Made up of 400,000 crystals, 500,000 glass pearls and plenty of beading wire, the Fantasy wedding dress is a hefty one that weighs in at over 400 pounds. Designed by bead artist Gail Be over the course of three years, the dress was crafted over the span of 20,000 hours with help from 23 assistants. The millions of beads that adorn the dress spill onto the extravagant train, which is over 20' long.
Aptly named Fantasy, unfortunately the dress is so heavy, it's impossible to walk in. When modeling the dress, Jessica Collette notes: "It hurt and I couldn’t move, but I felt like a fairy-tale princess." Since it's definitely a showpiece, Be has hopes that the dress will be used in a movie and then end up in a museum.
Weighty Wedding Dresses
This Opulent 'Fantasy' Wedding Dress Weighs 400 Pounds
Trend Themes
1. Opulent Fashion Trends - Luxury designers could consider using extravagant materials and incorporating heavy embellishments with past and future fashion trends, for high-end events and shows.
2. Avant-garde Bridal Wear - High-end bridal designers could experiment with unconventional materials and designs to excite the luxury bridal market.
3. Sculptural Fashion - Designers could elevate fashion into art, by creating sculptural pieces that blur the lines between fashion and fine art.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion Industry - The fashion industry can leverage this trend, by creating fashion that transcends the traditional purpose of garments.
2. Bridal Industry - The bridal industry could explore similar design influences, and incorporate operable features that allow for mobility and physical comfort.
3. Art Industry - Art institutions could consider displaying wearable pieces of art that could challenge consumers' perceptions about fashion design