Dreaming of your Mother's Dress
SOMETHING OLD TO SOMETHING NEW
“To trust someone to deconstruct and restyle the fragile lace dress was not easy for us, but when we met Faythe at Dornink, we knew we were in good hands.” Alyssa told us.
Faythe and her daughter Sarah own Dornink, a wedding and special occasion couture shop in Des Moines, Iowa. Faythe started the business in 1981, out of her home and the two have grown it into the shop you see now in the East Village.
For a customized dress or extensive alteration, it starts with a consultation to figure out what the bride envisions for herself — what does she love, what does she want to change, what would make it the dress of her dreams while still keeping the sentimental value of her mother's gown. Then Faythe or Sarah work with the dress itself, to pin, cut and deconstruct it carefully and through a number of fittings create the final piece. For Alyssa, it was altering the long sleeves, skirt and neckline while still keeping the lace touches.
Photography // Jami Milne
Faythe and Sarah pride themselves on creating one-of-a-kind pieces for their customers. “Watching a bride fall in love with her dress, whether a bride chooses one of our designs, has a custom gown made, or brings in a dress that needs major adjustments, it's such a thrill seeing the bride’s face light up when the dress she’s wearing finally looks like what she always envisioned.” Sarah told us. “We wanted to make Dornink a one stop shop for brides and bridal parties, where they could have dresses made or suits fit and then find all the accessories needed to go with it.”
Dornink's style is clean, interesting lines that create stunning gowns. Their gowns have a modern edge that still works to fit to each bride’s individual style. Many dresses are first sketched or simply draped on forms to find the most unique angles.
Photography of Alyssa + Blake // DeJong Photography
It was important to Alyssa not only to be able to wear her mother's wedding dress, but to document all of it, and we're so glad she did! At the wedding, she shared the photos and “The Story of the Dress”.
So many brides want to wear their mother's dress and this is a great way to honor her mother while making it her own.
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VENDORLUST
Thank you to these great vendors for making this article possible