“Real beauty is authenticity – a women is at her most beautiful when she is herself. I want to produce an environment where women are comfortable to express their fears, able to express their dreams, and a facility that would enable me, and a very talented supporting team, to push the boundaries and help women produce their own style, rather than be dictated to…"
I knew I'd stumbled upon something very special when I heard these words – extracted from the video below of Lucia Silver, founder and Creative Director of London's only bespoke atelier dedicated to bridal wear and special occasion wear, The State of Grace.
The State of Grace is a luxury 'one-stop-shop' – a sparkling, secret treasure trove located in a private studio in Notting Hill, designed to cater for every Brides' need, from garments to accessories, shrugs, overwear, jewellery, shoes, bags and even hair and makeup.
"The ability and opportunity to pull together all those skills and talent together under one roof is no mean feat" says Lucia. "We work with teams of up to 40 people, but this means our Brides can fulful their vision entirely – it means that one vision is pulling together the look and ensuring that it all works together seamlessly."
A video for you to watch over your lunch hour….
Love My Dress Wedding Blog – Film Production Copyright (c) 2011, The State of Grace
With design muses that include Romain de Tirtoff {better known as Erté}, and a growing collection of some of the most chic, glamorous, cutting edge and truly couture bridal wear designs, Lucia has quickly established herself as one of London's top bridal wear design and styling specialists…
Credit: Erto, via The Deco Detective
Whilst art-deco and the vintage glamour of the 20's and 30's is clearly a huge influence on Lucia's styling, she very much steers away from any kind of signature look…
"We pride ourselves in NOT really having this and we do not produce our look per se, but rather what we believe brings out the best in each of our individual clients. If however you were to ask me what I personally love I guess it would have to be the 30s. I love the unapologetic glamour and self-styling sophistication captured in the sensual draping and the delicate but confidently witty details - that’s before I start on the deco and vintage-inspired jewellery and the finger waved hair and red lips. Have a look at my Old School Glamour on my website and you’ll see what I mean…"
Love My Dress Wedding Blog – All Imagery form here on Copyright (c) 2011, The State of Grace
For Lucia, designing is clearly in her bones and she has been creating since she was a litle girl…..
"Two years after I opened my fashion boutique in Notting Hill, I realised that I wanted to start selling my own lines in answer to what I could see and hear women wanted, so I suppose it started then (2004/5) but I soon realised that bespoke design and styling – creating the whole concept and look for individual women, was what really excited me…"
I was keen to discuss Lucia's outlook on bridal wear in the UK wedding industry today…
"I wish more women would self-style and do things on their own terms. I’d like for it to become more and more chic to say that you have co-designed something or had it uniquely created for you, rather than I’m wearing ‘X designer’ which says so little about the wonderful uniqueness of each woman…"
So how did this realisation lead to the concept of The State of Grace?
"So many observations of modern day women lead me to establish The State of Grace, but largely, they included a desire to offer something truly personal, honouring the fact that each woman has something different to express and is not simply a slave to fashion trends.
I want to offer real value for money. Despite the high price tags, designer labels are no longer exclusive but available everywhere – globally and online – and mass produced. State of Grace Bespoke is often the same price or cheaper than these off the peg labels. And I'm not prepared to compromise any dress or accessory, for anything. Why not have something that is the perfect fit, the perfect colour and the perfect style – made especially for you? It can be worked in with the rest of your wardrobe and will never go out of fashion – it's that elegant timeless look we specialise in achieving at The State of Grace.
We are also committed to taking some of the stress away from busy women by offering all the necessary professional and creative expertise under one roof. It’s a dream come true for brides who know that both their look and that of their bridal party is being taken care of…"
Lucia sounds like every woman's style heroine – the kind of women you secretly want a very long lunch date with – the kind whose wardrobe you'd be eyeing up carefully in the corner of your eye. The kind you really want as friend, the kind of friend who will tell you exactly what to wear and how to wear it to look fabulous…
I was keen to learn what serves as Lucia's inspiration today, when it comes to designing for and styling her clients…
"Many things inspire me when designing for my clients, but three consistently matter, that is, the woman in-front of me at the time, exquisite fabric and embroidery and, inevitably, those fabulously strong and self-defining old school Hollywood movie stars.
I love all things ethnic and find myself translating this love into some of my more Eurasian style designs. All The State of Grace garments are made here in Britain – though I commission any embroideries through ethnic suppliers based on Bombay and Lahore…"
The two key services offered by The State of Grace, are Total Grace, which offers a head to toe special occasion wear design and styling service and Bridal Grace, which offers full red-carpet styling for the Bride and Bridal party. Let's just focus on the latter for a little while – and don't be put off by the exclusive nature of this beautiful bridal brand – bespoke wedding dresses start at £1,500 and bespoke bridesmaids gowns start at £400…
"I don’t believe there is anywhere else in London that offers head to toe bespoke garment, accessory and shoe design, personal styling and expert hair and make-up – all under one roof."
Bespoke Wedding Dress Design is also available, and an extremely useful FAQ on the benefits of buying a made-to-measure wedding gown is provided here on The State of Grace website. But I'll save you the blog visit and encourage you to consider The State of Grace benefits of 'going bespoke'…
(1) Because you are tired of spending money to look like everyone else (ever had a ghastly ‘snap syndrome’ moment at a party?) and you’d like something entirely one-off and made especially for you.
(2) Because you don’t want to be dictated to by the fashion powers that be. You have a very clear idea of what you would like (perhaps your dream dress?), but can’t find it anywhere.
(3) Because you would like something that brings out the best of you – your colouring, your figure, your style AND that works with the rest of your wardrobe, so you can wear it again and again.
(4) Because you are not a standard or ‘off the peg’ size and would like something to fit you perfectly.
(5) Because you have a garment or an accessory in your wardrobe that you long to wear, but you can’t find anything out there to go with it and so need something designed to complement it.
(6) Because you would like to receive the advice and encouragement of a warm, discerning and qualified team of stylists and designers who will ensure you ‘step out’ looking your best. The Lucia Silver team can create a whole ‘head to toe look’ for you alone – a service you’d never find on the high street.
The State of Grace Brides provide flexible appointment times at Lucia Silver's sumptuous studio in Notting Hill, London. Expert Hair and Make-up technicians are also on hand to ensure a totally polished final look on the day of your wedding…
"If clients are marrying abroad we can also join them or alternatively photographs can be taken of the hair and make-up in the UK and then used to brief local professionals.
And Lucia has some very exciting plans for the future too, that include launching a kaftan collection via her honeymoon boutique hotel in Marrakesh, 'Dar Jaguar' and a wedding service for small intimate celebrations and vow renewals too…
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Anyone attending the Luxury Wedding Show this weekend should most certainly make sure they stop by The State of Grace {stand 910}. You might also want to keep an eye out for future The State of Grace related features on Love My Dress – for, thanks to Lucia's extreme generosity, we have a truly incredible competition coming up soon. I can't wait to share details with you!
For further information on The State of Grace, visit The State of Grace website. You can also follow the team on Twitter and Facebook.
Annabel xXx
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Annabel View all Annabel's articles
Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.
