Botanical Dye Collection
Botanically DYED Bridal Fashion
A new look for the globally conscious bride.
The crisp air greeted us for a perfect late-March Queenstown morning on the lush grounds of the Ben Lomond Lavender farm.
Located at the base of Coronet Peak, in New Zealandโs Southern Alps, the farmโs rows of lavender are backed by craggy hills in the distance, proving to be the most spectacular location to showcase our new Botanical Bridal collection.
Annually we put together a unique collection that echoes the Nemo Bridal & Couture ethos: โWe do Bridal Differently.โ Itโs our passion to create unique and special one-off pieces that represent sustainable and ethically produced bridal wear.
This year, in the new covid-affected World, wedding trends have been continually shifting and transforming. And so, we decided to create a range that mirrors these changes; completely stepping away from traditional white & adding a pop of earthy colour, while also being collectively transformative and naturally beautiful.
The 2021 Botanical Shoot was the culmination of years of collecting, many months of planning, and countless hours of creation.
Since 2018 Trudy Munro, owner & lead visionary at Nemo Bridal & Couture, has been completing a Art and Science of Herbal Medicine (TASHM) course with a renowned herbalist in Central Otago. The course curriculum was spread across two 6-month periods and required a final project for each student to complete their study. After spending a day in the field of Hypericum (St John's Wort), studying the myriad of beneficial herbal properties of this incredible plant that grows prolifically in the hills of Central Otago, Trudy decided to explore the dye properties of this plant for her personal project.
And so, in marrying her two worlds of plants and textiles, Trudyโs passion project has opened up a whole new world of bridal fashion.
Over the course of many months, silk fabrics were hand-dyed by Trudy using locally sourced hypericum. Many experiments were carried out on the process of dyeing the fabrics, from using fresh and dried plant material to using different natural mordants, each creating a new and different look. The end result was an exquisite collection of tonally complementary fabrics.
Using these newly pigmented fabrics, our lead stitch-queen Kristen worked her magic alongside Trudy to finalise the collection. The designs in this range are all previously perfected patterns, each delicately modified to display the variation of our craft and to allow brides to try on a variety of different looks in our bridal lounge.
To bring the whole project to completion we invited eight other collaborators to the shoot, each helping us to create magic while showcasing our small range of botanically dyed gowns. Through the creative addition of beautiful models, hair & makeup professionals, outstanding floral masterpieces and delicious jewels, talented photographer Kate Roberge captured an inspiring look that is perfect for any modern bride
Weโre so grateful to each of our collaborators for bringing their own individual creative expertise to this shoot. We believe our collective collaboration on this shoot achieved pure alchemyโฆ
โAnd so, in marrying her two worlds of plants and textiles, Trudyโs passion project has opened up a whole new world of bridal fashion.ย โ
THE BOTANICAL COLLECTION
Top: Lowburn SUNSHINE Top
Dress: MAdison silk slip dress
Dress: Violett High Top Dress
Top: Fancy Lia Cami
Skirt: Saint Jon circle skirt
Top + Skirt: Santorini Two Piece
Top: Madonna Star Top
Skirt: Santorini Skirt
Dress: Islay Organza Dress
Another HUGE Thank You to everyone involved in making this shoot happenโ
Gowns - Nemo Bridal & Couture
Photography - Kate Roberge Photography
Jewels - Vu Jewellers
Makeup - Claire Todd
Flowers - The Flower Room
Models- Ican Models
Location - Ben Lomond Lavender
Hair - Beautiful Bridal Hair / Hair to Wed
Shoes - Kathryn Wilson Footwear
Nemo Bridal & Couture sells a bridal range off the rack, hires gowns and creates bespoke wear for brides from anywhere.