Bella in replica: The Alfredo Angelo version of Carolina Herrera's Bella gown stays as true as possible to the original, with long, lace-edged sleeves, an illusion back and buttons running the length of the dress.
Entirely fictional though they may be, Bella and Edward's nuptials in The Twilight Saga's Breaking Dawn, Part 1 have caused quite a ripple throughout the wedding industry. Just days after the blockbuster film hit screens to rapturous success, bringing in a massive $139.5 million on its opening weekend, an imitation version of Bella Swan's wedding dress has gone on sale in stores.
The ultra-fast turnaround has not been a miracle of high-speed creation, however. Instead, the film's producers at Summit Entertainment worked with bridal retailer Alfred Angelo, who have secretively been planning the replica dresses together since May, according to the Wall Street Journal. Designer Michael Shettel joked that the confidentiality agreement for the top-secret project was 'signed with blood,' while code words were used in the discreet planning process. While word got out in August that the dress project was under way, the clandestine nature of the project was so watertight that Alfred Angelo stores were not given prior warning of the arrival of the Bella dress, nor were photos and inventories given to staff.
Kristen Stewart's original gown was the responsibility of Venezuelan fashion designer Carolina Herrera, who gave the vampire's lover old-world elegance with a long-sleeved silk dress, complete with lace detailing on the sleeves and a cut-out illusion back. Buttons run the length of the back of the 'Edwardian inspired' gown, which according to Hollywood Life is valued at $35,000. A demure V-shaped neckline shows Bella's décolletage without exposing too much skin.
The replica, costing a very reasonable $799, stays faithful to the original, but opts for liquid satin instead of silk. Mr Shettel told the Wall Street Journal: 'The stitching on the bodice is the same, and the lace detailing is similar.'
The ultra-fast turnaround has not been a miracle of high-speed creation, however. Instead, the film's producers at Summit Entertainment worked with bridal retailer Alfred Angelo, who have secretively been planning the replica dresses together since May, according to the Wall Street Journal. Designer Michael Shettel joked that the confidentiality agreement for the top-secret project was 'signed with blood,' while code words were used in the discreet planning process. While word got out in August that the dress project was under way, the clandestine nature of the project was so watertight that Alfred Angelo stores were not given prior warning of the arrival of the Bella dress, nor were photos and inventories given to staff.
Kristen Stewart's original gown was the responsibility of Venezuelan fashion designer Carolina Herrera, who gave the vampire's lover old-world elegance with a long-sleeved silk dress, complete with lace detailing on the sleeves and a cut-out illusion back. Buttons run the length of the back of the 'Edwardian inspired' gown, which according to Hollywood Life is valued at $35,000. A demure V-shaped neckline shows Bella's décolletage without exposing too much skin.
The replica, costing a very reasonable $799, stays faithful to the original, but opts for liquid satin instead of silk. Mr Shettel told the Wall Street Journal: 'The stitching on the bodice is the same, and the lace detailing is similar.'
