Friday, November 28, 2008

White Ribbon Charity Fashion Parade


It was such a pleasure to be invited to show my gowns at the "White Ribbon Charity Fashion Parade" at the funky DOME venue in Surry Hills, Sydney, last week. There were loads of exciting local designers showcasing their work, some up-and-coming, and others more established, and the level of enthusiasm, excitement and energy on the night was AWESOME!



















Organiser Sharon Garrard did an amazing job, co-ordinating and managing the whole event, and raising much needed funds AND awareness for this worthy charity, to help prevent domestic violence against women. The place was packed full of fun-loving fashionista's, and the parade ended on a high note with an Opera singer performing her aria as the Culture Shock Couture models glided down the catwalk for the grand finale - oooohhhhh, what a wonderful sight!








At the risk of sounding like a complete tosser - i felt very proud of my team, our work, the fabulous models, hair and make-up crew, and the great feedback we received on the night - so a very heartfelt THANK YOU to all involved!!!

And a very special merci beaucoup to the talented photography team at ModalSoul Photo, who captured these brilliant Culture Shock pics on the runway.... one word, guys - W O W !!
xx lisa

Friday, November 14, 2008

Purple Reigns!


When your favourite colour is purple, & always has been purple, & everyone knows it.....then why not make a statement on your wedding day in a beautiful PURPLE SILK wedding gown!


That's exactly what Kirstin did when she recently married Wayne in Sydney, with their baby daughter as a very cute little flowergirl. As you can see from their wedding photos, Kirstin looked simply spectacualr in her Culture Shock Couture wedding gown, which we created from ivory silk liqud satin, with a fabulous purple silk train, and a detachable jacket and Obi waistband constructed from a divine vintage kimono we sourced directly from Japan. The whole wedding day had a purple theme running through it – the bride’s purple shoes were purchased before she had even picked her dress!

In Kirstin's own words:-

"There was a touch of purple in everything – from the invitations, dresses, table runners on tables, to the detailing on the wedding cake. We did try to keep things simple when organising the wedding by not sweating the minor details too much. We made sure the major details were covered – but didn’t really worry as much about the little things. This made it a much more stress free day for everyone. "


i think that is great advice for future brides - to focus on the big important things, get them right, and let all the finer, smaller details fall into place.

CONGRATULATIONS, KIRSTIN & WAYNE, AND THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR WEDDING WITH US!

xx lisa and the team
at Culture Shock

Sunday, November 2, 2008

New photo shoot sneak preview!

IT's always so hectic this time of year in the Sydney wedding industry - my staff and i are meticulously hand-finishing lots of fabulous new wedding gowns for all our current Spring/ Summer 2008 brides, and at the same time, i am chatting to lots of prospective NEW clients for their upcoming Autumn weddings in March/ April/ May 2009.

With lots of final fittings and often emotional "goodbyes" as we see our finished work leave the studio in the arms of the beautiful brides who will wear them so proudly, my team and i always get goosebumps and the feeling can best be described as "nervous excitement".... we hope the weather will be kind, the bride will look and feel AMAZING on her big day, and all the plans that have taken so many months to organise will all go as smoothly and stress-free as possible!!! I often wonder what sort of reaction will take place on the day- will the groom cry when he see's his bride in her gown for the first time?? Will the guests let out a collective sigh of "ooohhh's and aaaahh's" as the bride makes her grand entrance?!?! And what will the grandma's, aunties and best friends say to our brides after the ceremony and formalities are over, and everyone is relaxed and full of smiles and congrats?? This is when the goosebumps start appearing in anticipation! Luckily the Sydney weather is being kind for now, with a stunning weekend full of sunshine and mild temperatures ...so for our brides Gillian, Sarah and Helen, i hope you all had a BALL and enjoyed every moment of your weddings recently!!


In between keeping all our gorgeous smiling brides happy and looking just FAB on their big day, we've also been busy creating some exciting new designs for upcoming fashion shoots and magazine editorials. Although i deeply adore our Indian and Japanese-inspired looks, i know that it's not always what everyone is looking for.... so our latest Couture additions include a softer, more romantic "vintage-inspired" feel, using pastel dusty pinks, latte's and antique rose colours.




These hot new photos were taken yesterday at a brilliant shoot by "Empire Creative", with our stunning models Olga and Tereza, make-up by Danielle and hair by Corrine. i will soon be putting more images on my website, with the dream styling teams' contact details! If you're ever looking for recommendations on make-up artists, hair stylist, photographers and the like, don't hesitate to ask... personal recommendations for highly skilled people who are great at their job, keen and reliable, are always invaluable, and i am happy to pass on my contacts.

ciao for now, xx lisa