This post is dedicated to my talented mother and sister.
Last week Saturday was finally the day for the garden opera at the beautiful West Green House Gardens in North Hampshire, and the day when I would get to wear my evening dress. The dress code was black tie, which is obviously an easy one for the gentlemen, but can mean a wide variety of dresses for the ladies. You might already be familiar with my 1950’s blue dream of a dress from Vintage Shrewd, which was one alternative to wear. However, even before I found that one my mother had promised to make me a dress, and I simply had to leap at the opportunity as I just love her designs. When she asked me what style I wanted I boldly mentioned my dream dress of all times: Kiera Knightley’s 1930’s style dress from the movie Atonement, which has even been voted the best movie costume of all times.
Now, I would never want to risk infringing the copyright of a photo, which is why I am not putting up any photos of Kiera Knightley wearing the dress here. Instead I asked my little sister to draw the dress for us, to give you an idea of what our mother had set out to create. Thanks sis, now go out and make the world a more beautiful place with you amazing drawing and painting skills please!
Kiera Knightley’s green dress in Atonement. Drawing by Liina Heikkinen
… and my mum said ‘Sure, no problem’. Really!??!
Since I absolutely adore the colour blue we ended up going for this beautiful blue silk fabric which my mum found it in a shop in Sweden called Simbra Siden. Simbra Siden source the most breathtaking fabrics from China and India – *hint hint* to all you Swedish brides-to-be!
As the designer she is, my mum then did her own take on this 1930’s gown and created such a beautiful dress, which I was so proud to wear it on the night – thanks mum!
My blue dream dress
Haiku Kimono-design – blue evening dress, 1930’s style in silk from Simbra Siden
Just in case you were wondering about the jewellery: I wore a 1960’s silver necklace with a faux drop-down pearl, adorned with some sparkling blue stones, which I picked up at an antique market in Surrey the week before. I matched it up with a pair of Swarovski crystal earrings that were given to me as a birthday present this year. Here is a closer look of the necklace:
1960’s vintage necklace with a faux pearl and blue sparkling stones
It was such an enchanted evening at the West Green House Gardens with fairy-lights lighting up the garden paths, miniature apple trees proudly guarding a collection of lavender plants, the most beautifully sculpted flower benches and an impressive old mansion in the midst of it all. I would so warmly recommend a trip to the Gardens, that have been restored and recreated by one of the world’s greatest garden creators, Marylyn Abbott.
A beautiful pond lit up by lights in all colours of the rainbow
Marylyn Abbott’s garden at Kennerton Green, Mittagong, was Australia’s most visited garden and her work is often featured in prominent gardening magazines and television programmes. What is so wonderful about West Green House is that Marylyn has been able to unite her two greatest passions: opera and gardening, so that she now hosts one of the most acclaimed country house opera seasons in England.
A garden path lit up by Chinese lanterns and a dragon
We watched Tales of Hoffman, which had the most wonderful cast that performed the most glorious singing and acting. And with the new venue that has been built solely for the opera we stayed warm and didn’t have to worry about the weather for a second – and still it felt like sitting outside with the great big windows and opening at the back.
Altogether ‘a magical evening’ – as so accurately described by one of the lovely ladies!
Decades of Elegance 