It is about a story which is inside each of us; about our individual beauty – the Mia Nonna wedding dress collection

Each of us, girls, asked herself this question: how to find your beauty? Searching for the answer we read books, turn to stylists and make-up artists for advice, and compare ourselves to other women and celebrities. But what if to find the answer you just need to look into your family album?

Modern pictures and black-and-white photographs of our grandmothers differ greatly. You want to study those vintage rare photos for hours, peering into the portrait features and contemplating. So many years have passed, the technology has made an immense breakthrough, and yet those photos, often very vague, possess the maximum of life and sincere emotions. The beauty of those times is different: it is hidden in the absence of haste, any filters, and speculations. Posing did not seem reasonable; this might be the only photo of your grandmother. What was she like, back then in her young years? You keep looking at her photo to understand how beautiful she was. Not like anybody else. And this is my grandmother. And I am a part of her.

You are a part of a story. And your beauty is its continuation.

Your beauty is your story. It is well worth start feeling this connection, which you, perhaps, never noticed before. What was your grandmother like when she was young? We see them already wise and caring but just a while ago their dresses were waving in the breeze and in their hands shivered wildflowers. They had the wildest dreams and lively emotions. They loved, kissed, and trusted. The whole world was reflected in their eyes. And it has not gone anywhere. It all still exists because you and your beauty are the continuations of these feelings and this story.

We inherited different features from them.

Different skin color, different color of eyes, a different manner of walking, neck curve, voice, and a different laugh. Our grandmothers had different life stories and that is why each of us is unique. And we wanted to show the merit of this in our new collection Mia Nona, the merit of beauty, which is in our differences. That is why our project is not about dresses. It is about a story that is inside each of us; about our individual beauty.

Intertwined histories

Intertwined with the present, the past becomes art. Dreams and feelings of your grandmother, which today are reflected in your smile and your look, are your flavor. Your uniqueness lies in this miraculous tie. Despite everything, life continues, just like plants continue growing. That is why the motives of horticulture have become one of the main elements of the collection. First, we oil-painted the ornaments on canvas and then we digitized them. Therefore, we were able to reach the effect of “real blossoming” on fabric.

“Phlox is the flowers planted by my grandmother. In summer they grew wide and seemed as if they were peeping into the windows. They were the first thing I saw upon wakening up in the morning. The fallen flowers of phlox are the prototype of one of the dresses. As if you put the flowers into a vase, they fade and fall a bit but you still don’t want to take them away”, – says our designer.

That is how we created the designer lace of phlox and spiderwort, to guarantee the maximum “blooming” of dresses and certain ornaments of flowers, scattered all over the dress, were later embroidered manually. It is the most demanding and pricey line in the history of Cathy Telle. To create six dresses only we used 240 meters of fabric: cotton, silk organza, silk batiste, and bride lace.

Moreover, this line has got one more entwining, that of historical silhouettes and elements of the Victorian fashion with lingerie motives. Such combination particularly emphasizes femininity and gives ways to the imagination, letting you discover something new about yourself.

We intertwine the past with the present, combine vintage and modern, memories and dreams to see the beauty here and now. The beauty is you – here and now.

Our girls

It is obvious that for our advertising campaign and photoshoots we had to find not just models but girls, who are ready to share their stories. They grew up in different families, different countries, absorbed different traditions, and have different views on life. But most importantly – they like it. They like being different not like anybody else and embody the unique entwining of the past and present. That is how we found our girls.

Masha is daring and brave; she excites and makes you think. In our photo she is lying on the bed, surrounded by greenery as if challenging everything traditional.

Olya is dainty. When looking at her, you want to freeze and study her facial features, gestures, movements. She is extremely dreamy. For the shoot, Olya chose a mirror, which highlights her mysteriousness even more.

Anita is a unity of peace and passion. She is tender and sensitive but as soon as you look her in the eye, the situation changes! For life, she needs green scenery and fresh air so she chose a green thick-set area, where she could walk or rest in her velvet chair.

Ira is closed and lovingly preserves her world. Light sadness is present in her look, which only makes her look better. No wonder Ira chose a calm peaceful zone with a sofa of the 19th century, surrounded by trees, where she could hide from the whole world.

Rose is a resident of the tropics. Her “wings” and tree branches are one whole. During the photo shoot, she was surrounded by flowers, both real ones and embroidered on her dress as if they fell on her shoulders.

Serine is an insane Frida, who broke into dance right in the greenhouse. She is driven by her own feelings and does not seem to notice the borders.