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.
Real Weddings
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
Muslim Christian wedding
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.
Chinese Fusion Wedding
For this bride, I created a Chinese fusion wedding dress with red dip dye. The result was a bold and beautiful bridal look, with lots of eye-catching details.
Photography – Belle Photo Journey
Photoshoots
I made this fuchsia pink fusion wedding dress using two lehenga I sourced from from an Indian seller. I shape and style are modern European with a strapless boned bodice with plunge neckline. The skirt is a true cross over style as pleated full skirts are popular in both cultures. I blended the styles even more by adding a train made from the dupatta and latkan on the back of the gold sequin bolero.
To see more from this Salthouse-fusion photoshoot head over to this dedicated portfolio entry.
Concept production & lead photographer – Puli Creative
I made another bridal look for the same photoshoot. A version of my popular Evie set (more examples below), this time made in deep burgundy red silk with an Indian sequin belt, latkan and ivory silk trousers. Perfect for a relaxed Indian, Bangladeshi or Pakistani fusion wedding look.
Evie Set – Asian fusion wedding design
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
Above is the Evie set in action at a different wedding photoshoot, where I swapped out the beaded belt for an embroidered ‘wild flower’ belt.
Chinese Influence
For this bespoke Chinese fusion wedding dress photoshoot, I created a look that incorporated both Western and Eastern elements in beautiful harmony. I started with a Western-style base, whilst incorporating many Chinese-inspired elements.
Photographer – Terry Li Photography
North African and European Fusion
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
