There have been some commonly asked questions put to designer Thony C. Anyiam over the years on a variety of fashion-related subjects.
For example: What to wear to
your wedding, who wears what, how to wear it, the right colors, and styles, and
much more. These are a few of them, an expanded and updated version will be in
his new book; Jumping The Broom in Style:
A collection of Styles and Information for the entire wedding party.
Question:
I am planning a June wedding. We plan to go Afrocentric all the way. I am
desperately looking for outfits for twelve bridesmaids, twelve groomsmen, flower
girls, a ring bearer, and ushers. I also need outfits for my fiancé and myself.
I do not know where to start. I am in a small town, and we have little to
nothing here.
Answer:
First, start with deciding on the style that looks the best on you (strapless,
off the shoulder, sheathe, A-line, etc.). If you are not sure, go to your local
bridal boutique or store and try on some styles. Make sure it is a style, you
feel comfortable in. Then decide on your
color scheme. If you are going to have your attire custom-made as opposed to
buying, off the rack, it is important that you start early: six months to one
year in advance depending on the number of people in the wedding party. There is
a lot that goes into made-to-order or custom-made outfits, such as picking out
and ordering the fabric, embroidery threads, construction, and fittings.
For the bridesmaids dresses, select a style that will compliment the individual
taste and body shape, bearing in mind that in most cases they would be paying
for it and may want to wear it after the wedding. It is all right for the girls
to wear different styles and colors provided the colors are within your scheme.
For the groom, make sure you both color coordinate.
Question:
Can I put my bridesmaids in different styles dresses or do they all have to wear
the same thing?
Answer:
Yes, you can have your bridesmaids in different styles while maintaining a
uniform color.
In addition, they can wear both different styles and colors provided the colors
are within your color scheme.
Question:
I am an African-American, and my fiancé is European-American. We have decided to
incorporate both of our cultures into our wedding ceremony, especially our
attire and ceremony. We would be jumping the broom. Do you have any suggestion
as to what we should wear?
Answer:
I recommend an Afrocentric or Afro-European style for both of you. It
incorporates influences from Africa, America, and Europe. There is a lot to
choose from for both of you. Make it a memorable day.
Question:
Do you work with out-of-state clients? I have a large wedding party; my girls
all live in different states, and one is out of the country, but I expect her
back two weeks before the wedding. What is the process?
Answer:
Yes, we do out of state weddings. We do need enough time to accommodate
everyone, including the ones residing out of the country. Once we determine the
style, fabric, and color you want, we will send our custom body measurement
chart to your bridal party. They should take it to a professional tailor or
seamstress for measurements and send it back to us. We take it from there. An
early start allows for back and forth fittings and alterations if necessary.
Question:
What is the difference between a traditional African style and an Afrocentric
style?
Answer:
Traditional African style involves the use of mostly African fabric (print or
hand-woven) in the construction and styling of outfits such as Boubous, Agbadas,
Buba and Iro, and caftans. These styles are very popular among native Africans.
The styles are usually
Loose fitting and comfortable. On the other hand, the Afrocentric style is a
more tailored, structured, and contemporary look. These styles are very popular
among young people of African ancestry. The styles embody their African
heritage, which they proudly displayed in their attire. Not all African styles
are loose fitting, some traditional styles, such as the wrappers, are draped to
fit the body’s contours.
Questions:
The colors for our wedding are black, gold, and red. I am seriously considering
wearing a black and gold dress to my wedding. My fiancé does not mind, but some
friends are discouraging me from wearing it. They said wearing black to one’s
wedding is bad luck.
What do you think I should do?
Answer:
The Afrocentric look allows you to wear whatever you want to wear. There are no
restrictions on the style, or color, you can wear to your wedding. The new trend
in bridal fashion is color and more color. My advice is if you like it and your
fiancé has no problem with it, wear it. If wearing black means bad luck, how
then do most grooms wear black tuxedos to their wedding? Are they bringing bad
luck to the wedding by wearing black? I do not think so.
Questions:
Why is there no price listed on your wedding attires.
Answer:
The reason we do not have
prices on our wedding gowns is because our wedding attires are not ready
made or off the rack. We custom make them to-order, or individual specifications. Prices deferrer
from item to item, from what one individual wants to another. We will provide
you with an initial cost estimate of a particular outfit (max 2 please), but the final cost
will depend on fabric of choice, embroidery or design details, measurement and
etc. We will give you the final cost for your approval before
work is started.
Note: Read an expanded and updated version in the book!!
(c)2018 Anyiams Creations International.