Anne Fontenoy

Having trained in various art and couture studios after leaving school and then gaining administrative experience in several offices, Anne Fontenoy started her sole trader dress design and fine art practice in 1981, when she was based in North London. This was as a result of people asking her to design and make clothes having seen the dress designs Anne started to develop when she was a young teenager.

She designs and makes hand sewn wedding gowns, evening dresses and classic ladies occasion and day wear for which she drafts all the patterns. Many of the dresses are made from silk and other natural fibres and she also designs with lace and quality synthetics, with British made fabrics a speciality. She sources all her fabrics from trade suppliers so she has access to a very wide choice of materials to use to design your dress. She also creates designs for embroidery and beadwork and your dress can also be embellished with hand painting. As well as the brides dress Anne can also design for bridesmaids, mother of the bride or groom, your going away outfit, camisoles and slips for your trousseau, a dress for the evening party as well dresses for your guests. The clothes are mostly for private clients although she has also had some of her hand painted silk scarves and other accessories as well as her greetings cards available in retail outlets in the UK. She has also had her bridal wear showcased in a number of wedding fairs and a bridal shoe boutique. Although she specialises in creating completely hand sewn garments and accessories, she sometimes uses sample units in the UK to assist with making up her dress designs by hand or machine with or without hand finishing .

She has also had her fine art pictures selected for a number of exhibitions in art galleries in London and Kent. She designs greetings cards so if you are looking for hand made wedding stationery she may be able to help.

Anne works from a home studio so clients are seen by prior appointment only. At a consultation Anne can show you some of her made sample dresses and you can also browse her photographic and sketch portfolios. Her sketches include complete designs for dresses as well as different necklines, bodices, skirts and sleeves. You can choose a design from her portfolios or she can sketch you a unique design based on her design and pattern cutting experience. All dresses are made to order so you will need to allow from 2 months to one year's notice depending on how much work is involved in making your dress, how may other orders are to hand, and also how long the fabric takes to arrive. Most of her suppliers are stock supported but some silks and especially the laces can take anything from one week to 3 months to be ready because of the suppliers' production schedules. You may need anything from 3 to 10 fittings, another reason why ample notice is needed to make your dress.

She has a few sample dresses for sale at reduced prices.