Oct 5, 2023

Vintage Sophistication / Eliza Jane Howell

Eliza Jane Howell is known and loved as the epitome of vintage sophistication, with a strong art deco, Gatsby vibe. Perfect for a roaring 20's wedding, a low-key vintage soiree or a chic cocktail party with added glam.

Known for its tasteful blend of old-world elegance and modern shapes, Eliza Jane Howell has unveiled an empowering new bridal collection called ‘Legacy of Love’. Embellishment rich and art deco inspired, regal decadence meets new age features and textural fabrics. Shear backless styles, heavy bodice beading, boat neck illusions and lacy delicate sleeves of multiple lengths…

The Legacy of Love collection reveals signature understated glamour while embracing and encouraging style bravery for the new year with slimmer silhouettes, an abundance of textures – jewels, fur, beading and crochet that go outside the confines of the classic bridal look.

Asked what makes Eliza Jane Howell different and stand out on the rails, head designer Catherine Fisher said: "We are unique in that our dresses are entirely hand-drawn and everything, including all the beading and embellishments, are designed in-house. Each piece is hand-beaded by our small team of craftsmen who we have worked with for many, many years. We take great pride in our long-standing relationships with our ateliers as this ensures consistency of quality so each of our stockists and brides know they are investing in something special and unique within the bridal market. We like to think that an Eliza Jane Howell dress is an heirloom piece that will be passed on to the next generation.

Does Catherine have a signature style?

I think my signature style has always been a sleek elegant silhouette with a twist, be that a dramatic sleeve or a jumpsuit with the shape of a dress that offers an unexpected surprise. I try to ensure that when people see the dresses, they immediately know it's an Eliza Jane Howell dress, offering something that sets it apart from other labels.

What does the Eliza Jane Howell bride look like?

I think our bride is someone who wants a timeless piece that will never go out of style, a bride who wants to look not only beautiful but also wants to look different from the perceived traditional dress. Eliza Jane Howell's dresses offer that point of difference.

Whose accessories complement your designs the best?

We have our own accessory collection that beautifully complements our dresses and we love styling our photoshoots with them. For our latest ‘Legacy Of Love’ campaign we collaborated with Laurence Coste who designed striking statement earrings perfect for our dresses. For shoes, we always collaborate with Emmy London and Harriet Wilde.

Catherine continues: "I wanted to introduce some new silhouettes, statement sleeves and some younger, fresher looks still with our beautiful hand beading that we are known for. I feel we have achieved what we set out to do with our latest Legacy Of Love collection. Designing our bead patterns sets us apart from the crowd and getting this right is the foundation for each dress. Once we have these patterns, this organically inspires each dress's shape and structure to bring my vision to life. The strongest examples of this process are the VIOLA, the ATLANTA and the FELICITY.

VIOLA: When the pattern was finalised, I knew the shape needed to allow the beading to shape and flatter the figure, very clean lines helped achieve this but then the dramatic sleeve balances out all these key elements.

ATLANTA even though the beading may seem simple it had to work wrapping itself around the body, almost designing the one-shoulder feature itself this then flowed through to the dramatic shoulder train which we decided needed to be detachable to add versatility to the gown.

FELICITY This delicate beading evolved into a soft romantic shape. The sleeve feature coupled with the train allowed the dress to feel feminine and dreamlike, making the bride feel magical when worn.