FRENCH LOVE

Renowned wedding gown designer Celest Thoi shares with us the inspirations for her latest spring/summer collection which exudes a romantic vintage flair

Renowned wedding gown designer Celest Thoi talks about her inspirations for her latest collection

TATLER WEDDINGS: How did you begin your

career as a designer? CELEST THOI: It was 10 years ago; I was looking for a wedding gown for my very own big day. I absolutely loved the experience of making my own gown so after the wedding, I had a kind of “hangover”. With support from my husband, I decided to jump into the wedding industry.

TW: Why are you passionate about designing wedding gowns? CT: I think the passion really comes from my natural character as it can be traced back to my childhood when I used to love watching my mom sew. Her drawers of laces, ribbons and buttons were equivalent to most kids’ fantasy of a treasure chest. However, my husband thinks that the passion came from my eye for details which perfectly suits this line of work. I have in fact been diagnosed with OCD! (laughs)

TW: Where do you get your inspiration from when designing wedding gowns? CT: Inspiration comes from anywhere even when I am caught in a traffic jam! Mostly, I love to take time off and travel to places to get different perspectives and clear my mind like an empty sketchbook. This doesn’t happen often enough but luckily there are simple things like flowers, old books and vintage images to tickle my mind.

TW: How would you describe your latest collection? CT: Do expect a lot more laces and embellishments with a touch of vintage. They are very ethereal and romantic.

TW: What inspired your latest spring/ summer collection? CT: I was in Paris last year and was really inspired by all the quaint shops I went to, thus the collection’s name: French Love. I was impressed with their window displays where they combined old vintage pieces with their new collection. Those images kept flashing across my mind when I was brainstorming ideas for my new collection.

TW: Why did you decide to use horses in the photo shoot and how does it reflect your collection? CT: I did this shoot in Sydney in collaboration with renowned photographer Jenny Sun. We wanted a horse to celebrate the beauty of equine together with our beautiful gowns to give that dreamy and sublime look. I always see horses as an elegant creature so it really complements the dresses which are simple and elegant.

TW: Who are some of your style icons? CT: It has always been Coco Chanel, Brigitte Bardot and Grace Kelly. More recently, Kate Middleton is a new addition. To me, they share the same kind of classic, style and simplicity that will never fade.

TW: Can you share with us the process a customer would go through when designing a custom-made dress with you? CT: Understanding the client is our first priority. We will always find out if our clients have a design in mind as most brides I know always have a dream dress. We will then design with the bride by advising her of the suitable cut and neckline that will fit her body shape. Once a design is determined, we will source for the appropriate fabrics. Clients can expect about two fittings before the gown is delivered.

TW: What are some of the latest trends that you are incorporating into your wedding gown collection? CT: The illusion necklines and sheer backs are my recent favourites that really bring out the elegant aura of the bride. Also, we’ve been having a lot of fun stretching our creativity by designing gowns which can be converted into six different styles. So the bride can “play” with the gown throughout the pre-wedding shoots and the actual day.

For more on what goes behind the scenes with Celest Thoi, visit malaysiatatler.com/people