Weddings Week 2011: Sarah Houston, Yorkville’s new bridal boutique
The place: What used to be a mutual fund trading office on Hazelton Avenue is now the latest Yorkville bridal salon. The main floor is open and airy, with a bright showroom of sophisticated dresses, while the second floor “boudoir” houses fuller, more formal gowns. We loved our journey upstairs, where we tested out a birch runway, equipped for sashaying, twirling and hand-on-hip posing. The private (read: no moms allowed) dressing room is fit for Marie Antoinette, but, alas, there is no cake.
The stuff: Inspired largely by Sarah Houston’s extensive European travels (she had a lot of U.K. success before coming back to her native Canada), the designs will speak to both traditional and modern brides. The majority of gowns are priced between $5,000 and $7,000, and every dress is silk-lined and hand-sewn. Brides who want some high-design action but may have a more restrictive budget will find value in Houston’s accessories. We suggest adding some drama to a simple shift dress with a pair of Sarah Houston’s feathered epaulettes ($1999).
Our favourite things: The filigree beadwork on the Alhambra dress ($5900) is inspired by wood-carved calligraphy from the Alhambra Palace in Grenada, Spain. The Courtney ($4200), named after one of Houston’s daughters, is perhaps the most modern dress for the young (or young-at-heart) bride. The design includes a hand-draped silk jersey tulle bodice and full skirt.
Sarah Houston, 24 Hazelton Ave., 416-921-8882, sarah-houston.com.
For more information on how to make a wedding perfect, see our Weddings Week 2011 coverage
