Rowan McLennan Design

It's great to have more fabulous Hawke's Bay businesses join the us. Rowan, of Rowan McLennan Design will be providing excellent advice on the latest designs and fabric.....

Welcome to my first chat for Hawkes Bay Weddings, writing this is going to be an absolute pleasure as I get to share with you my absolute addiction.....fashion!!!! In particular Bridal Fashion Design, a topic that has taken up an enormous amount of my life in the last 25 Years. Yes girls, I lead a somewhat different life to the average normal person.

I don't suffer Mondayitis(weird), I have more Bridal/Fashion magazines than the local library and I never get even the slightest tan in summer as I am in my cave........my workroom! So why design Wedding Gowns? Why not mass market fashion, a shop with my name in flashing lights in every city? Cost; too much with the power bill. Seriously, bridal design has always been were I belong. Meeting a prospective bride to be, drawing designs and then cutting into some of this worlds most beautiful fabrics to sew and shape a gown that then gives the wearer that wonderful WOW feeling is the essence of my craft.

Over the next few months I am going to share with you a behind the scenes look at the creation of a couture bridal gown, from sourcing fabric in Hong Kong to giving you some helpful tips that I have picked up over the years(I sound old) for the actual wedding day. If you love fashion, beautiful fabrics, and hunting for items that are unique then you will be in seventh heaven.I want to excite you as much as I feel when I am creating a bridal gown.

Bridal fashion is constantly changing and reinventing itself. We all look at our parents, aunts and grandparents wedding photos and often giggle at how a certain decade dressed for weddings. The 1970s are fun, we have a family photo in which the bride looked fab in blue crimplene trimmed with white guipure daisys,the groom wore flares, and many of the guests wore caftans!!!!!! This was the ultimate in trendy. Just to let you know caftans aren't in for this summer, however I will let you know about current trends. I think photos tell a lot and I have chosen some of our latest commissions for you to enjoy.

Your wedding gown is as individual as you are and you will see no two brides are wearing the same. Today weddings are very unique, you can be as tradional or contemporary as you wish. Your wedding gown can even tell a story, think about maybe incorporating a piece of jewellery into the design as we did with Karens corset bodice. The pearl necklace attached to her bodice was her grandmothers and I think linked the generations.

To me a wedding is a public declaration of love and emotion; a wedding gown is not just any old frock with a bit of tinsel on it. The gown is a symbol of this emotion, and it makes us all smile, it certainly means I have fulfilled my role as a bridal gown designer ........ I still sigh .......and smile.