Photograph by Robert Scheer
Lily Dong stands face-to-face with her "Kissing Gown," so named because the buttoned section forms the profile of a face.
By Loretta McCarty
Lily Dong's design talent speaks for itself in an elegant wedding dress she calls the "kissing gown."
If you look closely, you can see the face of a woman, crowned by a row of silk-rolled flowers and ready to be kissed by her groom, patterned into the gown.
The gown is 100 percent silk and has a charmeuse skirt with a cathedral train that creates a soft and flowy feel. It is accompanied by a vested bodice of peau de soie, French for "skin of silk."
But before you pick up the phone to order the "kissing gown," Dong is quick to say that it is not for sale.
"I created the gown to embody the creativity of my designs and my desire to capture the romance of the moment," she says. "The idea is to have the design of the gown live as long as the moment."
Dong brought her nontraditional, one-of-a-kind couture bridal business to Saratoga last December from the East Bay suburb of Lafayette, where for five years she designed a range of women's apparel. She has since decided to concentrate exclusively on bridal wear.
She says that bridal design and special occasion clothing are more of a challenge, because in most cases she works with only one color--white--so there are no other colors to draw away attention.
"The design and the simplicity has to speak for itself," she says.
Her creations concentrate on composition, color, texture and proportion, and she says she sees each bride's gown as a work of art.
The 28-year-old designer says her dresses are about lines, and overall compositions that work together to create meaningful designs that suit her clients' personalities.
Each gown takes her about four months to complete, and before she puts pencil to pad to begin sketching, she meets with her clients to understand and capture their essence. She listens carefully in order to sift through the variety of ideas and requests they have and find out what it is they really want. She also takes notes on other details such as the mood, setting and the degree of formality of the wedding. She says she incorporates all aspects of the event into her designs.
The backs of her gowns are an example of her devotion to detail. They often include her well-known, elegant rolled-silk flowers.
"Most brides spend at least 20 minutes with their backs turned to their audience," she says, "and I feel they deserve a good show."
Dong has created more than 200 exclusive designs, and is listed in the wedding book titled Here Comes the Guides, by Lynn Broadwell. She has recently done the cover for a new wedding book coming out next year, called By Recommendation Only by Johanna Kaestner.
Dong also belongs to two professional organizations, the Professional Association of Custom Clothiers and June Weddings, Inc.
Lily Dong couture bridal gowns are priced between $2,000 and $2,500 and her consultations are by appointment only. Anyone interested can call 255-8850.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, June 26, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved