Delphine began with the embroidery, as soon as I saw this sample peaking out between others I loved it. It’s beautifully intricate, fine silk organza adored with a collection of floral embroideries, all with an elegantly lustrous sheen. As you can probably already tell I’ve become very fond of this embroidery!
I envisioned the embroidery as a beautiful wedding gown immediately but settling on a final design took quite a few variations. The combination of fabrics was clear to me from the beginning, the lustrous sheen of the embroidery coupled with the soft sheen of satin organza was a combination I felt would compliment both but deciding on the form they would take was more of a process.
The intricacy and precision of the fine embroidery was a characteristic I was keen to reflect in the overall design of the gown that would become Delphine.
For me the embroidery had a charming, whimsical character because of the fluttering floral design while also possessing a very polished appearance because of how beautifully made and refined the embroidery is itself.
There were so many possibilities presented, the fine sheer silk organza scattered with the floral embroideries looks beautiful against the skin and this was a possibility I considered. Thinking about a more sleek, sheer design to showcase the embroidery, combining sleeves or also the possibility of a layered design so some areas of the gown could be sheer or a detachable outer skirt, however after quite some consideration and sketching developments I felt that the first presentation of this embroidery as a wedding gown should be quite a statuesque design and that is how the design of Delphine evolved.
Created from a collection of different styles and sizes of flowers, each embroidered individually so each petal flutters slightly across the silk organza base. The intricacy and precision of the embroidery flowers up close is really beautiful, the sheen of the yarn and the fine patterns of stitching really make it an exceptional embroidery.
The cascading floral effect was created by appliquéing hundreds of additional flowers all over the dress, each individually chosen and placed to compliment each other while making sure not to overcrowd each bloom.
The silhouette of Delphine was very important to me, the skirt was cut to create a crisp silhouette when standing. However the lightness of layer after layer of silk organza create a natural gliding effect with movement, which is a particularly beautiful effect for dancing!
The fact that Delphine is a fully embellished gown doesn’t mean the pattern cutting is simple, even if the detailing might not be immediately apparent, hidden behind the delicate embroidery. I like to think that the detail of the cut can be discovered once you take a closer look as each seam line was placed to enhance the flow of the design and sculpt the silhouette. The internal intricacies of a fully corseted bodice maintain the silhouette with a defined waist and support both the dress and the wearer. 
Embellishment as a finishing detail was something I knew I wanted to include in this gown from the early stages but in a delicate way. To enhance the embroidery and add a twinkling effect to the flowers without taking away from the delicacy of the embroidery and the subtly of the design as a whole. Embellishing the flowers with tiny Swarovski crystal and pearls to catch the light was the finishing touch to crafting Delphine. A combination of tones of clear crystal, opal and pearls in differing arrangements depending on the flower style creates a frosted flower effect, twinkling as the crystals catch the light. 
Delphine was designed to be dramatic from afar and delicately detailed once close.