Vintage Romance inspired shoot

It’s easy to be inspired by two things that make living so much more interesting… Vintage & Romance.

We have always loved Vintage, so to spin off from the patterning, the use of actual vintage and up-cycling fabrics runs in our DNA at Nemo Bridal & Couture. This collection of gowns is inspired from the eras gone past, drawing inspiration from a hayday of their own, and each filled with their own romantic touch.

With one of our most loved and admired photographers at hand, we set out for a day in our Frankton neighbourhood. Our intention was to keep this all very local, making it our goal to simply gather imagery from within a 10 km radius of the workroom. Kate Roberge has a special knack for getting the best from people with ease and gentle humour, ensuring a flawless day of capturing vintage romance magic through her lense.

The first look of the shoot is straight out of the 1970’s… literally. The day was perfect for us, with the light streaming through the building in just a way that made the old wood of the shearing shed sing a thousand stories. The setting perfectly complemented the actual vintage gown from 1972, made by an Australian designer all those years ago. The dress’ tiered waterfall-like chiffon layers are so playful alongside the static lines of the old shearing shed, enhanced further by Sara’s retro bouffant bob. The 2-piece gown stole the show, showing us how good design, proportion, and styling can withhold the test of time.

Next, we have our Zamora dress, a bohemian style with a story of its own. This was the first test dress to be upcycled from a collection of heritage linens, which then evolved into the “Linen Story” collection a year later. The drape combined with the fine details and softness of the old linen made for an elegant gown with a modern boho edge. This stunning look was a standout on its own, so the simplicity of the perfectly clear blue sky and the golden rolling hills that surround Lake Johnson made the perfect backdrop. Also featured in this look is an incredible bunch of button size chrysanthemums in the colour of chartreuse, created by our talented florist Rosie from Rosie Flowers.

It’s important to note that every suit that our model Petr wears can be hired from OMEN Suit Hire. Each look was established to compliment the dresses, but were also embellished with something slightly romantic and out of the ordinary. Our personal favourite look is the classic Vintage tweed with the golden fleur-de-lys at the collar. This jacket has its own personality, and plays to invoke distant memories of our grandads, just by glancing at it.

The filmyard was our next adventure. I just love the backdrop of “rubbish” piles, industrial stacks and working yards, providing texture and fascination as far as the eyes can see. Perfect in this setting was our Vera dress, created in a soft ivory crepe and made tee length with a waterfall back to evoke the styling of a bygone era. Petr and Sara had a lot of fun in this setting against the texture and weirdness of the junk pile for a Bridal shoot!

Our last location of the day was under a bunch of willow trees next to a newly formed road. The setting sun created God-like light rays through the trees and colour plays on the pinks and reds that made the images pop into harmony. The blush/grey boof skirt was made from a collection of dyed tulles that when combined made a lovely textural blend. This was topped with a very beautiful vintage beaded top from the 1920’s. A great way to end our fun-filled day.