French website “Histoires Royales” has revealed new information concerning the various events that will be taking place in Saint Petersburg on September and October, as well as what the bride will be wearing. Though fashion is most certainly not a “Legitimist” occupation, we were interested to see the many choices which were made which incorporate heraldic tradition, or were inspired by Romanoff house customs, and so we present here, some of the information which Histories Royales has made available to the public. The original article by Nicolas Fontaine is available HERE.

”The first wedding of a Grand Duke of Russia to be held in Russia after the Revolution required three important dresses, and Victoria Romanovna Bettarini wanted to make sure that each of them paid homage to Russian traditions as well to Italian fashion. An international collaboration was therefore initiated, in order to create unique looks for each event.

The dress for the civil ceremony embroided with Khokhloma designs.

The civil wedding is scheduled to take place a few days before the Religious ceremony. The dress for the Civil Ceremony was made by the designer Chiara Boni in an ice-blue silk, embroidered with gold thread Torzhok-style embroidery inspired by the traditional folkloric designs of Khokhloma. The blue is a reference to the ribbon of the Russian Imperial Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, the premier order of Imperial Russia, founded by Peter the Great in 1698.

The Russian Imperial Order of St Andrew the First-Called. (Image Sotheby’s)

The “Welcome Cocktail” evening dress

The first event of the wedding weekend is a cocktail party to welcome all the guests from around the world to St. Petersburg. For this first event, the bride chose a black velvet and tulle gown with golden appliqué and embroidery by the house of Gattinolli by Marwan.

The dress is black and gold, the house colours of the Romanoff dynasty, and combines a velvet bustier with a diaphanous tulle skirt.

The Wedding Dress: Reem Acra; Elina Samarina for Sergio Marcone Moscow and Torzhok Embroideries.

For the religious ceremony at Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, the bride chose a design from the internationally renowned designer Reem Acra whose creations are a favorite red carpet selection by Hollywood stars. The dress has impeccable lines. "Reem Acra has exquisite taste and her creations are structured as if they were architecture," notes the bride. "I had only two requirements: a very refined and modern dress, made of Italian Mikado silk. A creation that recalls the classic Italian wedding dresses of the 60s. To create lightness and volume in a skirt made with such a rigid and heavy material as Mikado, it requires an expert touch, and Mrs. Acra was the right person “.

The wedding dress is sober, refined, and elegant. It has long sleeves, a crew neckline and a six metre-long train with a paneled cape created by Elina Samarina and decorated with traditional Torzhok-style embroidery.

“For me it was important that a cultural exchange took place in the field of fashion. This is why together with the talented designer Elina Samarina, founder of the Sergio Marcone brand in Moscow, we decided to create something special in order to showcase the best of Russian artistry. Elina is very good at reinterpreting Russian styles and for this reason she immediately showed me examples of Russian embroidery. In fact, there is a very long tradition and a variety of embroidery in Russia, still made by hand today, with patterns and designs that vary from region to region. They are small masterpieces! I asked Elina to think of a symbol that best represents modern Russia but also its extraordinary past and culture. Something that could serve as a bridge between past and present, a symbol in which all Russians can relate. Elina came up with this idea: to embroider a coat of arms with a double-headed eagle that symbolizes the glorious history of Russia; both modern Russia and the ancient Romanoff family. The embroidery to be done in traditional Torzhok style." The coat of arms was hand embroidered into the tulle veil, which took five weeks of intense work.

“Although it was very difficult to work on this wedding dress during the pandemic, I am extremely pleased with the results. I wanted this dress to be simple but full of symbolism. A tribute to Russian cultural tradition, the Romanov family, and Italian fashion. The idea of having two companies involved in the process on two different continents, certainly created some logistical problems, but everyone worked with enthusiasm and professionalism to create this dress as I imagined it.”

Bridesmaids' dresses: Danilov Monastery

The bridesmaids' dresses were handmade in Moscow by the nuns of the Danilov Monastery. Since 1983 it has been the seat of the Russian Orthodox Church and the official residence of the Patriarch of Moscow and all the Russias. The bridesmaids' dresses were made in traditional Russian style, in yellow velvet to compliment the interiors of St. Isaac's Cathedral. The bridesmaids are Beatrice and Veronica Scheda, daughters of the bride's cousin, Giulia Cacciatore. The girls will also wear the traditional “kokoshnik” style headdresses made in Russia.

The gala dinner dress: Reem Acra and Elina Samarina for Sergio Marcone Moscow and Torzhok embroideries.

The bride chose a hand-embroidered gown made of tulle, the fabric “dreams are made of” also by designer Reem Acra. The dress features yards of tulle, with delicate pearling, appliqué, and embroidery.

Elina Samarina added a Russian touch by creating a white cape made of silk Mikado, inspired by traditional designs with puffed sleeves.

According to fashion designer Elina Samarina “the Romanoffs have always fascinated and inspired people's imaginations through their unique interpretation of Russian traditions in fashion. They were ambassadors of Russian culture, opulence, and traditions abroad, this is why for such a special occasion we wanted to revive Russian unique manufacturing traditions and promote them abroad. It is a privilege for me to have been able to work on this extraordinary project. It doesn't often happen to have clients asking me to do historical research on Russian fashion. As a Russian, I am very happy that the bride decided to pay an homage to the traditions of our country "

Again, original article by Nicolas Fontaine is available HERE.

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