It’s Fashion Friday, and this week I’m super excited to be able to share this bridal inspiration, featuring the new collection from one of my favourite up-and-coming SA designers, Elli-Nicole! If you’re not yet familiar with this homegrown haute brand (which extends to both gowns and shoes) – well, you’re in for a treat! Because not only are Elli-Nicole’s shoes BEYOND, but the Elli-Nicole dresses are utterly, breathtakingly fit for a queen too. So basically, bridal heaven. In this lovely lookbook, photographer Jessica Notelo has captured all those incredible textural details – 3D petal bodices, a scattering of pearls like tiny seeds, a lattice of lace. She calls it Jardin de Dentelle, which means ‘Garden of Lace’ in French – and well, that pretty much says it all! So let’s take a stroll down this particularly lovely garden path, shall we?
We asked Jessica to tell us more about the shoot:
With all the current Boho trends we though it would be nice to try something a little different and add a bit of a natural ‘organic glam’ flare. To me, nothing is more beautiful than rawness. Unapologetic beauty, I call it. Elli-Nicole’s new collection perfectly epitomises this theme. She says: “My new collection is inspired by the beauty of nature. Clusters of stars in the night sky, the flow of water in the rivers and the fine filigree of leaves that are found in our beautiful forests. I wanted to take these elements and translate them into wedding gowns that appeal to a bride who has a strong sense of who she is and appreciates the finer details. This collection is also for the modern woman who is not afraid to play with colour, illusion bodices, and interesting laces and beading – she is bold, and embraces her femininity.”
The makeup looks Danit Gordon chose for this shoot were all about beauty and simplicity. “Glowy skin, natural smokey eyes and a strong lip draw your attention to the face without overpowering the dresses,” she says. “I also went with a clean liquid liner on some of girls for a bit more of a sultry look. My main aim with these makeup looks was to highlight a woman’s most beautiful features: her eyes, lips and skin, making her feel sexy and daring without too much effort.”
SERVICE PROVIDERS
Photography & coordination: Jessica Notelo | Styling: Jessica Notelo & Elli-Nicole | Flowers & décor: Elli Nicole | Stationery: I Do Creative Concepts | Dresses: Elli-Nicole Bridal Atelier | Fashion assistant: Shannon Dean | Shoes: Elli-Nicole Shoes | Hair: Élia Lopes | Makeup: Danit Gordon | Venue: Lace on Timber | Models: Jade Hill of Ice Models + Loren Jenneker, Yonela Shenxane & Dionne Chen, all of Boss Models
