See all wedding creatives →
Meet the wedding dresses
Sian Hughes Cooke and Shimmering Ivory
Sian Hughes Cooke trained in Paris and designed for international houses, among them Calvin Klein and Victoria's Secret, before turning her attention to the bride. Shimmering Ivory is the result: a bridal couture house in which every gown is made to measure for one person.
There is no rail to choose from. A gown starts as a conversation and a sketch, then becomes a pattern cut by hand to the bride's measurements. Fittings refine the corsetry, the silhouette and the fall of the silk, and the finishing is worked by hand.
“Drama, glamour, and a back worth turning for.”
Sian Hughes Cooke, Designer
Sian's signature is drama and glamour, and above all the back of the dress. She works in French and Chantilly laces, luxury silks, haute couture embroideries, Swarovski crystals, seed pearls and feathers. Her Concept Collection has been photographed in the French Alps and on the St Albans Cathedral catwalk.
The atelier is in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, close to St Albans and an hour from London, with private appointments also held in Mayfair, on weekdays and Saturdays. The house is female-owned, dresses brides of every size and uses responsibly sourced fabrics.