Thursday, 2 January, 2014
We are delighted to announce that the 2014 Olivier Laudus bridal accessory collection will be available to purchase online and at our London studio from 8 January 2014. Shot at the iconic Corinthia Hotel in London, the new Great Glamour collection is all about evoking the glamour of Hollywood and the elegance of bygone eras.
Here is a sneak peek just for you! More about the full collection, the shoot and the great team behind it coming soon….
Sangeeta x
Photography : Fiona Kelly
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Sunday, 27 October, 2013
We were thrilled at Olivier Laudus to be Highly Commended by Perfect Wedding magazine for our wedding jewellery in their 2013 awards.
The award ceremony was held at 116 Pall Mall which is home to the Institute of Directors. It is a gorgeous Georgian building designed by the famous architect John Nash and is still owned by the Crown Estate. It boasts a magnificent central staircase and 15-foot original hand-made Regency chandelier; a truly spectacular setting for an award ceremony.
Thanks to everyone who voted!
Sangeeta x
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Sunday, 31 March, 2013
Danielle and I were thrilled (and a little nervous) when we were asked by the organisers of the Autumn Fair (one of the largest UK trade shows) to give a presentation on bridal accessory trends for 2013. Here are a couple of pictures from our talk last September and our thoughts on what we predicted would be big in 2013!
Our 2013 Bridal Trend Predictions :
The Gatsby revival
Forget shabby chic styling, we predicted that brides would be drawing inspiration from The Ritz 1920s-style and the jazz clubs of the 1930s. Think baroque detailing, vertical fringing, elbow-length gloves, strings of pearls and feathered capes. Beautifully elaborate headpieces are key to this look, as well as art deco-inspired brooches (which can also double as hairclips) and drop earrings.
Pretty art deco detailing gives simple pearl drop earrings that wow factor.
All hail the drama queen
Heavy embellishments and textures would also be big this season. Large ruffle skirts and textured details, such as oversized corsages, intricate lace and silken feathers, all add a sense of drama.
Metallic details, in the form of statement necklaces, chunky cuffs and bridal rings, enable brides to incorporate a modern look to their big-day style.
Feeling floral
Delicate floral appliqué has been one of the biggest trends leading the catwalk for spring/summer 2013 and works great for brides wanting to inject just a touch of drama on their day. Check out the Claire Pettibone runways in particular for some fabulous floral inspiration. When it comes to accessories, flower garlands and fascinators are on trend and are a great way to add some colour to bridal outfits. Fresh flowers go hand in hand with a laidback countryside celebration.
And it’s a wrap! Chilling out with a cuppa afterwards. What do you think – did we get it right?
Sangeeta and Danielle xx
All images courtesy of Olivier Laudus.
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Sunday, 3 February, 2013
Last week I told you about our journey to find the perfect models for our 2013 collection shoot, today I want to give a shout out to all the wonderfully talented people who helped make it such a successful shoot. It really is a collaboration of talent and effort and there are so many pieces of the puzzle that getting one wrong can make all the difference to the finished result – so thanks to all involved for their hard work and creativity.
The Stylist
Co-founder of Olivier Laudus Design, Olivier came up with the creative vision for the shoot and was on hand throughout the day to select and put the various accessories together to create different looks. Spending much of his time advising brides to be on how to achieve their perfect wedding day look at our London studio, Olivier has developed a lot of knowledge and skill on how not to over-accessorize and making sure all the pieces work together harmoniously.
The Photographer
We wanted to work with someone who had not only a great wedding portfolio but also an eye for high fashion. Milan Stryja captured our models personality and the pieces they wore perfectly, and did it in a way that ensured everyone had a lot of fun on the day. Pink hat mandatory for all our photographers from now on!
Hair Stylist
With our studio being so close to Jordan Burr Salon in the West End, they were our first port of call to find a hairstylist to create contemporary and pretty hair to showcase our accessories. Taneika Boyle is an upcoming stylist who has been trained by award-winning Jo Jordan, co-founder of the salon, and has lots of creative vision and talent for one so young!
Make Up
Milan’s wife, the lovely Tereza was our make-up artist for the shoot. She accentuated our models features with subtle colours and made sure everyone had lots of tea and biscuits to keep them going through the day!
The Runner
Our intern Benoit was a fantastic pair of extra hands patiently holding the reflector for several hours and being a general assistant to Olivier on the day. He even had his moment in front of the camera helping Milan get the lighting right!
The Dresses
Last but not least, huge thank you to Rachel at Trudy Lee for lending us two gorgeous wedding dresses. Donna looked every inch the Hollywood siren in style number 62002 with its diamanté detailing and full skirt! Kristina wore style 62060 – a lacy fishtail number which just oozes chic – and is from their 2013 collection.
Its a Wrap!
The end of a hard day’s work and everyone is still smiling! Thank you team – we loved working with you all.
For the fabulous final pictures see our 2013 collection blog post.
Hope you have enjoyed seeing what goes behind the pretty pictures. Love to hear from you.
Sangeeta x
Credits:
Photos: Various pictures taken by the models and Milan.
Models: Kristina Guberman & Donna
Photographer: Milan Stryja
Hair Stylist: Taneika Boyle from Jordan Burr Salon
Make Up: Tereza Stryjova
Wedding Dresses: Trudy Lee
Runner: Benoit
Stylist: Olivier from Olivier Laudus
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Sunday, 27 January, 2013
Olivier and I have been wanting to do our own photo shoot to showcase our new collections for the good part of a year, but we couldn’t find the right model. At the end of last year, we finally managed to get our much coveted shoot off the ground with not one but two gorgeous models. Here is how we found them (yes I did find one of our lovely girls on the Northern line tube)!
I love flicking through glossy magazines and am a huge fan of luxury brand advertising campaigns, but had never appreciated the amount of work that goes into putting one together and how difficult it can be to translate a vision you have into reality, which is why we kept delaying our shoot because we couldn’t find the right model to represent our brand – it wasn’t just about finding a beautiful face – it was about finding a beautiful person – our brand is about customer service, friendliness and simple elegance and we wanted our model to emanate this.
I remember spending one Sunday evening looking through pictures of models on casting websites and feeling frustrated as I couldn’t find anyone who exuded the warmth I was looking for, and going to work the next day and standing in a packed rush hour train next to a really pretty girl who I assumed was a student. Just then a homeless person came onto the train and squeezed past us and I was struck how nice the girl was to him as he tried to get past whilst others were being really rude. I knew then she was our model but how did I ask her and wouldn’t she think it was an odd if I did. Well, I did ask her and Donna and I met up for coffee with Olivier a week later and the rest is history. We had found our model and a lovely new friend in the process.
We started planning the shoot and just about to set the date when Donna had to return for personal reasons to Sweden, and we were back to square one, just as we had found our dream model! However they do say that every black cloud has a silver lining, and so we went back to searching and after a few false starts, we found Kristina who is now the face of our brand. Again it was really important to us that our model was not just a pretty face, and Kristina is a talented designer and genuinely lovely person who just happens to look amazing in pictures and showcases our accessories beautifully!
And in true fairytale tradition, with every story having a happy ending, we set a date for a shoot, got all the other pieces and people in place, and Donna called to say she was coming to London that week for a short trip! Fate was being so kind. We decided we would use both of them on the shoot, Kristina for the Made in Britain pieces and Donna to wear our Boutique Collections and couldn’t have been happier with their work or the results from the day.
More about the photo shoot and the brilliant people who we worked with coming soon together with lots of exclusive behind the scenes pics!
Happy Sunday!
Sangeeta x
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Sunday, 13 January, 2013
Happy New Year! We are thrilled to start 2013 with lots of gorgeous new pieces and are also delighted to present beautiful actress and model, Kristina Guberman, as the new face of Olivier Laudus. Kristina has been modelling since she was 8 years old and has a simple elegance about her look which we felt was perfect for the Olivier Laudus brand.
The new pieces, many of which are made in Britain, feature dreamy pearl jewellery and art deco inspired headbands using Crystallised Swarovski Elements and were shot in London by Czech fashion photographer Milan Stryja.
Upcoming Swedish model and dancer Donna, the second model at the shoot, showcased the new designs in our ready to wear boutique collection consisting of statement diamanté cuff bracelets and chandelier earrings beautifully.
Here are some of my favourite pictures for your viewing pleasure.
This season its all about the detail – art deco style and glamour! These Adele pearl earrings are fashioned from silver rhodium and have a shimmering pave design featuring with inlaid Cubic Zircona and ivory faux pearl drops. They are available with a beautiful matching necklace.
Statement pieces are also on-trend, mixing up vintage design with contemporary style! I think the Leena bridal pearl necklace would look gorgeous with a simple high necked prom style wedding dress.
We had so much fun on the shoot and were thrilled to work with such gorgeous models – watch out for post coming soon with all the behind the scenes action!
And once again happy new year – all the best for 2013!
Sangeeta x
Credits:
Models: Kristina Guberman & Donna
Photographer: Milan Stryja
Hair Stylist: Taneka from Jordan Burr Salon
Make Up: Tereza Stryjova
Wedding Dresses: Trudy Lee
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Friday, 9 November, 2012
A couple of weeks ago, around 500 brides-to-be (and me) descended upon The Old Sessions House in Clerkenwell, London, for one of the most eagerly anticipated wedding fairs of the season. This was, of course, none other than Zoe Lem’s Vintage Wedding Fair.
If you haven’t checked out the Grade II listed Old Sessions House before, it’s well worth a visit. In fact, if you’re looking for an art deco-inspired setting for your wedding reception, the ornate domed ceiling and grand staircase make it a beautiful spot to celebrate nuptials.
After admiring her work for so long, it was wonderful to finally meet Zoe in person. She was on hand all day – not only manning her stand but dishing out fashion advice to brides at the catwalk show. Having spent the last 15 years working as a stylist – with celeb clientele – Zoe knows a thing or two about dressing for your shape. Joined by vintage hair and make-up expert, Lipstick & Curls, she educated guests on different looks for the big day and I listened intently as she captured the crowd with her extensive knowledge of bridal fashion through the decades.
Model having her make-up done by the Lipstick & Curls team
Zoe informs brides-to-be about how to choose the right vintage gown for their shape
The fair showcased around 50 vintage-inspired suppliers, all of whom are clearly passionate about their work. While enjoying a glass of champers, followed by copious amounts of tea and cake, in the tearooms, I listened to the musical delights of ’40s-inspired duo The Bellinis, Lord Anthony’s Vintage Disco and big band My Gosh Marvellous.
The Bellinis
The stunning dresses on show came from the likes of Sally Lacock, Heavenly Vintage Brides, State of Grace and even Zoe herself. I fell in love with the new and beautiful vintage-inspired collection from Katya Katya Shehurina, while one of my all-time favourite designers, Suzannah, showcased both her cute daytime tea dresses and recent bridal range.
Not forgetting the finishing touches, there were stunning shoe designs from Emmy, a selection of beautiful brooch bouquets and stationery from The Finer Details, not mention the bundles of bunting, antique crockery and a whole host of other perfectly pretty details on show around the venue.
Needless to say, I left the show on a high; buzzing, inspired and with a belly full of tea and cake.
Psst… Zoe Lem will be hosting her next wedding fair at the prestigious new venue The Bloomsbury Ballroom in April 2013. Watch this space!
Danielle x
All photography courtesy of Rhapsody Road
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Tuesday, 23 October, 2012
Danielle and I were thrilled (and a little nervous) when we were asked by the organisers of Autumn Fair (one of the largest UK trade shows) to come and give a presentation on bridal accessory trends for 2013.
Watch this space for a round-up of what happened on the day and our thoughts on what will be big in the coming year!
Sangeeta x
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Sunday, 8 July, 2012
We love receiving pictures of brides wearing Olivier Laudus pieces on their big day and had been thinking about creating a brides gallery on our website for a while. Suddenly, inspiration struck and we thought let’s go one better and dedicate a whole section on our blog featuring you, our lovely brides and your real weddings! And what better way to inspire other brides-to-be?
To launch our real weddings feature, we have a snap of a gorgeous wedding from last July on the Spanish island of Majorca. Lots more pictures coming soon!
How to feature in our real weddings section?
If you would like to feature in our new real weddings section and are an Olivier Laudus bride, please drop an email to sangeeta@olivierlaudus.com (do check with your photographer if they are happy for us to feature the wedding too!) Look forward to hearing from you.
Sangeeta x
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Thursday, 28 June, 2012
We were asked to be part of Wedding Ideas’ first exclusive reader event, which was held at the stunning five-star Royal Horseguards Hotel near Embankment, London, last month.
Thirty brides-to-be were invited with a guest to enjoy an evening of champagne and canapes, personal consultations and pampering. The evening had an intimate atmosphere, and Olivier and I enjoyed taking the opportunity to advise brides-to-be about their wedding accessories.
Wedding Ideas magazine really does have the nicest readers – everyone we spoke to was down to earth and excited to be part of the evening. I’m sure this comes in part from the magazine’s ethos of being fun-loving, friendly and mostly female wedding gurus and, indeed, managing director and founder Rachel Southwood, editor Rachel Morgan and brand manager Pippa Ward, who were hosting the evening, really do live and breathe that friendly and fun-loving spirit. Can I also say how lovely you looked that evening, ladies!
For a full report of the evening and a list of all the wonderful suppliers involved, check out Wedding Ideas’ write up at www.weddingideasmag.com
My personal highlights of the night included bridal coach Michele Paradise’s top tips on how to pose for those big-day photographs, as well as hold the bouquet. It was a fun, interactive session and I think everyone learned a lot! It was also great to watch talented make-up artist Ana Ospina Ruiz in action.
Thank you Wedding Ideas for inviting us to get involved; we had a fantastic night and loved showing our pieces to your lovely readers. I will leave the final words to one of the brides we met that evening. She sent us this email after meeting Olivier and I at the event. Thanks so much Stephanie, we loved meeting you too!
“Meeting you both last night was an absolute pleasure. You made Katie and I feel so welcome and were undoubtedly our favourite suppliers of the night. Your pieces are stunningly beautiful (the Natasha bracelet was to die for!), they are quite simply works of art. I’m so privileged to own the Alice hair comb and I’m hoping and praying I can find the money to get some of your other pieces. Still, meeting you makes my comb all the more special. You spoke to Katie and I as if we were old friends and your open and friendly nature made our evening.” – Stephanie
For more information about the Royal Horseguards Hotel, visit www.guoman.com/hotels/united_kingdom/london/the_royal_horseguards/index.html
All photography courtesy of Mark Osborne Photography www.markosbornephotography.com
Sangeeta x
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The White Diaries
