Latest news with #couture
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
How the high society designer behind Sarah Ferguson's wedding dress 'fell out' with Carole Middleton after being given surprising request
When the Duchess of York commissioned Lindka Cierach to design her wedding dress on July 23 1986, the couturier catapulted her into the limelight, earning her nothing but praise for the lavish gown. She founded her own company, Lindka Cierach Couture, in 1979 and her first commission was a wedding dress for a Bahranian princess, which drew attention from the Middle East. But it was not until she designed Fergie's £35,000 ivory duchess satin gown, with its 17½ft-long train, that her place was cemented in fashion history. The dress, with a waistline which dropped to a point and a scooped neckline, proved a foil for her veil and headdress. Manolo Blahnik created her shoes, which were beaded with bees and ribbons in pearls and diamante. Initially Fergie wanted teddy bears and helicopters embroidered on the dress, but Cierach pointed her in a different direction. But, in the four decades since that historic day, Fergie, 65, has been in and out of the headlines for her romantic entanglements, financial disasters, and struggles with cancer and mental health. While she and Prince Andrew were divorced ten years later, the parents of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, still live together in the £30 million mansion Royal Lodge in the heart of Windsor Great Park. Now, in an extraordinary parallel, Cierach, 73, has had her own share of adverse publicity as she has negotiated life in the aftermath of the Royal wedding. Five full-time beaders then embroidered the bride's own coat of arms on the garment with thistles and bees interwoven with the couple's heraldic initials and naval anchors with waves and hearts But it was not until she designed Fergie's £35,000 ivory duchess satin gown, with its 17½ft-long train with an S and an A in silver beads, that her place was cemented in fashion history The London College of Fashion graduate, who once dated TV supremo Michael Grade, eventually gave up on the fashion world to become a sound healer after a public fallout with the Princess of Wales' mother Carole Middleton. She fell out with Carole Middleton over her outfit for William and Kate's wedding. She selected the couturier to design her outfit, spending four months attending many secret fittings, before ditching her at the 11th hour. The designer, who numbers Queen Rania of Jordan and Hollywood star Catherine Zeta-Jones amongst her clients, has always refused to discuss the dispute. But reportedly Carole asked the couturier to deliver the unfinished outfit to her home, so she could show it to her friends, and Cierach would only allow the garment to leave her studio if she accompanied it. According to a source, Cierach was taken aback when Middleton claimed the designer was 'unaccommodating' and said she no longer wished to wear the outfit. She was reported to have been left surprised by the 'unconventional' request and 'completely bemused after all the hard work she had put into creating the outfit'. It is now 12 years since Cierach teamed up with Newcastle University graduate Cherub Sanson, to found the Sister Sound Circle, a 'sacred space, celebrating and supporting women in our community.' 'I used to get very drained by being with difficult people,' she said pointedly in an online comment explaining about her new path.' 'I started Sister Sound Circle in 2013, with my spirit mama, Lindka Cierach,' wrote Sanson, 'through my own desire to sing in a safe environment with a sisterhood, who's (sic) ethos was to complete each other, not compete with each other. 'It's been an epic journey, from starting out - not sure how to hold a circle, or what it should consist of - we kept holding them under the light of every full moon, and our Sister Sound Circle grew and grew. 'Ten years on, we have opened our circle to women both living in and travelling through London from all over the world….Together we sing, drum. share, laugh, cry, meditate and elevate our consciousness as one tribe.' Born in Lesotho, Cierach spent her early years in Africa, with her siblings Kasia, who ran a soft furnishing studio, and brother John, who ran a wet fish and food business. Her father Edek, who was Polish and a devout Catholic, spent much of World War II in a Siberian concentration camp, building the trans-Siberian railway, and went onto map Africa for the British Government. Her mother Diana taught her how to sew. 'My mother helped to develop my love of sewing,' she once said, 'as I used to watch her doing embroidery and smocking. 'She has a fine intellectual mind, and her dream was to have a career - but her father poo-poohed all her ambitions and sent her to Africa to be 'tidied up'. That is where she met my father.' Cierach attended a convent school in London and worked at Vogue magazine before studying at the London College of Fashion. On graduation, she was apprenticed to Japanese designer Yuki. She soon gained a reputation for designing exquisite wedding gowns for society brides such as Lady Rose Cecil, daughter of the Marquess of Salisbury, Jocelyn Stevens's daughter Pandora, and the heiress Charlotte Monckton. 'I was overwhelmed and delighted to get a call from Sarah Ferguson the day after her engagement,' she said afterwards. 'I had never made anything for her before, although I had met her at a couple of social occasions. 'She wanted me to do some wedding dress sketches, and I sketched like crazy. I even dreamed I had a vision from the vaults of Westminster Abbey. 'On the morning, she was due to ring me back, there was total panic. I locked myself out of the house and stood on the doorstep hearing the telephone ring, but we managed to get together the following day. 'Once I started to work with her, I realised what was appropriate. She has strong looks and a wonderful body. And we had great fun, although she was under tremendous pressure. 'We joked about putting bumble bees and helicopters into the design. Seriously, I felt the dress had to be something that would live through history.' Five full-time beaders then embroidered the bride's own coat of arms on the garment with thistles and bees interwoven with the couple's heraldic initials and naval anchors with waves and hearts. Afterwards Fergie wrote in her memoir: 'Lindka was a genius; I knew she could make the most flattering gown ever, and she had. It was amazingly boned, like a corset. After a traditional wedding breakfast for 120 guests at Buckingham Palace, the married couple and some 300 guests moved to a party at Claridge's hotel 'We'd chosen duchess satin because it is the creamiest material in the world. It never creases. It is smooth as glass and hangs beautifully, without a single bulge; it made my reduced figure look even better.' The following year Cierach was named Designer of the Year. Jilly Cooper based her fictional designer in the 2002 bestseller Pandora on her and she took part in the 2006 ITV series Ladette to Lady, tutoring foulmouthed young girls to speak nicely. But, no matter how many diverse projects she has been involved with, she will always be remembered for Fergie's flattering wedding gown…
Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Would you dress like the pope?
Just before the Dolce & Gabbana Alta Sartoria fashion show began last Wednesday, the guests mingled in front of the imposing Castel Sant'Angelo, which dates from AD123 — part papal residence, part mausoleum for emperors and part, as the name suggests, fortress. Among them, towering above those around him, was Manchester City's statuesque Erling Haaland, wearing an elegant pale grey combo of polo neck and relaxed, full trousers. Only a silver necklace over the knit sparkled as a decorative hint. But boy was he about to be eclipsed in the wardrobe department. The Dolce & Gabbana Alta Sartoria collection is unusual in the extreme. It is essentially couture for men and is presented each year in a different Italian location that the designer duo of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana select with a view of engaging in a dialogue with its history and tradition. This year they went for the big one: Rome. As Dolce says: 'Rome is an extraordinary city, an endless source of inspiration. It embodies our love for Italy and its roots, for the artists and creatives that in time have celebrated it.' Before the show as the invitees enjoyed an aperitivo, he confided to me that 'Rome is intense culturally — it is so different to Milan. You feel the presence and influence of the Vatican. It is a heavy city — not in a bad way, just intense.' This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue So when places were taken and the classical music soundtrack started, it perhaps shouldn't have come as such a surprise that the fashion show — the first permitted to be staged here — kicked off with a procession of 'cardinals' in their red vestments, like a scene from Edward Berger's movie Conclave. These took their place on the bridge that connects the castle to the city, the Ponte Sant'Angelo, which is lined with marble angels designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The models then began their own stately procession. We were treated to a visual symphony of luxurious hand-made decorative opulence, inspired, sometimes very literally, by ecclesiastical tailoring. Here, among the pink and black suits were tunic-style pieces that borrowed from the wardrobe of the Catholic Church: copes, chasubles and dalmatics. The embroidery and crystal decoration, the filigree made from gold bullion thread, the use of the cross as a recurring emblem in both clothing and jewellery — all this left us in no doubt that we were witnessing clothing possessed of grandeur. One golden brass filigree bodice displayed gemstones and crystals like a piece of body armour. Another bodice, constructed from a white fabric that looks like marble, featured a three-dimensional head of Saint Peter with the keys to the kingdom of heaven. And though some of the more extreme expressions would undoubtedly require quite the occasion to get a wearing, there were plenty of embroidered and embellished jackets and trousers that would do service at any dressy event — though admittedly ear-marking the wearer as someone who enjoys spectacle and theatre. But then the brand's Alta Sartoria is spectacular and theatrical. Those invited to attend are the label's top customers and this cohort decamp annually to whichever Italian city or venue the designers have designated. Last year it was Sardinia, previously it has been Venice and Florence. Alta Sartoria, launched in 2015, meaning literally 'high tailoring', is the male equivalent of what Dolce & Gabbana does for women: Alta Moda ('high fashion'). And like the women who attend those shows (and this week there was one the night before the men's event at Rome's historic Forum), the men at this couture bash place orders for what's on display. Often while the models are actually walking the catwalk. Prices start at about €50,000 and each piece is unique. If you buy one of these outfits you won't ever bump into anyone dressed the same. Not even Erling
The National
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Elie Saab's son weds at sparkling three-day celebration in Lebanon
Celio Saab, son of the Lebanese couturier Elie Saab, married his fiancee, Zein Qutami, in Lebanon. Surrounded by friends and family, the pair exchanged vows at the historic Bkerke church in Jounieh, followed by a glittering reception as part of the three-day celebration. The bride, of course, wore Elie Saab. With a fashion designer as her new father-in-law, all eyes were on Qutami and her outfits for the each of the events. For the pre-wedding party, which kicked off the three-day event, Qutami wore a fitted champagne-toned dress, with a beaded bodice and a floor-length, pleated skirt, paired with a matching sheer cape hanging from her shoulders. The groom, meanwhile, wore a single-breasted taupe suit with an open-necked shirt. For the wedding day, the bride wore two looks. She arrived at the church on the arm of her father, wearing a shimmering, off-the-shoulder, silver embellished gown with long sleeves. Fully fitted, the dress featured an overskirt that extended into a cathedral-length train, and was finished with a large ivory bow at the back. Over this, Qutami wore a gossamer veil that was the length of the train. She finished the look with a small bouquet of white and silver flowers, emerald-cut drop diamond earrings and a small headpiece. For the evening event, the bride switched into a champagne-coloured gown, with a similar full skirt and vertical lines of silver beading. She wore a matching veil and carried a small bouquet of tonal flowers. The look was finished with the same diamond earrings. Her husband wore a formal black tuxedo to both events. For the third day of celebrations, Qutami wore a strapless, sweetheart-cut dress in powder blue, which also featured intricate beading. Her husband, meanwhile, arrived looking relaxed wearing all black, wearing a jacket over a T-shirt. In addition to creating the bridal gowns for his new daughter-in-law, Elie Saab also dressed many of the high-profile guests in attendance. Yemeni-Emirati singer Balqees Fathi wore a rose gold beaded and sequinned strapless gown to attend the wedding. "What a magical night," she wrote on Instagram in a post congratulating the couple. Also in attendance was Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram, who wore a fitted, cap-sleeved gown with rich gold sequins and beads. Other guests included influencer Karen Wazen, who arrived in a mustard yellow, halter-neck look with dramatic slashed sleeves, as well as television host Jessica Azar, who wore a black look, made of horizontal bands of cross-hatched beading. Lebanese actress Nadine Nassib Njeim was also in attendance. Singer Assi El Hallani shared videos of himself serenading the happy couple at the wedding. The lavish event is the first high-profile Saab family wedding since Elie Saab Jr married Christina Mourad in 2019. The pair have since had two children, Sophia, four, and Elie, two. Celio is the middle son of Elie and Claudine Saab. The newlywed couple met in Dubai in 2021 and they continue to live in the UAE.
Harpers Bazaar Arabia
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Harpers Bazaar Arabia
An Exclusive Interview With Zein Qutami And Celio Saab On The Party Dress That Lit Up Lebanon Last Night
Designed by couturier and now father-in-law Elie Saab, Zein Qutami's post-wedding party dress glimmered and gleamed under delicate candlelight Last night, Zein Qutami exchanged vows with Celio Saab, the son of internationally acclaimed fashion designer Elie Saab, during an enchanting ceremony set against the storied backdrop of the Church of Bkerke in Lebanon. In an exclusive interview with Harper's Bazaar Arabia, the bride and groom shared their experience collaborating with the esteemed couturier on Zein's post-wedding party look. As the daughter-in-law of Elie Saab, for the wedding day alone, one dress simply wouldn't do. 'We felt the evening deserved its own chapter, something that captured the energy of the celebration and allowed for a more expressive, grand moment,' explains Zein. 'We wanted to create something radiant and unapologetically glamorous. The look was designed to embody boldness and femininity in perfect balance; powerful, yet graceful.' And what a look. The gown showcases a sleeveless mermaid silhouette with a plunging V-shape neckline, complemented by a striking overskirt that extends approximately 4.5 meters. Adorned with intricate linear crystal embroidery, the design incorporates sequins and translucent, diamond-shaped stones to create a shimmering, multidimensional effect. executed in an elegant 'Rose Sable' shade, the dress introduces a subtle hint of colour that speaks to the earthy colour palette that has run through the couple's nuptials thus far. Many brides will understand the difficulty in choosing a party dress that follows a traditional ceremony gown; it can be hard to balance yin and yang. 'The dresses didn't tell the same story, but they spoke the same language. The ceremony gown was designed to reflect the romance of the moment while also being mindful of the setting of a religious wedding, which naturally comes with a sense of formality, while the second was bolder, more radiant; both expressing his vision in their own way,' she explains. The party dress, is, after all, where many brides choose to cut loose a little. 'This was the dress that felt most like 'me'; the kind of silhouette and style that I naturally gravitate towards. Since the reception allowed for more freedom compared to the ceremony, I was able to express myself more fully.' It had the feel of an evening gown, but elevated and exaggerated in just the right way for a wedding, with the dramatic train adding that final touch.' As with any wedding dress, there is an inextricable link between the setting and the silhouette, and Zein's evening look chimed perfectly with the location's ambiance. 'The setup was so enchanting, especially with the entrance right by the lake, it felt almost magical,' enthuses Zein. 'That dreamy atmosphere definitely influenced my choice. I wanted a dress that would complement the natural beauty of the setting and feel harmonious with the surroundings.' Few brides are lucky enough to be so heavily involved in the creative process of their wedding dresses, let alone have an esteemed couturier as their father-in-law to-be – an experience which the couple seemingly both cherished deeply. 'It was a deeply emotional experience, filled with care and attention. There was an unspoken understanding of how meaningful this moment was for us, and that made every detail of the process feel even more special,' says Zein. 'He knew exactly what the dress needed to be from the very beginning, his vision didn't just guide the design, it defined it completely. I shared with him what I liked, but ultimately, I placed my full trust in his vision.' Celio, meanwhile, who appeared dapper in a traditional tuxedo, felt blessed to observe the collaboration between the pair. 'From the start, I wanted Zein to wear something she'd feel comfortable in, and I trusted that she was in good hands with my father. Their collaboration was built on mutual respect, and that gave me full confidence the result would be exceptional,' he explains. 'There were many moments that stood out, but what struck me most was how unspoken it all was. They didn't need many words, my father just instinctively knew what would suit Zein, and she trusted him completely. Watching them work together so smoothly was really touching.' While the ceremony dress certainly marks the moment that bride and groom become man and wife, many brides will attest that it is often the party dress that holds the most cherished memories. For Zein, this was paramount. 'I wanted to end the night feeling completely at ease and fully myself, celebrating the moment without overthinking it,' she says. 'The dress wasn't the centre of attention; it was part of the celebration, flowing naturally with the joy and energy around me. I felt comfortable, confident, and truly present.'
Khaleej Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
How Paris Couture Week 2025 embraced inclusivity
In the aftermath of recent fashion missteps — most notably Prada's Spring/Summer 2026 presentation, which faced widespread criticism for its uncredited appropriation of traditional Kolhapuri sandals — and in the shadow of mounting global economic tensions aggravated by the fashion tariff wars, Paris Haute Couture Week returned this July under a cloud of heightened scrutiny. The question facing the industry was clear: would couture, the most elevated form of garment-making in the world, remain cloistered in its familiar sanctuaries of French and Italian elitism, or would it begin to expand its frame to accommodate the new, the regional, and the previously peripheral? The answer, while subtle, was unmistakable. This season's collections did not storm the gates of tradition with grand proclamations or flashy stunts; rather, they arrived with quiet confidence, the sort that comes not from spectacle but from clarity of vision. Among the legacy maisons — Dior with its Grecian silhouettes and feminist undertones, Schiaparelli with its surrealist motifs, and Chanel with its predictably polished restraint — it was the presence of regional designers from the Middle East and South Asia that lent the week a sense of momentum and emotional gravity. Marking what many have called a historic debut, Syrian-born, Dubai-based designer Rami Al Ali presented on the official Fédération de la Haute Couture calendar for the very first time, a recognition long overdue given his two-decade-long contribution to couture from the region. His Fall/Winter 2025 collection, showcased in an understated Parisian salon near Place Vendôme, was a tribute not only to refined construction and considered embellishment, but also to the architectural elegance of the Arab world — as former editor-in-chief of Madame Arabia Jessica Michault says: 'Perhaps this is because Syria is finally seeing the light after a long-wished regime change, or maybe it's just a designer creating from a place of contentment after finally getting the recognition he deserves from his peers.' Gowns flowed with mathematical pleating and hand-embroidered bodices that called to mind the geometry of Islamic tilework, rendered in a palette of deep navy, desert rose, and alabaster. The standout piece — a midnight blue gown crowned with a sculptural cape — was as much a testament to technical mastery as it was a gesture of regional pride. From Riyadh, Mohammed Ashi of Ashi Studio offered a body of work that continued his signature sculptural language, this time deepening it with a sense of serene monumentality. His collection, predominantly in hues of ivory and bone, presented gowns that appeared almost as if carved from alabaster, with austere silhouettes that revealed their complexity only upon closer inspection. Drawing inspiration from artists like Louise Bourgeois — whose fabric works echo mended, distressed bodies — Ashi's collection wove in layers of story: a conversation around skin, transparency, and emotional depth, positioned between exoticism and classicism, like a modern cabinet of curiosities. In a more traditionally romantic vein, Lebanon's enduring couture voices, Georges Hobeika and Zuhair Murad, returned with collections that felt less like red-carpet fare and more like cultural introspections. Hobeika's use of blush-toned tulle and layered organza, embellished with crystalised cable embroidery, echoed the folklore of Levantine femininity, while Murad's gowns, in shades of Tyrian purple and soft jade, retained their trademark glamour but were elevated by a restraint in silhouette and precision in surface detailing. One could not help but admire a Murad creation that featured a sheer corseted bodice paired with a waterfall of metallic-threaded silk — a piece that balanced opulence with an air of mythology. Quietly powerful Rahul Mishra, who has consistently carved a niche for his narrative-led couture, turned to Sufism for inspiration this season. His garments, woven with hand-embroidered medallions and nature motifs, unfolded like meditative chants — quietly powerful and rich in subtext. One robe-like dress, composed of hundreds of hours of handwork and bearing the gentle shimmer of moonlight grey, embodied this spirit with haunting beauty. Feedback from industry insiders was notably encouraging. Natalie Kingham, former fashion and buying director at MatchesFashion, commented on social media that this season, 'Rami's debut was an affirmation that haute couture can embrace geographies beyond Paris and Milan without compromise.' Meanwhile, fashion influencers attending from London, noted in a Threads post that 'it was the quieter presentations — Rahul Mishra and Schipparelli's, in particular — that held the room in a way that no gimmick could'. As Paris Couture Week 2025 drew to a close, it wasn't rupture or reinvention that defined the mood, but something far more enduring: relevance redefined. The week didn't rewrite the couture rulebook, but it did expand the margins, allowing new voices to shape the narrative without asking for permission. If Paris has long been the cathedral of couture, then this season proved the echo now travels well beyond its gilded halls. From Beirut and Mumbai to Riyadh and Delhi, the rhythm of haute couture feels fuller, deeper, and — at last — collectively authored.
