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As you’ll have seen from this morning’s post, today I am dashing around the capital filling my boots with bridal design pretty at White Gallery London.  I am so excited to check out what my old favourites have in store and discover some new talents as the designers unveil their new collections to the trade and press.

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One designer that I am keen to meet is controversial British fashion designer Jess Eaton who will unveil new pieces from her Roadkill Couture collection, designed exclusively for White Gallery. 

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EatonNott Roadkill Couture at White Gallery London by Christopher Dadey

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.EatonNott Roadkill Couture at White Gallery London by Christopher Dadey

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Eaton’s collections, Roadkill Couture & Roadkill Couture II, challenge everything we feel about the use of animals in fashion. The designs are meant to celebrate the raw beauty that surrounds us every day in the natural world by creating beautiful bespoke pieces from the most unlikely of places.  My own jury is still out on these designs and the ethos behind them (hovering around somewhat-freaked-out right now) but with ever the open mind, I’ll let you know my thoughts once I have seen the pieces in real life.

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This afternoon I leave you with a styled bridal shoot which also has an animalistic edge, sent to me by Brides Up North Featured Supplier Charlotte of Fable & Promise Wedding Dress Company Ltd.  This team’s shoots (whether showing off their own designs or the brands that they stock) are certainly never boring, and it’s a pleasure to feature them and their feathered friends on the wedding blog today.

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Click here (Urban Rockabilly) and here (Lady Of The Lake) to see previous shoots from the team. 

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And as a special treat for Brides Up North readers, at the moment when you visit the Fable & Promise website you will find a very offer there just for you – click here to see what it is!

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Charlotte of Fable & Promise says:  I have a fear of birds; completely irrational and entirely illogical, so quite how that little fact was overlooked when we were arranging this shoot is testament to the excitement that overtook us all in the preparations. The inspiration simply took over… and we’re not disappointed.

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The first kernel of an idea came with the delivery of our 2013 San Patrick collection in September last year. The Arosa gown  is completely breath-taking and we knew instantly that we needed to showcase it. The unique details of this dress are what led us to search out a snowy owl… the purest white feathers on the bodice, along with the magnificent tissue organza skirt that is simply crying out to be the centre of attention.

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We are massive advocates of the San Patrick brand which is part of the Pronovias fashion house. With the delivery of twenty new dresses we couldn’t wait to show them off and quickly chose two others from the collection to promote alongside Arosa.  Arrecife with its subtle sweetheart neckline, nipped in waist and swathes of Spanish tulle and Refran, a stunning figure hugging silk taffeta fishtail with gorgeous beading detail.

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Arosa’s unassuming white feathers have a lot to answer for. It was while discussing the idea with Kerry Baker MUA that the idea of using birds of prey in a bridal photo-shoot really came into its own. We knew we had to find something unconventional, and Richard, head falconer from Cuerden Valley Birds of Prey didn’t disappoint! To accompany our human models we had a range of hawks, falcons and owls including Angel, a striking male barn owl trained to carry wedding rings and Tundra, a beautiful snowy owl (think Hedwig from Harry Potter).

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We had also seen pictures of the stunning Tithe Barn at Browsholme Hall in Clitheroe and knew this would be the ideal setting. Built in the late 17C, the historic farm buildings have undergone a ¾ million restoration, carefully preserving their original appearance, whilst creating a new and unique wedding venue. The traditional features in the Tithe Bran such as the flagstone floors and oak timber created a fantastic dramatic backdrop for our shoot and also gave us the opportunity to get creative and really express our more theatrical tendencies.

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It was an absolute pleasure working with Rebecca, the wedding coordinator at Browsholme Hall; “I was initially a little nervous about taking a photo shoot booking as I didn’t know the team involved. Once I had spoken with Charlotte my mind was completely put at rest, I was assured of a seamless and professional day from all involved, I have to say that any doubts were totally blown away once the shoot got underway. All the team knew exactly what they wanted from the day and how it should be achieved, the looks varied so much from beautiful and traditional to the strong, striking yet slightly alternative images, Charlotte, Kerry and Duncan pulled it together fabulously!”

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You should know by now that there is more to Fable & Promise than our contemporary bridal collections. We were completely inspired by the Gothic atmosphere of the Browsholme Hall Tithe Barn and knowing that Cuerden Birds of Prey also had Vultures and Eagles the possibility of using these magnificent birds of prey allowed us to run wild and also create three utterly dark and dramatic wedding dresses. Taking inspiration from the San Patrick dresses we created three complimentary yet completely contrasting gothic wedding dresses, similar in silhouette yet entirely original.

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With the change in aesthetic we also welcomed a dramatic black vulture named Dennis, and Iona, a stunning golden eagle for real wow factor! Richard and his team provided the models with expert training on how to handle the birds and were present to ensure the welfare and safety of the birds throughout the shoot… I have to say that although my fear of birds is quite acute, the expert handling meant that this didn’t affect the day. And I have to admit that there is something about birds of prey that demands you pay attention.

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We worked with Kerry Baker as our makeup artist and Duncan Fisher of L’Hairport was our hair stylist for the shoot. “Together we planned two very contrasting looks to compliment the beautiful designer and bespoke Legend gowns. For this shoot the hair and make-up needed to be versatile enough so that we could cover the two looks in one afternoon. So to start with, the models hair was fashioned into soft, lustrous curls which were elegantly pinned up and styled using stylish tiaras and combs.”

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“For make-up, I used a romantic palette of pink, champagne and taupe on the models eyes, a delicate peach blush on cheeks and silky nude tones on lips. It was important to keep the look a little more traditional in order to contrast with the second look which was dripping in gothic drama. With just an hour to transform the three models, Duncan and I shook off convention and allowed our wild sides out! Duncan tousled, backcombed and sprayed hair into feral, untamed, glossy manes and accessorised with feathers and bespoke accessories. To complement the hair, I applied layers of smoky charcoal and black to the eyes complete with dramatic false lashes for full impact. Lips were coated in glossy reds and burgundies while cheeks were chiselled using shades of deep rose and raspberry.”

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We had such fun on the day; our models Sadie, Stacey and Sam were all amazing and I want to thank everyone that helped create this shoot. Even being surrounded by magnificent birds of prey the day was almost effortless and I just love the results.

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Little Black Book:

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Dresses – Fable & Promise Wedding Company Ltd

Makeup – Kerry Baker MUA

Hair – L’Hairport by Duncan Fisher

Birds of Prey – Cuerden Valley Birds of Prey

Venue – Browsholme Hall

Photography – CMY Productions

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Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Images © 2013 CMY Productions

Fable & Promise Wedding Dress Company Ltd is a Brides Up North Featured Supplier

Contact Brides Up North to submit your business as a Featured Supplier

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