© Lynne ColemanFrom frothy vintage tulle to sleek modern satin, Lynne Coleman pays tribute to the romance of bridalwear
The wedding dress. What an evocative frock. Wrapped inside its threads are hopes and dreams, promises and rituals, and even the most cynical amongst us can't deny their romance.
I could lose hours plying through piles of poofery in pre-loved stores. I'd befriend charity-shop workers just to ruffle the stash in the back. Then, during lockdown, I found myself scrolling through endless listings of bridalwear on eBay.
Initially it was for a completely legitimate reason. There is so much excess tartan fabric in my archive after almost a decade of working with DC Dalgliesh that I've been telling myself I must turn it into outfits. So I set about finding inspiration in the delicate gowns of the 1950s and 1960s. I was seduced by the bohemian vibes of the 1970s before falling down the rabbit hole of 1980s meringue-dom. Then, like smelling salt, the 1990s helped me come to my senses with sleek dresses reaffirming my faith in simplistic silhouettes.
By the time 10 bridal gowns rocked up at the house, I had the perfect excuse primed to appease my partner: I was using them as dress patterns. But as I opened each package, holding the varying satins, crepes, silks and brocades in hand, I knew I couldn't cut them up.
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So now I'm stuck with a mini vintage bridal showroom and a rather bewildered spouse. As I held up the oversize 1980s brocade when recording a podcast with Savannah Miller (aka the bridal-design queen) last week, she said: "Oh Lynne, that gown would be incredible made out of tartan!" This lady is rarely wrong in fashion related matters.
We chatted all things textile, from her St Martin's roots to being Alexander McQueen's pal. Then there was the story about that paparazzi who hid up a tree during her own nuptials.
© Lynne Colemanlynne coleman
You would think after all that, my wedding-dress thirst would be quenched. It was, until Christopher Kane brought out a bridal line I now can't stop thinking about. His cropped pearly jacket slung over the shoulder of one of Savannah's slips would be date-night-dress perfection - a fashion marriage made in heaven.