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Behind The One Cover: Avant Garde

/ˌaväntˈɡärd/: French: Literal meaning “Advance guard”

Work that is inventive, futuristic, or revolutionary with respect to art, culture, or society.

As an inspirational concept, Avant Garde, can lead many different directions. After all, the very term invites you to experiment and step out of bounds into the extraordinary. Our interpretation of this concept focuses on taking traditional wedding elements and re-imagining them as unique artistic objects, beautiful sculptures that would surround the bride, add depth and texture to the environment, and stretch the creative muscle of our fabulous wedding professionals.

We focused our inspiration further by looking to an icon of French baroque high fashion,

Marie Antoinette, and giving her decadent aesthetic a contemporary, minimalist twist.

This influence is most evident in the outrageous, gravity defying updo crafted by the ever-so-talented Erica Hardy, who used every skill in her arsenal to weave, craft, color, and concoct a fabulous hair sculpture, complete with a suitably non-traditional veil, and topped off with a gorgeous plum organza flower by Therese Martinez of Posh & Posey Paperie.

This was our first time working with Therese, and we were absolutely thrilled with the results!

We have seen other marvelous flower creations from her before, but for this shoot, we wanted something uniquely elegant and ethereal, so we asked her to create one-of-a-kind, layered and translucent flowers in a palette of fall jewel tones to serve as a rich contrast against our monochromatic, industrial backdrop at the Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz International Center. A special thank you to Neil Fox for all his work getting the Ortiz Center ready for us!

In juxtaposition to the textile flowers, we wanted elements of natural florals. For this, we knew there would be no one better than the team at Always in Bloom to take our abstract ramblings and create something magical and exquisite. They did that, and more! Donna and Michelle (and several wonderful assistants) created a swirling floral vortex installation, a true feat of artistry and skill. They also took the traditional idea of a bouquet and made it wearable art. The exquisite arm bouquet is designed with sumptuous textures like wispy copper plumosa, burnt orange strawflower, dry foliage and miniature berries.

With the many sculptural and fascinating creations by our artists, we wanted to maintain balance by keeping the bride’s attire simple and unadorned. The Oslo bridal jumpsuit by Justin Alexander Signature was the perfect counterpoint of simplicity. We completed the look with a voluminous cape and satin floral pointed heels for a dash of drama. A special thank you to Christina from All About the Dress for providing our modern bride with this tailored, minimalist look. (see Christina’s wedding spotlight pg 31)

Our lovely model, Frances Lee, who is quickly moving up in the world of fashion modeling, was the perfect fresh face for this sartorial vision. Frances brought contagious energy and enthusiasm to the set. Her classic beauty was intensified with gilded eyes and garnet lips by Malorie Jones of Hair and Makeup by Malorie. The jewel tones on her face were echoed in the precious jewels that punctuated her ensemble. As always, A. Kenney Jewelry is ever so generous in their offerings. For this vision we were provided with standout vintage pieces in breathtaking amethyst, plus a very special ruby and European cut diamond navette ring.

This shoot was a team effort and an incredible collaboration between artists. We are humbled and grateful to be able to create alongside such talented and creative individuals! Many thanks to the entire team for their energy, time, and passion for creation!

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