She’s in Year 12 this year, and her formal was not long ago. I asked her towards the end of last year if she would like me to make her dress for her formal, and that I would make anything she wanted. She replied that she would actually prefer to buy something, because she was worried she might not like how the finished dress turned out, and that she wouldn’t want to hurt my feelings by telling me so. I can imagine how overwhelming it would be for an eighteen year old to have to break that news to her mum, after so much effort was put into creating a dress. On top of this, Dakotah has very simple tastes and wouldn’t want the big fussy dress that I would want to make!

When I was in Barcelona last for the Bridal Fashion Week, I walked past a mannequin dressed in the most divine skirt and bodice set. I asked the French designer if they would break protocol and allow me to purchase just the one dress (commonly you are required to purchase more than just one style from a designer’s collection). She wasn’t at all keen at first, but she came around after I explained to her that the stunning ensemble was perfect for my daughter, and that the design's unique style was almost impossible to sell in the Australian Bridal Market. It DID take a lot of convincing, though!

I sent a photograph off to Dakotah, and she replied immediately that she loved it!

After making Dakotah so many of her important dresses, I am so pleased to have sourced something that is one-of-a-kind and just as special as if I had made it myself.

The designer is Karoline Lang, France.