Beyond the Dress by Claire Pettibone
After more than twenty years of designing wedding dresses, I have more than a few stories to tell. Some are beautiful, some are funny, and others involve the kind of behind-the-scenes reality that rarely makes it into a perfectly styled photograph.
Why I'm Writing Now
I've always loved sharing the inspiration behind my collections, but lately I've been feeling the desire to write even more. The creative process, the people I've met along the way, the unexpected challenges of running a business, and the experiences that have shaped me both personally and professionally. I've always been an introvert, but the older I get, the more I realize that it's in our honesty and vulnerability that we find life's most meaningful connections. So I've started something new.
What You'll Find on Beyond the Dress
Beyond the Dress is my new home on Substack, where I'll be sharing personal essays, stories from the atelier, reflections on creativity and relationships, and whatever else life inspires me to write about.
And can I tell you something? I'm finding it incredibly refreshing over there. So far, no bot comments, no AI slop, just real humans connecting, sharing ideas, and supporting one another. And imagine this... reading! People who genuinely enjoy the written word and take the time to engage with each other. After years of navigating social media algorithms, it feels really good. Like I've discovered where my people are!
The Beauty and the Mess
My first essay, The Beauty and the Mess, is about the sometimes rather large gap between creating beautiful things and the reality behind them.
I’ll be completely absorbed in the placement of a flower on a gown, while somewhere in the background there are bills to pay, fabrics stuck in customs, a mother and daughter having a meltdown in the salon, and someone reminding me that we need to improve our SEO. Again.
The thing is, I’ve come to realize that perfection doesn’t actually exist, which is a rather inconvenient discovery for someone who has spent her entire career pursuing it.
Read The Beauty and the Mess →
Which Comes First, the Idea or the Sketch?
In Which Comes First, the Idea or the Sketch?, I share a childhood memory that helped shape my imagination, and why my creative process begins with words rather than drawings.
When I was four years old, my family moved into an old house in upstate New York. It had been built in the 1800s, and the previous owner, an elderly woman who had passed away, had left some of her belongings behind… There were beaded dresses from the 1920s, little purses, boxes of old photographs, and letters written in beautiful cursive handwriting.
I’ve designed collections inspired by Gothic angels, still-life paintings, moonlit gardens, and secret places filled with flowers and fairies. Each one has its own story, its own atmosphere, and its own particular kind of beauty.
Read Which Comes First, the Idea or the Sketch? →
Join Me
I'd love for you to join me. You can subscribe for free and receive my new essays directly in your inbox. And if you enjoy what I'm writing and would like to support this new chapter, a paid subscription would mean so much to me. It's a way to help me continue making time for the writing, stories, and conversations I hope to share.
Whether you're a longtime fan of my work, a past or current bride, a fellow creative, or simply someone who enjoys a good story, I hope you'll find something that speaks to you.
With love,
Claire
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