Nicki Macfarlane The Royal Bridesmaids’ Dresses Designer

The dresses for the four younger bridesmaids at today’s Royal Wedding were designed by childrenswear designer Nicki Macfarlaneand were hand-made by Nicki and her daughter Charlotte at their homes in Wiltshire and Kent.

The dresses have been created using an ivory silk satin gazar (a rich, sheer and stiffer version of organza), which has been layered over both wild silk and organza to give the dresses a sculptural quality and an incredible depth of colour.  The gazar and satin organza are the same fabrics as used to make Catherine’s dress.

Nicki Macfarlane

The full, box pleated skirts are then hand finished with delicate English lace which is just visible under the skirts and the four layers of net underskirt.  In total, each dress is made up of seven layers of fabric. The ballerina length is perfect for young children.

The puff sleeves narrow to a box pleat and are edged in fine piping, English lace and finished with three tiny gazar and organza covered buttons.

The necklines are piped and also edged in narrow English lace.

The backs are finished with between 18 and 24 tiny covered buttons, placed edge to edge from the back of the neck down to the waist.

The sashes are made of pale gold, Indian wild silk which is tucked at the front and tied at the back in a sumptuous bow.

As a special memento, the bridesmaid’s name and the date of the wedding have been hand-embroidered onto the lining of each dress.

Capes (These may or may not be worn dependent on the weather)
The beautiful waist-length capes, also created by Nicki Macfarlane, are made from ivory Yorkshire wool, edged in fine English lace and tied at the front in the same satin gazar as the dresses.

Shoes
Devon-based Rainbow Club has been designing, making and colouring handmade wedding shoes since the mid 1980s.  The classic Mary Jane style shoes are made from satin and finished with a Swarovski crystal buckle.

Lace (Used at the neckline, sleeve edge and hem of the dresses and also to edge the capes)
The Cluny Lace Company Limited is a long established, independent, Leavers Lace manufacturer. It’s purpose-designed factory, built around the turn of the century, holds specialised lace machines and is situated in the heart of the United Kingdom on the border of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

Owned and managed by the eighth and ninth generations of the Mason family, the firm prides itself on the quality of their beautiful traditional Leavers Lace.

For further information please contact Rachel Secker at [email protected], 07717 527254, 01892 891988, https://twitter.com/MacfarlaneNicki or visit nickimacfarlane.com