"carlyle"
"carlyle" is a bridal collection that explores three main points of my life, my boyfriend, my family, and my career.
My boyfriend and I have been together for seven years now and he has made such an impact on my life, especially in regard to cars, He introduced me into the car scene and ever since then our love and passion for cars and building cars has never stopped. I have learned so many useful skills, have been able to meet so many amazing people, and experienced many cars I would've otherwise never seen. Through him, I have found my love and passion for cars and with this collection I want to inspire women to also get into the car scene.
I am originally from South Carolina and that is where the majority of my family still resides. My family has played a huge role in my life in the way that I am, my interests, and have been a support system in my career, especially with it being non traditional in a family full of doctors and nurses. Not to far from where my family lives is a city called Darlington, SC. Darlington is known for its speedway nicknamed "Lady in Black," from the black asphalt laid before NASCAR races. I want to represent this aspect of my life through my color choice of my collection being all black.
Heidi Baker, also known as Heidi Elnora, ended the SCAD Fashion show in 2019 with one of her bridal gowns and ever since then I knew I wanted to be a bridal designer. Ever since then, I have also worked in bridal. Working with brides gives me such fulfillment knowing I helped them find the dress of their dreams. With that being said, I feel that the bridal industry is very stagnant in pushing the boundaries of who people are. But at the same time, who are we to judge what people want to wear on their big day? Through this collection I want to inspire women to be authentically themselves, even if that means wearing a black wedding dress.
The Darling Gown
Darling has been an endearing term my boyfriend and I have used for one another. This dress to me is the epitome of bridal and what I would want to look like on my special day.
A velvet gown with hand appliquéd sparkle that is representative of car parts. Ever so often there car nuts and washers that have been hand appliquéd on. Different size chains drape across the back spelling "darling."
The Chain Gown
Whether you feel locked into to societal pressures of what to wear on your wedding day or chains remind you of getting cars onto a truck to take to a race, this gown is all encompassing.
This velvet gown is draped with many different chains varying in size. The bottom of the gown is a mix of ruffled tulle, organza, chiffon, and crinoline to give a distressed look as if you had been on the Darlington Speedway all day.
The Glove Cape
With bridal capes making a comeback, this ombré cape takes inspiration from the top of mechanic suits and makes it bridal. The ombré symbolizes the fast motion of the cars around the speedway.
The top of the cape is velvet with the bottom being all organza gloves. I used the technique of hand cutting and sewing my take on the traditional mens work glove and making it bridal.
The Sparkle Top and Pant Overskirt
The sparkle top was made for the bride that isn't afraid to push the boundaries on her wedding day. The pant has a built in overskirt to give the look of a pant in the front and the beloved overskirt in the back without the hassle of having to wear both.
The fabric of the top is representative to car washers and is a similar fabric to the Darling Gown. The pants I created for the bride who is easy going and doesn't always want to be in a gown or wants a comfortable reception outfit. The pants (that have pockets) have a built in overskirt to give the ease of wearing pants while also having the fun element of an overskirt.
The Work Glove Dress
With my love for bridal and cars I wanted to have a gown that represented both aspects of my life. With this gown, I wanted to show my own take on the traditional mens work glove.
This crepe gown has a bateau neckline with a fully open back to show off the brides figure. This gown has hundreds of organza hand cut and hand sewn gloves. I wanted the gloves to look like they were cascading down the body to not only give it shape but also give an understated volume.