Cultural Fusion Wedding Dress Design

I am fortunate enough to have been commissioned to design many a cultural fusion wedding dress. I have love for wedding traditions (and the less traditional) from all over the world and a joy in seeing people from different backgrounds looking to create something unique by bringing both worlds together for their celebration.

My grandmother (who was born English) spent her early childhood in India, during the time of the occupation. The inequities and crimes of the Raj not to be put aside, the effect it had on me, was that she passed on her love for the culture she was bathed in as a child. I grew up visiting her house which was full of ‘India’ – colour and peacocks and elephants. Returning to England to go to boarding school was the biggest disappointment of her life, finding the ‘Mother Country’ she could not remember was a land of grey clouds and cold weather. My grandmother spent the rest of her life chasing the golden age of her early childhood. India, Spain, Japan, Mexico; any culture with colour, life and joy attracted her. And her love of these things has become part of our family-lore and been passed to me.

I think this grounding gives me a respect and genuine love for cultures other than my own. I have been praised for my sensitivity and rigorous research where needed when creating a cultural fusion wedding dress. I’m also open to exploring ways to interpret and blend cultures to create design personal to my wedding couples. And of course my deep interest in European and English wedding traditions (you need to know the rules to bend them) helps too.

Custom bespoke make to measure uk london surrey sussex Asian Fusion Wedding Trousers top

Iram’s wedding ensemble was a copy of my ‘Evie’ set. A modern silk blouse with low-twist back detail and latkan paired with wrap over trousers. Iram ordered these through my Etsy shop. The set was originally designed for a photoshoot in London and has since been really popular for Fusion weddings.

You can see more from Iram’s gorgeous wedding here, and below a few images of the original photoshoot. Photography – Rohit Gautam

The ‘Evie’ set is a cultural fusion wedding dress ensemble I designed for a photoshoot in London. Imagining a mixed English and Indian couple wanting to honour each other’s traditions. I designed a modern silk blouse with latkan and split silk trousers. I added a silk organza skirt and balloon sleeves to wear on top for added drama.

You can order the Evie set made to measure direct from me, or through my Etsy shop. I can create it in any size or colour with design tweaks to suit your taste and wedding plan.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Fleur Challis Photography

Bespoke custom UK muslim interfaith couple Gold lace satin Hijab wedding dress

This beautiful bride needed a dress suitable for both her Christian and Muslim wedding ceremonies. I designed a cultural fusion wedding dress for her in golden African lace to reflect her own heritage. My bride wore her matching hijab was worn when required but without covering the dress was every inch a modern western style. You can see more about this hijab wedding dress here.

This cultural fusion wedding dress was commissioned by the incredibly talented wedding planner, Akilah for the photoshoot she organised at the RSA House in London. I blended elements of ancient Egypt with heart-achingly modern fabric and styling to create this fusion look for our bride. You can see more of the photoshoot here. Or order your own copy of this dress direct from me or through my Etsy shop.

Photographer – Jamie Edward

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Felicity Westmacott

I write about all aspects of weddings, dressmaking, fashion history, and the human relation to clothing. I welcome comments and debate.

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Sometimes dressmaking lingo can feel a bit overwhelming, so I like to spend time breaking down various elements of a wedding dress I've made in... Anatomy of a Dress!⁠
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▫️for the fabric I used a beautiful, ivory floral lace (layered on top of silk dupion)⁠
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▫️the back of dress has a keyhole opening, secured with covered buttons at the top⁠
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▫️the corset bodice is fully boned with visible boning channels⁠
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▫️the dress fastens with a lace-up back, with ribbon and eyelets, and a modesty panel behind (so no skin shows through beneath the lacing)⁠
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▫️the skirt is cut straight with a very slight flare near the hem and scalloped edging used all around, including onto the small train⁠
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Did you find this little breakdown helpful? Hopefully it means that when it comes to your bridal outfit, you have a better idea of how to talk about what you want 🥰⁠
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If you want to see what this dress looked like on the day of the wedding, have a look at this week's earlier post.
Curious about the steps to take towards getting your wedding dress altered? Here are my tips for making your alteration journey a smooth and pleasant one.

1. Finding options
The shop where you find your dress might have a list of recommendations, or have their own in-house seamstress. You can also ask friends who they have used (and more importantly, liked).

2. Choosing a seamstress you can trust
Check online reviews. You can get a good sense of their professionalism from the look of their website or when you visit their work space. Getting undressed and trusting someone with your wedding dress is an intimate process so it’s important to pick someone you feel comfortable with.

3. Book early
Ideally, as soon as you have bought you dress. Seamstresses usually get booked up months ahead, especially in the busy spring and summer months. I normally recommend alterations are started 6-8 weeks before your wedding day.

4. Have realistic budgets expectations
Most wedding dress alterations with me cost between £300-£500 total, though this depends on the work that needs doing. Don't assume that alteration costs will be proportional to the cost of your dress. Buying a cheap dress that needs a lot of work can end up costing as much or more than a more expensive dress that needs very little changing.

6. Buy a dress that is close to your size
Choosing a dress as close as possible to your actual size will give the best result. Making a dress smaller is much easier than expanding one.

If you have any more questions about the altering process, pop them in the comments!
emailme@felicitywestmacott.co.ukTEL 07762 543230TOUCHGet in
from design to completionbespoke wedding dressesFelicity Westmacott
Dorking, RH4 1RT241 High Street• Visit the Studio •
Dorking, RH4 1RT241 High Street• Visit the Studio •
emailme@felicitywestmacott.co.ukTEL 07762 543230TOUCHGet in