A behind-the-scenes look at creating Hannah's wedding dress

When Hannah asked me to make her wedding dress, I was honoured—and slightly terrified.

It’s not every day the person you love asks you to design the most important outfit they’ll ever wear. But I said yes without hesitation. Not because I thought it would be easy, but because it felt right. Personal. Real.

We wanted the dress to reflect her: timeless but modern, graceful yet grounded. We talked about what made her feel beautiful, what silhouettes she had always been drawn to, and what details would make the dress feel like her second skin—not a costume, but a natural extension of herself.

I started with pencil sketches—layering soft lines with structure, balancing movement with restraint. From there came the search for the perfect fabric. We chose a fluid silk satin for the body, paired with a sheer, delicately embroidered organza overlay. Every seam, every stitch was considered, often with her beside me.

The dress came to life slowly. There were fittings at all hours, quiet moments of adjustment and redesign, and late-night laughter over pins scattered on the floor. The final piece had hand-finished seams, a soft low back, and tiny buttons covered in silk—an echo of vintage detailing we both loved.

On the day she wore it, she walked toward me, radiant, the dress catching light in all the ways I hoped it would. It moved with her—not stiff or precious, but honest and alive.

Designing for someone you love strips away ego. It becomes not about making something impressive, but something true. This dress was my love letter, written in fabric and thread.

—Oliver