Remembering Miss Miles

For those of you (and it will be most of you) who didn't go to my school you will not have a clue who Miss Miles is. Well Miss Miles was my headmistress. Quite strict but very fair - she was the kind of headteacher that you have the utmost respect for even when you are not really old enough to know what it is to respect someone.

At least once a year in morning assembly she would mention the statue of the greek god of Opportunity, Kairos. She would tell us that every depiction of this god was of him running or on the wing. Now when you are aged between 11 and 18 and you've heard this story a few times, I fully admit the yawn factor kicked in. But even though at the time it usually went in one ear and straight out the other it must have stuck in there somewhere because I found myself remembering this story and contemplating its meaning a few weeks ago when I was approached by my friend Vikki to submit some pieces for a photoshoot.

It started off as a "I've got a friend of a friend" approach which we soon realised was a bit bigger than first thought. Initially I was a bit reluctant to do this because I am right in the middle of wedding season and at this time of year I am at the beck and call of all my lovely customers. The shoot was being done because the photographer wanted to broaden his portfolio and wanted to get into high end editorial work as well as the fashion shoots and art photography that he was doing, so it wasn't as if the shoot was being done for my benefit! At first it sounded like he would be using Vikki's dresses and my pieces for a Snow Queen themed shoot. Then it turned out that designers like Basia Zarzycka were involved as well and the shoot was going to be held at Chiswick House. This was far bigger than we thought it would be and suddenly I had a vision of Miss Miles stood in front of us all saying "the reason that statues of the greek god of opportunity were made to look like they were running is because if you do not grab an opportunity when it is in front of you it will escape you and will not necessarily come your way again". So I fully intended, no matter how busy I was, to grab this opportunity with both hands.

I was asked if I could provide a few of my designs. One of the first pieces to be requested was Jadis (named after the white witch in The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe).

It was lucky that Vikki contacted me on the day that she did because Jadis was about to go off to tiara heaven on that day but I thought I would let her have one last moment of glory!

And as I found out more about the shoot I remembered one of the concept pieces that I was working on. Again another crown at the time of the request it was nowhere near finished but even the state that it was in attracted some interest.
Philomena before

I was then asked if I could finish it so that they could use it in the shoot and from the incomplete concept version it turned into this

Philomena has fantastic texture and the combination of crystal and freshwater pearl strands draped over a twisted wire frame make this piece quite soft and ethereal despite the fact that it is so big.

To complement Philomena I also put together a 5ft beaded chain in quartz, crystal and freshwater pearl called Elfina.

The beauty of long beaded chains such as this is that they are so versatile. You can plait them into long hair, you can wear them like a circlet, you can drape them around your hair loosely or you can encircle a bun with them. They are very soft so they can accentuate an Elven, fairytale or grecian style in an elegant and not too specific a way. And then you have the advantage of either using the piece again after the wedding or you can have the piece converted into an actual necklace and bracelet so you are almost recycling your wedding accessories into more wearable everyday or special occasion pieces.

So was it worth it? Well unfortunately neither Jadis or Philomena were used in the shoot in the end but Elfina was. But that doesn't mean that the experience was wasted. I will get some fantastic images to use on my website and there is potential for some high end magazine coverage and who knows where that will lead. And I finished Philomena who has been "WOWing" everyone who has seen her since she was finished and she will be coming with me to another photoshoot in October and to the National Wedding Show in February. The point is I didn't let the opportunity slip by and opportunities lead to more opportunities even if you don't know where they will be coming from.

So thank you Miss Miles for your inciteful and wise words all those years ago. They obviously didn't fall on deaf ears even if we tried to make out we weren't listening!


Oh and for those of you who are interested we picked the official images from our last photoshoot on Monday so as soon as we have them edited and fiddled with, I'll be blogging them.

Shooting in the Cotswolds

All gowns by Vikki Lafford. Samara wearing Tiararama's Stephanie tiara and Sadie bracelet.

It is funny how certain events and meetings lead to great things and never was this truer than when I was approached to design a tiara for Sarah Williams' December 2008 wedding. It was quite auspicious anyway as she was getting married on my birthday and lives in God's own county of Gloucestershire (I know I live in London now but I'm still a West Country girl at heart). But what was fantastic about this wedding was that it had so much character and so much scope for creativity. And one look at the designs for Sarah's dress showed that it wasn't just me that was being creative. Sarah's soon to be sister in law, Vikki had designed her dress which incorporated a beautiful corset from Angels Carrying Savage Weapons. The dress was so beautifully embellished with hand dyed and crafted floral motifs and leaves that it created wonderful textures and colour combinations. And upon seeing this two thoughts struck me. Firstly "WOW" and secondly "I can see those flowers in my designs". And from that moment, sprung a very useful collaboration.

Quite early on we had discussed the possibility of doing a photoshoot together. Sarah is also a very keen photographer and has done many of Vikki's shots for her website and offered to do the photography for this shoot (we were also assisted by Vikki's boyfriend - another keen photographer) and Sunday May 31st 2009 saw the first of hopefully many more photoshoots to come.

We decided to do this first shoot in Oxfordshire/Gloucestershire as the Cotwolds at this time of year provides a beautiful backdrop. You have the meadows, the rivers, the quaint Cotswold stone buildings and fabulous old architecture. Absolutely ideal for romantic and picturesque summer weddings.

We really couldn't have asked for better weather either. Even at 8am when we left London we could see it would be a fab day! Upon arriving at Sarah's house (our base of operations for the day) we met our models for the day (although we had picked Samita up - an upcoming RnB artist - on our way) we met our other models Samara and Sarah's friend Clair who we managed to persuade to dress up for us too! After a much needed brew we went scouting for locations.

Having looked around for a while we came across Kelmscott Village Hall. The building itself was a typical Cotswold brick building and initially didn't look that interesting. But on closer inspection there were fabulous wooden doors, interesting windows and a great run down Cotswold Stone wall, some cute nooks and crannies as well as a lovely grass meadow behind. It was certainly the kind of one stop location that could yield some great things. We also decided to use the ruins at Minster Lovell which provided an incredible backdrop with wonderful textures and colours.

It was an incredibly successful day with some fabulous shots taken. I would like to thank Sarah and John for taking some great pictures, Vikki for the fabulous dresses, the models, Samara, Samita and Clair and of course Kevin for giving up his Sunday to traipse round the countryside with models! (no I didn't hear him complain either!).

I will be blogging the official shots for you to nose at as soon as we have decided on them (I know it's taken ages for us to decide but......). But in the meantime here are some of the unofficial shots taken by Kevin (& one I took!) of the day.

At Kelmscott Village Hall (and surrounds)

Samita wearing Tiararama's Un Fiore with Icicle Drop crystal choker and Rosa corsage cuff

Well a photographer can't ask a model to get into awkward positions if they're not prepared to do the same can they?



Samara is wearing our Double Maria headband

Minster Lovell Ruins

The lovely ladies (and Kevin!)


Samara wearing Tiararama's Jadis and Marietta bracelet

Samita wearing Tiararama's Liberty


Clair wearing Sarah's bridal gown which was designed by Vikki, the corset by Angels Carrying Savage Weapons and the bridal tiara by Tiararama.

And here are pictures of all of our pieces used in the shoot close up.

Jadis
Un Fiore
Double Maria
Stephanie
Sarah's Tiara
Liberty
Marietta
Sadie
Rosa Cuff
Icicle drop choker

Some websites for you to nose at:
Vikki Lafford's site Liliia
Sarah's new photography site Assassynation
For fabulous corsets Angels Carrying Savage Weapons
To listen to Samita's work click here

How do you solve a problem like Maria?

It is a little known fact that I almost walked down the aisle to "How do you solve a problem like Maria?". I've always loved the wedding scene from The Sound of Music. So when we were trying to decide which piece of music I should walk in to one of the suggestions was The Wedding March from that musical. This march, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the Sound of Music (I don't know what's worse - knowing what I am talking about or not?), incorporates this song. However, we just intended to use the more grandiose orchestral and organ section of the march not realising that the sheet music our organist had finally tracked down started way before this section. So at our wedding rehearsal we got to hear it for the first time and had a panic that he had obtained the wrong music as "How do you solve a problem like Maria? rang out. My Dad rushed up and said "no she wants it to start it at here" and the organist scribbled some notes and started at our chosen section. Problem solved! The thing we still find amusing is that no one (apart from us and my family) knew what the music was and no one believed us when we told them! So why am I telling you this? Well it will make sense in a minute...honestly!

One of the things I get asked a lot by family, friends and customers is "Are you busy?" Well I'm always busy and this time of year I am undoubtedly at my busiest. But this year I am unusually busy. This is of course a great thing and given the current economic climate I am extremely grateful and thankful that our work is still being well received. But there is one element that is helping to contribute to this year's success and that is a very simple design of ours called Maria (are you beginning to see the link yet?).

So to celebrate its success I thought that I would tell you a little something about Maria.

Maria

Maria was designed for an exhibition I did back in 2006 to bridge a gap in my collection and yes it was named as a nod to our favourite singing nun. However it didn't make another public appearance until we relaunched the website in April 2008. Then one day in May 2008 I received a call from a customer who had seen our Louise design and loved the textures in it but didn't want it to be as deep as the original design

Louise

We discussed reducing the depth in great detail. We discussed changing the shape, we discussed changing the beading, we discussed changing the materials, we discussed her gown, we discussed her hair, we discussed everything but the kitchen sink and yet she was having a bit of trouble deciding what she wanted. In the end it came down to what did I think would suit her from a professional perspective. I could tell that she was quite a bubbly person but didn't like a lot of fuss. So I asked her to send me a picture of herself so I could gauge the best depth of headband for her and to make sure that the Louise style would actually suit her face shape. Once I saw the customer's short spiky hair with heavy fringe and face shape one design immediately sprang to mind...it wasn't Louise but Maria. And the strange thing was the customer's name was Maria as well! The first thing she said when she saw the design was "I love the texture...can I have that one?" So problem solved for Maria by Maria.

This sale was the first of many and this season Maria is by far our best selling product. So what is the key to Maria's success?

Essentially it is a thin decorated headband but what makes it special are the textures of the materials. You have the beautiful mix of Swarovski crystal and pearl which provides one level of texture and then the variation of pearl sizes as well as crystal sizes and shapes gives the piece that extra level of texture and interest. Although simple it is an incredibly elegant design and perfect for any bride who believes in the principle of less is more. But what also makes this piece so special is its versatility. It adds subtle texture to plainer gowns, it complements the texture of lace covered gowns, it suits short hair and long hair alike, it can be worn around a bun, it can be customised very easily, it is ideal for bridesmaids and brides alike and it suits all ages. It is also great as a special occasion accessory - not just as a wedding accessory. With all that going for it, it is easy to see why it is such a popular piece. I've even been asked now to make it into a double headband!

So if you would like to own your very own Maria - either as it is on the website or customised to suit your own requirements (which may mean the price is higher than advertised if the materials used are more expensive) then simply click here

I hope you have enjoyed reading about this fabulous little headband and look out for our next blog entry which will be all about our photo shoot on May 31st in the wilds of Oxfordshire!

Want to learn more about Tiararama? Visit our website www.tiararama.co.uk or drop us a line at info@tiararama.co.uk

And if you want to follow us on Twitter then click here Follow us on Twitter

Happy Birthday to us

It is hard to believe that Tiararama is 4 today. I can't believe how time has flown and this has got me thinking about all the things that have happened in those 4 years. There have been lots of amazing highs and some very big lows, some big changes (who remembers our first logo?) but here we are going from strength to strength and despite the stress that running any business brings, I wouldn't change it for the world! So to commemorate this special day I thought I would share with you some of my favourite pieces from over the last 4 years.

So in no particular order

1. Louise

The reason why this design is one of my favourites is simply because it spawned one of my most biggest selling styles of tiara - beautifully textured encrusted styles. I really didn't have a clue how popular the idea would become but I think it ticks a few boxes for many brides - not too fussy a design, slight hint of vintage but still contemporary, and lots of texture and the fact that no two will ever be the same. And I have to say Louise, the bride I designed it for, looked amazing wearing it!

2. Chloe

Back in 2006 I designed a simple encrusted floral design called Lillia. Over the years Lillia has had various incarnations - mini lillia was 3cm in diameter through to one which was 18cm in diameter. But this was my favourite incarnation. Wonderful pearls in various shades of ivory and diamante gave this piece a really lovely vintage feel to reflect the beautiful bridal gown. Again it looked stunning on the day but it was also fun seeing this one come together.

3. Red Czarina

Back in 20o6 I was commissioned to design a tall, striking red tiara to complement a two piece red gown with gold embroidered bodice. After much deliberation the concept of graduating columns of crystal was favourite. But this could have been quite an ordinary design so I decided to use a number of ideas to make this piece more interesting. I used two different coloured crystals in the columns - Siam and Topaz and used a mix of beads ranging from round and bicones to the wonderful helix beads. I decided that the design should be a staggered graduation and for extra texture I would alternate the column placement between the front and back of the band. And then, as if that wasn't enough, I decided to wrap some of the columns in very fine gold wire interspersed with tiny crystals. So what could have been a very ordinary design became something quite special.

4. Sarah

This is one of my latest designs but it was one of the most fun pieces to make. This beautiful tiara was created for a very individual bride who wore a gown which was just as unique as she is. Very modern in its concept it still maintained a restrained feeling reminiscent of the victorian inspiration of the bridal gown which was also brought right up to date. Curls of gold wire, some bound in gold ribbon were interspersed with curled strands of garnet, siam and burgundy crystals with crystal ab helix and crystal golden shadow accents. Added to these wonderful crystals were pale gold freshwater pearls and garnet diamante. The texture and beading gave this tiara a fabulous feel and looked stunning on the day itself.

5. Fiona

This lovely asymmetric tiara was designed in 2007 for a wonderfully opulent burgundy velvet bridal gown. The beauty of an asymmetric tiara is that you can have a really funky design which is still quite subtle. This ball like design was based on circles of twisted wire stems layered on top of each other with curved stems encircling the piece. But the best part of this design was the crystal beads and colours used. Lovely Swarovski burgundy, jet and crystal ab were used in a variety of shapes and sizes gave a great texture and sense of fun to the piece. I really did enjoy making this piece and the end result was fantastic.

6. Golzar

The reason I chose this tiara as a favourite was simply because it looked so stunning. It used the same technique as our Louise design but it was far bigger and much more imposing. It was just so nice working on a piece like this (even though it became an incredibly heavy piece to work with) because the finished product was so sparkling and glamorous that it knew it would look stunning and perfectly complement the bride.

7. Jadis

Named after the White Witch from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, this stunning coronet style tiara was made up of 16 peaks some as high as 16cm. It looks lovely worn at an angle as the differentiation between the two types of peak decoration is really clearly seen and it has a wonderful crisp sparkle. Although it was designed as an exhibition piece it is one of my favourite pieces and has always been commented upon most favourably (which is always nice!)

8. Skye

What I loved about this piece was that it took one of our more popular ideas and was then totally transformed through the use of some wonderfully interesting materials. Rather than just using crystals and pearls this piece took on a completely different feel because of the rose quartz chips, freshwater pearls and crystal. I love using different materials in my designs because it just makes each piece that much more individual. Although these lovely gemstone chips give it a chunkier and unusual feel, it is still an elegant and pretty piece

9. Un Fiore

Like I mentioned with our Skye design, I love working with different materials and this design takes a beautiful handcrafted silk floral design with freshwater pearls sat on a bed of twisted wire finished with freshwater pearl and crystal. I would love to say that I created the flower but alas I did not. Instead they are made by Vikki Lafford at www.liliia.co.uk . I love Vikki's work and I am so pleased to be able to work with her occasionally and include her lovely work in my own designs. But what I love about this design is that it ticks so many boxes for today's modern bride. It is pretty and elegant, it uses beautiful materials and if you don't want to wear bling then this kind of idea may be the one for you. I am very much looking forward to showing my Fiore collection off soon - so watch this space!

10. Carly

It is true to say that your favourite design is the last one that you worked on and so this must be my current favourite. Designed with the idea of a wild garden this piece takes crystal clusters and singles to represent floral motifs with diamante leaves. Elegant and striking this piece has a lovely texture to it. I think this is a really pretty design and used a technique which I feel we may be seeing in future designs.

So here is to the future! Thank you to all of my lovely customers for making these last 4 years so enjoyable and to Kevin for all of his hard work and support. I am really looking forward to the next few years. There are some incredibly exciting projects coming up for us and I am looking forward to a busy, creative and productive future.

Happy Easter

Our Blog has been very neglected in recent months. We have had an extremely busy start to 2009 and it is only now that I have some time over this Easter weekend to sit back for a few days and reflect on what an incredibly exciting time it has been. However, I have decided to make a concerted effort to devote some more time to writing - even if it is just a short snapshot of life in Tiararama Towers!

So what have we been doing?

I have just finished designing our new collection which will be made up in readiness for a photo shoot at the end of May. I am so excited about this because I have explored different materials and techniques to produce some beautiful ideas which I cannot wait to showcase on the website www.tiararama.co.uk .

My inspiration has come from an eclectic mix this year - everything from the snows of February, the architectural details of buildings to the wonderful blossoms and plant structures of my new garden. And of course not forgetting the up and coming Fiore collection. And as always our customers have provided some incredible design opportunities for me and I have translated some of these ideas into pieces for inclusion in the new collection as well. The past few months may have been busy but they have been very rewarding and I am sure that good things will come from all of this hard work.

So I wish you all a very Happy Easter and enjoyable long weekend and promise to write sooner next time.

As always if you want to find out more about Tiararama then visit our website http://www.tiararama.co.uk/ or drop us a line at info@tiararama.co.uk

And if you want to follow us on Twitter then click here Follow us on Twitter

PS: The featured tiara is one of my latest bespoke creations.

Un fiore la mia signora?

The beauty of a wedding is that each one is unique. Despite all the guidance and ideas from bridal magazines and websites no two weddings are the same and thankfully no two brides are the same either. Each bride has their own set of requirements and the beauty of coming to a company like Tiararama is that it is my job to design and create the perfect accessories for her safe in the knowledge that they will be totally unique. This is what makes my job so enjoyable and fulfilling.

But another thing that makes this job so exciting is the element of unpredictability - I never know what to expect next. And when I began designing for Sarah Williams back in September 2008 I got something I really wasn't expecting. Not only did I get a truly individual bride who wanted to stamp her personality on her December wedding but I also had the good fortune to see the work of her sister in law, Vikki Lafford - an up and coming coming textiles and fashion designer. I soon realised that there was a collection crying out to be created combining both of our skills and so the seeds of my upcoming floral based Fiore collection were sown.

Combining unique hand dyed fabrics and beautiful attention to detail Vikki creates fabulous silk flowers and using these as a basis for my designs I add crystal and pearl wire work to enhance their beauty. And one thing you can guarantee is that with all the elements being handcrafted no two pieces will ever be exactly the same and exact requirements can be met.

The beauty of this collection is that it appeals to a wide range of brides - from the bride getting married in tropical climes, the bride who wants traditional simplicity, the bride who doesn't like the bling of crystal or the bride who wants accessories with the "WOW" factor. The possibilities for this collection are far reaching and I am extremely excited by the challenges that it will bring.

As a taster I have included a picture of the first piece which has been created for the collection and will be added to the website in the next couple of months.

Want to learn more about this collection or Tiararama in general? Visit our website http://www.tiararama.co.uk/ or drop us a line at info@tiararama.co.uk

To see more examples of Vikki Lafford's work her website is http://www.liliia.co.uk/