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Sometimes that dream wedding shoe can appear to be a figment of your imagination, but panic not bride-to-be, shoe designer Diane Hassall’s bespoke service means no dream shoe will be left unrealised and unmade. And, happily, the options are literally endless…
The luxury bridal shoe label was recently featured in a shoot by bridal atelier, Cynthia Grafton-Holt Couture. The romantic, texture-led editorial showcased Diane Hassall’s Nettie style who looked incredibly striking when paired against the clouds of tulle and pearl embellishment of a Cynthia Grafton-Holt Couture design.
We spoke to the designer herself to discover everything from what the bespoke design process entails, what accessories brides can choose from and how much you should budget…
#1 We love the Nettie, what was the inspiration behind her design?
“Nettie is a pretty classic sandal but the beauty of a simple shape means it lends itself to lots of different types of embellishments and beading, it can be made to look totally different with a bit of imagination and can be personalised for each bride. It can be soft and romantic with beautiful organza ruffles and hand beading, or much sassier with feather fringing and a bit of sparkle, the possibilities are endless…”
#2 What do you love most about the shoot created by Cynthia Grafton-Holt Couture featuring Nettie?
“I really love Cynthia Grafton-Holt Couture‘s gowns, they’re all about grown up glamour and romance and it’s such a romantic shoot but not over stylised, I like the simplicity of the shots. I also love all the tulle, fur and texture, especially on my favourite shot where the bride is reclining on the beautiful chaise, it’s just dreamy.”
#3 What type of bride can you see wearing Nettie?
“Nettie is a versatile style so appeals to lots of different brides, the version shown in the shoot with the feather fringing and diamanté is definitely for a true shoe lover, it’s decadent and sassy with a touch of romance.”
#4 As the Nettie style is a bespoke design, tell us a little bit more about what the process entails when you work personally with brides to design their dream wedding shoe?
“The kind of bride who opts for a bespoke style usually has an idea of what they’d like, and it’s my job to try to make this work for them.
It often starts with a theme which could be anything from butterflies to bows, pearls to peonies! I’ll then do a little research and make some suggestions, send a few images etc, but rather than sending endless sketches (which can be very time consuming) I prefer to make a mock up of how I think it would look and we work from there. I’m happy to source extra materials and we often hand dye accessories to fit a certain colour palette, it’s a really lovely process seeing a brides dream shoes come to life!
Last year we made a pair for a bride from the Netherlands who came over to collect them in person which was really lovely.”
#5 What other accessories can brides add to their ideal dream wedding shoe? Do they have a choice of materials?
“Just about anything! If a bride has a piece of jewellery they’d like incorporating, or a piece of fabric/beading from their Mum’s or Grandma’s wedding dress, or some beautiful silk flowers we will work with that, we also have our Shoe Artistry box full of hand made and beaded pieces, including hand made silk roses, tiny pearl and diamanté bows, hand beaded pansies and sparkly Diamante flowers, these can be in the form of clips, or can be hand stitched to the shoe. We love to make new versions so are always happy to try them out on the brides own fabric or in a new colour way.”
#6 Where are your materials sourced from?
“Most of our fabrics come from Europe, Italy in particular but also France and Portugal.”
#7 How do brides go about reaching you with regards to creating a bespoke Diane Hassall shoe?
“I can be messaged on all the usual social media platforms, FB, Instagram etc or contacted via email at di@dianehassall.com. With a bespoke order it’s so important to understand what the bride is looking for so I like to deal with these orders personally from the start, I get really excited when I see a query which starts ‘ I am wondering if….’ And I think, ooh that’s interesting!”
#8 In terms of pricing, what are brides looking at for a bespoke Diane Hassall design?
“It varies considerably depending on the work involved, as ‘bespoke’ orders incorporate everything from a pair of hand coloured ribbons to a particular shade to a fully hand beaded design. Prices range from £270.”
Discover more about Diane Hassall’s bespoke design service here.
A huge thank you to Cynthia Grafton-Holt Couture for allowing me to share their beautiful images.
Shoot Credits
Dress – Cynthia Grafton-Holt Couture
Shoes – Di Hassall
MUA – Makeupologybrides
Photography – Snowhitephotography/
Sylwia Wozniak
Hair – Gatsby and Miller Hair Dressers
Model – Alex Zibisow
