Singaporebrides | Fashion
November 2013
Le Grand Wedding Couture Autumn/Winter Runway @ CHIJMES
The grand old CHIJMES Hall may function as a wedding church in the day, but it turns into a beautiful runway in the evening as a backdrop for a gorgeous fashion showcase. And what can be more befitting of the church’s understated opulence than Le Grand Wedding’s fabulous Autumn/Winter collection?
Stepping into the charming grandeur of CHIJMES and feeling the buzzing excitement that was in the atmosphere, you could almost smell the anticipation for Le Grand Wedding’s Couture Autumn/Winter runway show on the evening of 2 August. Seats were quickly filled by those who RSVP-ed for this invitation-only event, while others lingered around the bar area waiting for the show to start.
As soon as the lights dimmed, the screens on both sides of the runway sprang into life with a making-of video that gave the audience a preview of the inspirations that went behind the collection.
If there needed to be a word to describe the theme for Le Grand’s show, it would be “BIG”. Firstly, the gowns were “big”; the main feature of the collection were ballgowns with dramatic, oversized skirts. Whether it was in the silk gathers, or in the layers of tulle under extravagant peplums, or a sassy trumpet train bursting out from under a floral appliqued lining, the models looked like they were floating down the runway over a sky of cotton candy.
Which brings us to the next “big” reason—the fabric. Apart from the usual materials found on bridal gowns, Le Grand went all out in terms of incorporating audacious textures and design elements in its use of printed material. With imported 100% silk being its main feature, the show also featured coloured rosettes, grungy grey florals, and even printed calligraphic splashes.
Dare I say Le Grand and its designers are “big” on ambition? The use of imported silk on the entire gown is in itself a generous move, though with their focus on couture does call for a daring use of fabric to hold up the cut and the design that has been painstakingly handcrafted. The trend trickling in from bridal runways overseas has been on floral prints. Le Grand took it to the next level with almost everything but. But to counter the possible overkill, the prints were sometimes only seen on the bodice, or hidden under layers of tulle, and you only catch a glimpse of them with movement. And what about those peplums? On the Le Grand runway, we saw deconstructed crinolines and impressive peplums, which actually do accentuate a narrow waist for brides who may still feel insecure under a ballgown. Perhaps this is the designers’ nod to the Victorian beginnings of the wedding gown?
It was a stunning show, and I’m sure the audience—with several celebrities making an appearance—left CHIJMES feeling wow-ed by how different the show is from the others they might have seen. The designers’ passion and aptitude for couture was very apparent in the Le Grand’s collection for Autumn/Winter. I am rather elated by this breath of crisp, high fashion fresh air. Will Le Grand be the next “big” thing, you think?
Le Grand Wedding is at 79 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088500. For enquiries and appointments, please call +65 6327 8880 or email [email protected]. You can also find more information here.
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