Designer Castigliano translates bridal fantasies

On a regular working day, UK-based designer Caroline Castigliano is a bride's best friend. An avid listener, Castigliano will try her best to translate a bride's fantasies and weave them into an elegant wedding gown.

But her honeymoon-perfect demeanour creases when you ask her about the wedding gowns featured in Hollywood blockbusters. "Wedding gowns worn by actors in some of the films are horrible," said Castigliano in an interview with tabloid! after her recent glittering show at the Shangri-La.

"In some of them, it's almost like they purposefully set out to make these unattractive meringue dresses. I think they almost do it on purpose."

Castigliano was quick to snip some of the examples thrown in her direction. For instance, the wedding dress worn by Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) in the first Sex And The City movie and the gown Cameron Diaz wore in My Best Friend's Wedding were served a divorce notice. "I hate to be mean. But let me put it this way, I did not say ‘wow!' when I first saw the dress worn by Carrie.

"I felt the gladiators and the wedding gown did not go hand-in-hand."

Castigliano admits her elegant gowns will gel better with the likes of Jimmy Choo creations. "When you are buying a wedding dress, you are aiming for the overall, complete look. Many of them, after meeting us, head straight to Jimmy Choo. He is a genius."

On trend

Incidentally, the designer had showcased his hand-made bridal shoes from his Jimmy Choo Couture collection in the same Dubai outing as Castigliano.

Although the British designer is not prone to tug at the elegant threads, she is not afraid to push the sartorial envelope. In the fashion show, Castigliano had incorporated trend-driven elements such as pockets and detachable peplums into her creations.

"There are only two solid rules for a wedding gown: its length — long — and its colour — white or ivory. But then there are hundreds of other things that you can do to make a dress beautiful. You can play with the cut, the sleeves, the waist and the fabric. The way you use the stunning laces and beadwork is also a craft."

But Castigliano draws the line when it comes to incorporating time-bound trends like shoulder-pads that are ruling the fashion turf these days. "While using shoulder pads, you are going to put a stamp on your wedding photograph which says, ‘Oh yes, you got married in 2010.' I don't think girls will want to do that. After all, when you look back in 10 years, you will still want to wear that dress. So you need to be careful while using current fashion elements."

Castigliano has at least seven meetings with her client before she makes the wedding gown of their dreams. "The important thing is to understand what the bride wants and what her personality is. We ask a lot of questions and try to bring the bride's fantasy to life.

"The wedding dress that we make should be a reflection of the bride's personality."

Dressing celebs

Caroline Castigliano gives her take on the perfect wedding gown for these celebrities:

Jennifer Aniston: "She will wear our brand very well. She has a pair of perfect shoulders and arms. A strapless dress with Swarovski crystals in a biased cut will look good on her. A gown that is simple and stylish is what I am seeing her in. Even in real life, she has an understated elegance about her. I have this dress called Ramola — a tiny-waisted dress with a flowing skirt. The sash would give it a soft touch."

Penélope Cruz: "She is a great-looking woman. I would opt for a simplistic cut such as a fish-tail gown with a structured corset underneath. To show the beauty of her figure, I would use a lot of embellished lace and beading."

Wish upon a star

Designer Caroline Castigliano's dream client is Prince William's girlfriend, Kate Middleton: "She is one person I want to work with. I will talk to her at length to find out about what the world should perceive her as in her wedding gown."