Sheath

A custom, fully hand-beaded column gown, made to measure for me by a private dressmaker in London. It was designed from scratch as my second look - the dress I changed into for the reception.

I wanted something that I could dance in all night and would still photograph like an event, and photograph well in the dark.

The whole gown is hand-beaded. It has dense small beads and sequins worked in a fine chevron and wave pattern that runs across the body and gives a silhouette figure. Under low light it reads as liquid silver; in daylight it's softer, an oyster-champagne.

The silhouette is a narrow floor-length column that skims the body, finished with a soft sweep at the back hem and scallopped at the bottom. It has a high neckline at the front, also scalloped and sleeveless.

The back is an elongated teardrop cutout that opens between the shoulder blades and tapers to a point at the mid-back, edged in beading on both sides.

There is also a high split at the back which was intentional and meant I could do my first dance easily and move around.

It has real weight to it - as any properly hand-beaded piece does - and it hangs beautifully on the body because of it.

FIT AND MEASUREMENTS
Made to measure. These are my body measurements as taken for the gown:
Bust - 79cm / 31in Underbust - 72.4cm / 28.5in Waist - 65cm / 25in Hip, 20cm below waist - 91cm / 35in Hip, 33cm below waist - 98cm / 38.5in

Closest ready-to-wear equivalent is AU 8.

CONDITION
Worn once, on 30 May 2026, for the reception only - about 2 hours, and I was dancing in it. No alterations of any kind. Beadwork fully intact, no missing beads or pulls.

Original cost £3,000.