Gown a foil to imitators

Press, 24 July 1986, Page 1

Gown a foil to imitators

NZPA-PA London Sarah Ferguson walked down the aisle of Westminster Abbey in a wedding gown covered in bees, thistles and pearls; with anchors, waves, and hearts on a 5.3 metre-long train.

“There will never be another dress like it,” the bride had said earlier.

The designer, Llndka Cierach, created a wedding gown of complex and rich design that will be hard, if not impossible, to copy. The dress reflected the Ferguson family coat of arms, which carries a thistle and honeybee.

The bees were fashioned from tiny beads. Bows, which had been a “trademark” of Miss Ferguson, also featured strongly. Beaded bows decorated the shoulders. From them fell ribbons which formed Ss before converging to the bodice points. A magnificent fanshaped bow joined the bodice to the train. In the train’s centre there was a huge A for Andrew, interwoven with two small Ss.

The dress was made of rich ivory-coloured silk duchess satin.

Its fitted, boned bodice shaped into a dropped waist which came to a point at the front and a lower V at the back. The neckline, edged with pearls, was elegantly curved at front and back. , The sleeves were full and square at the shoulder, narrowing to a simple pearl-edged point below the elbow. The skirt silhouette was designed to fall flat at the front, widening to the sides, and full at the back; with an underskirt fin-

ished with a silk scalloped lace flounce.

The train flowed from beneath a fan-shaped bow which started along the pearl border of the back bodice.

The dress bodice had central panels front and back, pearl scattered, and mounted with a single thistle attended by three bees. Side bodice panels featured flying bees, a motif echoed on the sleeves.

The sides of the train incorporated the main theme of thistles and bees, together with anchors, hearts and waves rising in scale at the bottom, where the design was surmounted with a heraldic A and S design. The sequinned veil was made of pure silk bobbinet and the edge scalloped with embroidered hearts punctuated with guipure bows. The bride’s hair was worn loose. Her shoes were Manolo Blanik satin pumps with a Louis heel, which were beaded with bees and ribbons in pearl bugles and diamonds. Her headdress was made of her favourite perfumed flowers — clusters of lily of the valley, roses, and gardenias in a tiara outline across her veil. The rich cream and ivory bouquet also included lily of the valley and gardenias, with traditional myrtle and veron-ica-as foliage.

The bridesmaids wore soft peach slub taffeta silk dresses trimmed with an ecru and peach cotton lace. Fitted bodices had a V-shaped panel back and front, beaded with bows in pearls and bugles. The Nottingham lace also featured thistles, bees, and bows.