Here at beijingkids we thought we’d help our readers get ready for all of the upcoming galas and banquets with an apparel makeover, especially since the gala season in Beijing doesn’t end until the summer lull.
We took Dawn Davison to Linlin Wu of Linvina Bridal, which carries custom and premade wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, and evening wear. While at this special edition makeover, Davison mentioned she was planning to go to the British Ball and had already picked out several dresses borrowed from a friend.“Many think that red and blue both look great on me and I also think green because of my hair,” Davison piped. She added later that she doesn’t consider herself fashionable and typically is willing to let her hair and makeup stylists do whatever they want before a banquet. Wu agreed, “Yes, I think red and blue both would look good, but I would say to avoid lighter colors since your skin tone is so light.”
Davison picked out dresses she liked first and then started trying them on, one by one. Wu stayed by her the whole time, helping her make sure the fit was appropriate, commenting on the style and how it looked on Davison’s body. “I know many people have different style ideas and so sometimes I’ll wait until a client says, ‘Ok, you’re the designer, you tell me how this looks,’” she continued, “I feel really bad when the dress looks awkward on my client’s body, and I don’t want anyone to go to an event in a dress not suited to body type.” When Davison reached a specific dress with beaded shoulder caps, Wu commented, “This dress was already picked by another client to be worn at the British Ball, so I would suggest avoiding it.”
Davison settled on a bold two-piece dress, and laughed, “This is my first two piece since the baby!” She ended up wearing the dress to the British Ball instead of what she had previously borrowed. She mentioned she and her husband both loved the dress and fit. Due to the built in bra, she was kept from having to adjust the dress the entire night. Truly, quite a feat since her first child is only seven months old and still breastfeeding.
Davison enjoyed her time at Linvina Bridal and would recommend it to friends since the experience got her out of her eveningwear comfort zone, though those who are much larger than her would not enjoy the experience. Wu said, “Davison is really the best size (US 6, bust 86-88, waist 66-68, hip 94-96) for trying on my stock since I use my own body as the mold for my designs. I do have some sizes in US 8 and US 10, but the selection is limited.” Davison walked away with this dress free thanks to the Wear it or Not style makeover, but ended up buying a second dress later. Dresses are typically RMB 500 – 6,000 dependent upon beading.
Linvina Bridal
Best by appointment, but walk-ins welcome. Tue to Sun 10.30am-7.30pm. Rm1905, Kuntai International Apartments, Chaoyangmen Outer Street, Chaoyang District. (185 1077 5296) linvinabridal.com朝阳区朝外大街昆泰国际公寓1905
Get a Custom Look and Fit
1. Make an appointment with Linvina Bridal at least six weeks before the event. The space accommodates up to six if you’d like to take friends.
2. Choose to either try on dresses or take your ideas for a custom dress from a magazine or a drawing.
3. For simple designs, alterations take two weeks, while beaded dresses will take four to six weeks.
This article originally appeared on pages 14-15 of the November/ December issue of beijingkids magazine . Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.
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