out all of my pieces and before I can start assembling the garment,  I do a lot […]