The story behind that dress in west Cork
Say Yes to the Dress? Camilla Campion-Awwad did just that last weekend in west Cork in a guna magicked-up by award-winning Irish designer and couturier, Claire O’Connor.
The wedding bash at Derrycreha House was, of course, attended by Pippa Middleton, the crisp-sandwich-loving sister of the Duchess of Cambridge. But then you knew that already. What you don’t know is the story behind that wedding dress. Someone stop me before I turn into an air-kissing fash mag hag! Camilla contacted Claire a few months ago; a friend of the bride-to-be whom Claire had designed something for in the past passed on her details to Camilla... “Camilla was the dream bride,” Claire told me. “She knew exactly what she wanted, and as I came highly recommended to her, she was happy to let me get on with it and do what I do best. So we worked closely together throughout the whole process — creating numerous toiles for various ideas, before creating the finished gown.”
The dress itself, Claire continued, consisted of layers of crepe silk, with an ultra-fine chiffon sleeve and back detail. Got that?
“There was always going to be hand-beaded embellishment as we both love a bit of ‘bling’, and when it comes to attention to detail I am a complete pedantic,” said Claire, adding that “the buttons down the back were real pearls, after all... It was wonderful to see the coverage the wedding got, and for a small Cork town to be at the centre of attention, and didn’t Pippa look great! I loved how Camilla styled it too, the bouquet, her hair, exactly the kind of bride I like to dress,” Claire went on.
“I think Camilla and myself will both agree that we were a little sad when she came to pick up the dress as we thoroughly enjoyed the whole process.”
And doubtless Pippa has already got Catherine tipping off all her Royal chums about a certain couturiere in Ireland.