DESIGNING IN IVORY AND WHITE

Suzanne Perron

Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, USA

Year 2012

Pages 153

The author’s expertly tailored gowns – worn at the elaborate balls of Mardi Gras and down the aisle at New Orleans weddings – draw from the legacy of couture design. After years working alongside Vera Wang, Carolina Herrera, Anna Sui, and Ralph Rucci in New York, Louisiana she returned home to open her own custom design business, specializing in once-in-a-lifetime gowns for brides, debutantes, and Mardi Gras royalty. This book captures the rise of this talented designer, from her first Singer sewing machine to her success on Seventh Avenue to her post-Katrina move to a city in need of “something beautiful,” as well as her design technique and meticulous craft. In addition to her personal story, the author shares her process from the inside out, including: methods for creating crinolines and foundations; using draping and pattern making to transform a sketch into a three-dimensional form; manipulating fabric into pleats, pintucks, and folds; and hand sewing intricate beading, lace, embroidery, and flawless hems. Each gown also has a story that illuminates the client experience from the first sketch to the final fitting. This book serves as a testament to the ambition and skill required to design unique dresses, and will provide inspiration for independent designers, sewing hobbyists, and all who admire couture fashion.