beauty and the lace
A gown should feel soft, comfortable, feminine, and bring beauty to your heart. A gown should speak eloquently and powerfully, it will encompass the true you. It should look both illuminating, but, not misleading. It should invite romance to that moment.
by Allyson Simone (copywright 1999)
I love brides, and her blue dress is like a dreamy blue marshmallow
lovely little beings gently capturing the earths love
join me, lets make a difference, a positive workplace in the workforce
Create, retail, management, happiness, elevate, positive, love your employees and respect in the workforce.
It is our mission to believe in others.
I am and will always be genuinely interested in the success of others
Coaching & Lectures
Allyson Simone is founder of my mentorship program, a program designed to help fashion students develop mentorship coaching and executive training.
Allyson also works with Palomar Fashion Department as an advisory board member and alumni, this is the beginning of creating new experiences for students through mentorship coaching. She donates her time to help students in the field of fashion and business management to bring your most creative thoughts to paper, textiles and business communication.
Allyson Simone has a BS in Psychology with a concentrate in marriage, family coaching, and another concentrate in Industrial Organizational Psychology, known as IO Psychology. Allyson volunteer work started with Fashion Students and part as the board of directors for Palomar College, where she continues to do her work as a mentor. Allyson also coaches and continues to lecture on career coaching, management training, fashion design, positive reinforcement thinking in the work force and textiles.
Allyson is a graduate at Palomar College Fashion Department and holds a degree in Fashion Design and Merchandising where she continues to mentor on design and merchandising in the world of retail. She continues to coordinate learning activities in internships for fashion students, from this these activities Palomar College Fashion Department found a greater student participation and completion of course.
Today my little Teddy and I felt so inspired to create a new office space, with pretty pink flowers. We had so much fun, we both realize that life is full of gratefulness, even when other people can be hostile.
Stay positive lovely beings, capture your heart and dance with fairy dust and may your dreams bring you hope. Life is to inspire surround yourself with people who are gentle, kind and most of all inspiring.
Allyson Simone
ALLYSON SIMONE
BY JULIA BEESON – For Exquisite Weddings Magazine (2008)
FOR NEARLY A DECADE, Allyson Simon has provided exquisite taste, impeccable style and classic bridal dress designs to fashion-forward women in San Diego and beyond. A fixture on the design vanguard, Allyson is a leading creative presence in the world of bridal couture and design. The Panamanian native’s charming, Paris-inspired showroom in the Gaslamp Quarter reflects the classic elegance of her designs, which incorporate luxurious materials such as handmade lace from Normandy and fine silks from Italy. Allyson connects with each bride by personally meeting and working hands-on with her during the entire dress selection process. Simple yet sexy, whimsical yet sophisticated, her designs capture the unique style and energy of the individual bride. Allyson shares with Exquisite Weddings the inspiration behind her current collection and offers brides-to-be tips for picking the perfect dress. (Hint: shop around.)
What inspires your designs? My current collection is inspired by fairytales and based on ball gowns. I think ball gowns are going to be big this year.
How did you get your start in bridal couture? I’ve been drawing since I was 5 years old and still have sketches of gowns I drew when I was 10. I don’t have formal training; I was a merchandising and pre-law student at Palomar College. I found I had a natural knack for designing, pattern-making and sketching. I never had anyone sit there and teach me, it’s just something that came naturally.
Take us through the entire process: from the initial meeting with the bride to presenting her with the dress she’ll wear on her wedding day. When she comes in, she usually picks a dress from my existing collection of about 30 dresses. Collection dresses range from $2,000 to $10,000; ball gowns start at $5,000. I rarely do custom-made dresses (those start at $5,000), because she usually finds something she likes in the collection. Once the bride picks her dress, I work with my pattern-maker in Los Angeles, and we cut the dress to her exact measurements. It goes through production (also in Los Angeles) and arrives to my showroom. Then we do a fitting. Everything is private; it’s not like other bridal shops, where there can be 20 other brides there at a time. During a fitting, I’ll sit with her for five hours if she wants. It’s a very relaxing, nonstressful environment. I style brides as well: we talk about hair, make-up, shoes. When she walks down that aisle, she has to be totally perfect.
How do you get to know your bride when helping her select the perfect dress? The minute they walk in, I usually know right away what will work for them. It’s in the way she handles herself—if she comes off confident, if she’s professional. If a woman doesn’t have confidence, she seems to be a little more confused when choosing a dress. When a women feels beautiful inside and out, I pick up on that; they’re going to have more confidence and know what they want in a dress.
What are the key questions you ask a bride? I usually don’t ask too many questions at first. I don’t want her to feel like I’m attacking her with a bunch of questions; I want her to come in, look around, get familiar and relax. I do like to know where she’s getting married. That way I can picture her in the context of her wedding.
What are the trademarks of your dresses? The quality of the materials I use in my dressmaking. My clients love the texture of the silk I use. I use the highest quality of silk—it’s the heaviest, best silk imported from Italy, France and Belgium. All of my lace is handmade from Normandy and Brussels.
Describe your typical customer. I get a little bit of every type. Typically, she’s professional—I get a lot of lawyers. She’s definitely stylish, very chic, demure, traveled, educated and very classic.
What should a bride research before coming to you? I think it’s best if a bride goes to a bridal dress shop before going to a designer. I want her to shop around, try on different dresses. It’s helpful, plus it’s just fun—it’s her wedding dress! I tell brides all the time to go to David’s Bridal, then come back and tell me what they like.
What inspired your fragrance line? I had many clients ask me what fragrance they should wear for their wedding, and I didn’t really know of any. So, I hired a perfumery to develop Allyson Simon fragrance, which came out in 2004. It has Spanish saffron, Mediterranean flowers, Russian amber and violet from France. It’s a very soft fragrance.
Is there such a thing as San Diego style? Do you see trends among San Diego brides? I design in San Diego and have a showroom here because I like the laid-back feel. I’ve had offers to go to New York and Los Angeles, but I like it here. The girls here are getting more stylish. Years ago, they played it very safe and now they’re going with designs that are more unique. So, that lets me design more ‘out there.’ A few years ago, girls wouldn’t wear low-back dresses. Now they aren’t afraid. But every girl is different. Most of the girls I get are fun—they’re a little safe, a little sexy. I think that’s why they like my dresses: they reflect their personal style. To me, every bride looks beautiful. Often, when she’s trying on dresses, she sees her flaws but I just see her beauty.
What sets your showroom apart? Brides come in to my showroom and aren’t used to that kind of bridal shop environment—the intimate showroom. I want to know my own client, I meet with every bride. They sometimes come in expecting to meet with a sales rep, but they always get me. Before they come in, I have them fill out a bridal application on my Web site (allysonsimonbrides.com). I like to have some information about them before they come in.
Popping the Question. How do you tell a bride a dress isn’t right for her? It’s a delicate situation. Most brides know what looks good on them. I am honest, though.
A beautiful picture by Diane Konrad
