If you’re a bride looking for a dress that’s romantic and vintage, with just a touch of boho-chic, then look no further than Claire Pettibone. The gentle use of colour, couture details, slim silhouettes and European fabrics are perfectly balanced to make every bride look and feel like a goddess. It’s no wonder then that Claire has dressed some of today’s most stylish celebrities including Carrie Underwood and Nikki Reed. Her gowns are timeless and would be ideal for the uber-romantic bride-to-be. We caught up with Claire recently and took a look at her exclusive collection, now available at Kleinfeld Canada at Hudson’s Bay.
Left dress – Style Basilica; Right dress – Style Eternity from the Gothic Angel collection.
Today’s Bride: Talk to us about some of the dresses you’ve brought to Canadian brides.
Claire Pettibone: We’ve brought an assortment of the Gothic Angel collection and our Romantique collection. Our couture dresses can range in price and have certain dress customization, while our Romantique collection dresses offer brides beauty at an affordable price point. They both offer a great variety of dresses for brides to choose from.
TB: Where does the inspiration come from when you’re designing a dress?
CP: Each season I have a story that I tell and I like to incorporate that story into the dresses. So for example our Gothic Angel collection was inspired by Gothic cathedrals, stained-glass windows…that idea of light shining through colour is so pretty. Anything can inspire me whether it be a work of art or a garden, each season brings a different story to tell.
TB: How do you want brides to feel in your dresses?
CP: I think a little magic is always good, maybe something slightly unexpected. I think my clients tend to have an emotional connection to the dress, so physically we all want to look our most beautiful, but there’s something about finding the right dress that speaks to each bride on another level.
TB: Brides often put a lot of pressure on themselves to find that perfect dress. What advice would you offer them?
CP: Be kind to yourself! We’re always our own worst critic, but I truly believe every bride is beautiful and it’s really about finding that dress to bring out the bride’s best features. Also, be careful who you decide to bring with you – make sure they have your best interest at heart.
TB: How did growing up with both parents as artists inspire your childhood creativity?
CP: Art was definitely a part of my DNA growing up. When I was really young, they would be working on their art and then give me art supplies to do my own thing, so I developed that artistic ability at a very young age. I had always loved fashion and it didn’t occur to me until much later in life that designing a dress was in a way creating art with fabric. I absolutely love what I do now so I guess in a way it all worked out.
TB: What’s it like working with your husband every day?
CP: It’s awesome! I don’t recommend it for everyone, but we’re fortunate the two of us that we have good temperaments that balance each other out. We each have different skills and talents so in any business, so while he can focus on the business side, he also supports me in my creative aspects. So over the years it’s been really great.
TB: Designers can often be perfectionists, so when it comes to dresses when do you feel that it is finished?
CP: I usually do have a feeling of completion, but I think that there are some dresses when I’m creating that fall together really quickly and easily, and then there are others that I obsess over/ second guess. So I find it best when the designs just flow and that way I don’t question it – I know it’s done.
TB: Do you have a particular bride in mind when designing a dress?
CP: I have a few. It starts with my theme, and within that theme I think about different settings and different silhouettes. Women come in all shapes and sizes so I do try to keep that in mind.
TB: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about bridal fashion in all of your years as a designer?
CP: I think I’ve learned over the years to just trust my own path and do things that I love and design things that I think are beautiful. Instead of trying to chase something, as long as I stay creatively inspired, the rest is will fall into place. I don’t really believe in trends for a wedding dress, especially, I think that ideally a wedding gown should be timeless. It should look beautiful and epitomize the bride’s personality and her beauty.
TB: If you could describe your style in three words, what would they be?
CP: Feminine, bohemian and ethereal.
TB: Most recently you designed Nikki Reed’s dress (for her wedding to Ian Somerhalder). How was that experience?
CP: She was great! Nikki was so lovely to design for because her style is so typical of one of my brides. She really wanted to look beautiful for her fabulous fiance, of course, and it came together really effortlessly.
TB: So if there was one celebrity, who you would want to design a gown for, who would it be?
CP: I feel like Kate Moss is one of my kind of girls that just epitomizes my vibe so she would be fun to work with for sure.
