Headpieces

Headpieces offer both an accent and overall dimension to the appearance of the gown. Some brides might prefer a very elaborate headpiece, while others prefer none at all. The headpiece can be used alone or in combination with a veil. A list of possible headpieces and their descriptions is provided below:

1. Half hat: This is a small hat covering half of the crown on the head.

2. Halo: This is a decorative fabric and wire band that sits on the head, lying across the forhead. The piece is accentuated with pearls, sequins, or flowers.

3.Hairpins/Hairsticks: These are ornamental hairclips that both hold up the hair for upswept styles and act as an attractive accessory.

4. Juliet cap: A small hat that hugs the back of the head. This works well with a veil, particularly a pouf veil.

5. Picture hat: A wide brimmed hat decorated with lace, pearls, or sequins.

6. Pillbox: A structured, brimless hat, which is worn on the top of the head.

7. Profile: Worn asymmetrically on the head, a profile is a floral comb decorated with lace, pearls, or crystals.

8. Snood: A decorative netting covered with pearls, sequins, or flowers. This style is used to cover hair pulled up in a bun hairstyle.

9. Wreath: This is a circle of flowers that usually sits at the crown of the head.

10. Tiara: Perhaps the most popular headpiece is the tiara. A tiara is an ornamental crown of pearls,
 crystals, or rhinestones worn at the top of the head. This piece can be worn alone or with a veil.

The bride should remember that the headpiece offers a way to enhance the gown. It should not compete with it. Some brides may choose to complement a hairstyle with the use of a headpiece. Others will forego this accessory in favour of a more elaborate hairstyle or veil.

Undergarments

The foundation garments underneath the wedding gown can be as important as the outer details. From bras and panties to control top nylons and body slimming undergarments, good quality items will go a long way towards achieving a seamless and flawless look.

Depending on the neckline of the gown, the bride will wear a bra with or without straps. If you do not like the idea of a strapless bra, there are alternatives available. Clear straps are becoming more common and are easier to hide under a gown with this straps. As well, the same clear option is available to go under the halter neckline. Note that clear straps may still be visible in the photographs, depending of the width of the dress' straps, and it;s best to avoid straps altogether with more open necklines.

Cups, body tape, daisies and other options exist for backless dresses and gowns that don't look right with a bra underneath.

Knickers should be chosen to avoid any lines showing through the gown. When wearing a gown with a tight fitting silhouette, such as the sheath or mermaid shapes, visible lines will take away from the smoothness of the gown. Therefore knicker styles such as thongs, boy-cut shorts, and Brazilian cuts are great options, as they don't show lines and will give confidence to the bride.

Control-top nylons and body-slimming undergarments can help brides with figure flaws smooth and tone their midsection and lower half to create a flawless silhouette. These garments do wonders for the overall appearance of the gown. They are designed to target specific areas, such as tummies or bottoms. If the bride is feeling at all self-conscious about her body, I recommend these products to ease her mind.

More comfortable and fun alternatives to regular nylons are stay ups and garter belts. Stay-up nylons have a plastic strip at the top of the stocking, to hold the nylon in place to mid thigh. If the bride chooses to wear stay-ups,be sure you test out a few different pairs. The bride needs to make sure they have enough staying power to last through the entire day and night-including dancing! For extra assurance, some brides prefer to opt for a traditional garter belt. The belt is worn over the hips with four or six 'garters' that come down the leg and clasp the top of the stocking. Many women find them to be a comfortable and sexy addition to their wedding ensemble.

Colour is the final consideration when choosing wedding undergarments. Brides should choose white or flesh toned garments, with the possible exception of the garter. Nothing is more disastrous than discovering that the outline of a red bra shows very clearly under a white gown in a photograph. The bride will always have a chance to slip into something fun and flirty after the reception. That's what all those bridal shower gifts were for!

The wedding rings

The custom of exchanging wedding rings began in ancient Egypt. Hieroglyphics depicted rings as a symbol of eternal love between two people. In more modern history, rings were placed on the third finger of the left hand as it was believed to be directly connected to the heart by the 'vena amoris', or the vein of love. Although this was later proven false, the tradition remains.

About three to six months prior to the wedding, the bride and groom should start shopping for their wedding rings.

You have many options to add personal touches to the rings. If you have a specific design in mind, custom designed rings might be a good option. Or, perhaps the couple would like to express their feelings artistically and design rings for each other. A handcrafted, unique design that holds meaning for the couple is a lovely idea. However, you must keep in mind that this alternative is much more expensive that simply purchasing an existing ring.

A less expensive alternative to custom-designed rings is engraving. A special message inside the ring is a private and intimate element for the couple to share. The cost will be determined by whether the rings are machine-engraved or hand-engraved, the latter being more intricate and pricey. The engraved message can be simply the wedding date and the future spouse's initials, or a short phrase that carries a special meaning for the couple. Song lyrics and poetry are also popular options.

Remember the ring is meant to be a symbol of your love, and a reflection of the style and taste of the person wearing it. This means that the most expensive ring or the most flawless diamond is not always the best choice. You should ultimately choose rings that suit your budget, match your personal style, and act as a pleasing reminder of the vows they exchanged on your wedding day.

What about the rings?

The wedding rings play a key role in the events of the day. You should recommend to your clients that they clear their hands of all other rings and wear only the engagement ring and wedding bands. As an important symbol of the occassion, the wedding rings should be center of the attention and shouldn't compete with a hand full of rings.

Bridal Shoes

Shoes are an important part of the bride's ensemble. Whether you choose a floor-length or knee-length gown, you should always focus on comfort and proper fit over style when it comes to selecting footwear. The wedding day will consist of standing, walking, and dancing. Aside from the meal (if there is one) the bride has little opportunity to sit down. The bride shouldn't have to worry about the pain in her feet when shire is trying to enjoy her special day.

To choose comfortable shoes, the bride doesn't have to sacrifice style. Many appealing yet practical choices exist. These include pumps, strappy sandals, slides, and sling backs. Heels higher that 2 1/2 inches should be avoided for comfort. High heels also create the potential for tripping. Whatever the bride likes, I advise to purchase shoes with a wide toe box to avoid friction and pressure on her feet. The bride should also wear the shoes around the house and outside to break them in several weeks before the wedding day.

Shoe styles are available in white and off-white. Dyeable shoes can be colour-matched to gowns with different tints and colours. Shoes can also be dressed up with delicate fabrics, sequins, pearls or crystals to add to the beauty of the footwear.

Tip : Bridesmaids Dresses



Liaise with the bridesmaids and/or their mothers (if applicable) to ensure colour and style co-ordination.

Discuss whether their outfits will be purchased, hired or specially made and who will pay.

Agree on a suitable, taking into account the personality, proportions, height and figure of each one (accentuate good points and minimise the rest)

                      length and shape of dress
                      sleeves (depending on the time of year)
                      trimmings and decoration
                      fabric (depending on the time of year)

Agree on the colour, taking into account the colour hair and complexion of each bridesmaid

Our new bridalwear designer has arrived, introducing Yemi Osunkoya ...

Yemi Osunkoya is the designer behind the Kosibah label. Kosibah is an exclusive brand specialising in figure enhancing bridal, evening and formal daywear.

Kosibah specialise in contemporary and elegant couture bridal, evening and formal daywear using luxurious fabrics and sumptuous embellishments. Yemi’s signature use of corsetry and boned bodices cleverly recreates the classical and elegant hourglass figure, producing gowns that curve, shape and flatter the wearer. All gowns are made to measure

The team at Kosibah are committed to providing exceptional quality of service and meticulous attention to detail. The designs, made from individual body measurements, use luxurious fabrics, sumptuous embellishments and couture techniques.

About Yemi Osunkoya....

The seeds of Yemi Osunkoya’s fascination with fashion in general and bridal wear in particular were sown at his first high society wedding in Nigeria.  From then on, whenever he accompanied his parents to social gatherings, he would feel compelled to draw the dresses and guests after the function.   So began his life-long love of figurative drawing.  As he entered his teenage years, Yemi fell under the spell of the glamour and sophistication of Bob Makie’s costumes for Diana Ross and Anthony Price’s gravity defying gowns for Jerry Hall.  A career in fashion design was beckoning.

After a degree in Textile Design at Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, Yemi completed his studies at the Paris Academy of Fashion, Oxford St, London, gaining top marks in both men’s and women’s wear.

Yemi completed his studies in 1990 in London at the height of the recession.  But, undaunted by the economic climate and determined to make his own mark, Yemi decided to strike out on his own and founded his own design label Kosibah.

It was natural that he would name the company in honour of his greatest supporter: his mother, Cosiba. The name Cosiba comes from the Republic of Benin and is the Day Name given to a female child born on a Sunday.  However, in deference to the Yoruba tradition of not addressing elders by their first names, Yemi changed the spelling of the company name slightly as a mark of respect.

Yemi has worked hard to make Kosibah a truly global brand, but with clientele particularly well represented in the UK, USA, West and South Africa and the Caribbean.   Among his celebrated clients, Yemi counts Lady Janet Boateng, Dianne Abbott MP, Kelly Rowland, Alesha Dixon, Sheila Ferguson, Hollywood actress Indra Ové, Louise Rose and members of several royal families in Nigeria and Ghana. Still on Yemi’s wish list of celebrities to dress are Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, Padma Lakshmi, and Keira Knightley.

Yemi with Alesiha Dixon



Despite A-list success, Yemi’s designs are firmly rooted in the desire to make every woman look and feel good.  Drawing on his African roots, Yemi’s designs celebrate the curves and shapes of real women.  His signature use of corsetry and draping creates gowns that flatter and enhance every woman’s figure.  And his long experience of providing a personal attentive service to each of his clients means that he is now an expert in providing exactly what his clients want.

He also draws inspiration from the vibrant, multicultural life of London which is now his home.  The capital’s diverse populations allow Yemi to fuse influences from across the world into his designs with the luxurious fabrics, sumptuous embellishments and meticulous attention to detail associated with the finest traditions of Parisian couture.

INSPIRATIONS BEHIND KOSIBAH...

1. Diana Ross – In my teenage years, I fell under the spell of the glamour and sophistication of Bob Makie’s costumes for Diana Ross. I just loved the way in all her concerts she went through numerous changes of uber glamorous gowns. This has had a long lasting effect of my designs.

2. Anthony Price – Again, growing up, I very much admired Anthony Prices seemingly gravity defying gowns for jerry hall and Paula Yates. It was very obvious that there was quite a lot going on inside the gown not visible from the outside to create such figure enhancing gowns. Over the years, I have developed techniques that achieve the same effect of recreating the classical hour glass figure.

3. The 50’s New Look era. I spent hours in the library as a teenager pouring over books featuring the New Look era. Designers such as Christian Dior, Cristobal Balenciaga and Hubert de Givenchy produced such beautiful, exquisitely made couture gowns. I’m very drawn to this golden age of couture where so much of what made the garment what it was on the inside of the gown.

4. Growing up in Nigeria, West Africa, I was used to seeing women of all shapes and therefore feel very comfortable designing for ‘real’ and curvaceous women. I following on from that, celebrating the female form is my main inspiration. Because all my gowns are bespoke and made from scratch specifically for each client, making her look and feel her best on her wedding day is my main focus. My signature use of corsetry and draping creates gowns that flatter and enhance every woman’s figure.

5. Finally, I also draw inspiration from the vibrant, multicultural life of London which is now my home. The capital’s diverse population allows me to fuse influences from across the world into my designs with the luxurious fabrics, sumptuous embellishments and meticulous attention to detail usually associated with the finest traditions of Parisian couture.

Here at La Roche UK we are very proud to have Yemi on board and thank him for this wonderful insight behind Kosibah and his talented work.

For more information, visit the website at www.kosibah.co.uk

or call 020 7424 8832. Visits to the studio are by appointment only.