This presentation presents the research on gold work embroidery and hand dressmaking to create my masters thesis project, a bridal gown inspired by the first marriage of Consuelo Vanderbilt to the Duke of Marlborough.  I explored the blending of tradition with modernity, as illustrated in the many American Nouveau Riche that “invaded” British society at the end of the 19th Century.  Using a traditional vocabulary of ivory satin and silver embroidery, I created a gown that reflected both the bridal decadence of the age and the constrictions that defined Consuelo’s early life.  

For reference images of this project, please see the project blog that I kept for it at:  http://katdiuguid.blogspot.com/