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Debi Lysaght www.fantasyweddingdresses.co.uk Tel 07906 719326

For Your Wedding Day, Handfasting or Civil Partnership

I have been designing and making wedding dresses since I was a teenager, originally starting in theatre costume design at my local saturday morning drama school (having 2 brothers I think my mother thought this would 'girly' me up) - the acting bit I did as we all had to but I am not a natural 'actor' - although I really enjoyed the prose/drama competitions each year at Bingley. Then I discovered costume, make-up and stage managment! My first play for costume design and making - aged 13 - was Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales' for a cast of approx 60 young people in various roles. Funny how things come full circle?

My love of medieval literature and heroic tales, costume & art is one of my main inspirations - including anything LOTR - that's Lord Of The Rings in case you didn't know - the Pre-Raphalites, absolutely anything Camelot or loosly connected to the Arthurian legands especially the stories of the women eg Morgause, Guinevere and Elyane, and fantasy films such as 'Legand', 'Stardust' & Braveheart (the latter I cry at every time). I am fascinated by the darker side of Fairytales, Legends, Myths and Tales and am exploring this inspiration in my new collection 'Masquerade' (see wedding & bridesmaids gowns).

I really enjoyed 'Needlework' and 'Art' at school, and went on to Further Education gaining a degree in Textile Design from Huddersfield Polytechnic in1985. I started to make my dolls' clothes when I was a little girl from cast off clothes (including one of my mum's 'New Look' dresses - now I realise what a crime that was letting me get my hands - and scissors - onto that dress) and lost myself for hours of happy play in my fantasy world of their adventures and reinactment of stories from some of the books I was reading! I made my own clothes from 12 years onwards after discovering how to actually thread and use a sewing machine with the advent of spectacles to correct my short sightedness and being pushed to the front of the class as I was shorter than most of my classmates at the time. Once I'd learned the basics I started to experiment with commercial patterns and began to work on my own variations and designs from then on.

I started 'Gothik Designs' in March 1998 re-naming in September 2006 to Debi Lysaght. My studio is appointment only and based in an old Victorian School at Glasshoughton near Pontefract, West Yorkshire just off the M62 (see CONTACT).

I work in what I feel is a more natural way and sometimes the design evolves through the whole process. I also work on my own (no teams of sewers, pattern cutters etc at my studio) which means I have total control and you deal directly with me from initial consultation, through the fittings to the finished dress. You can be involved with the design of your dress making it a very personal and unique journey whether you are a Bride having a more traditional wedding or a wedding to fit in with your lifestyle eg Goth Wedding, a Pagan or Celtic Handfasting or a Civil Partnership.

This website is dedicated to the memory of my brother - Mark Haigh-Hutchinson - who died from pancreatic cancer on 15 January 2008. My younger brother by 11 months, Mark was a talented computer games programmer, very respected in his field, involved in visual imaging techniques including 'real-time cameras' - he tried to explain the technical bits of this to me many times! He was always encouraging me and I miss him a lot.

Debi

Email debilysaght@yahoo.co.uk or telephone me on 07906 719326 (if I am with a bride or working on a dress I may not be able to answer the phone - leave me a message and I will phone you back)

Things I like ...

My two beautiful little neices (Mark's daughters) Emma and Rachel - over in Texas! Watch out for new designs inspired by these girl's!

Goth Music - from 'The Sisters of Mercy' and 'The Cult' to more recent bands like 'Evensence'

Yorkshire Pudding - coming from Halifax would I say anything else?

Anything LOTR, Camelot or Medieval!

Books, books and more books . . .

Gothic Architecture - Cathedrals, Norman Churches, Victorian Gothic Houses etc!

My 2 little terrier cross dogs Sam and Pippin!

Handbags! Handbags! Handbags!!!!

Early music played on original instruments

My herb plants

. . . And a growing obsession with all things pink!

Things that I don't like or that annoy me!

Hip hop and rave music, Pineapple and Rhubarb!, Modern 'boxy' architecture - give me a Gothic Cathedral anyday!