Solange

Very rare is the most iconic part of a wedding focused on how the bride stood.  Solange Knowles may just hold that position for generations to come.  If I were to predict what Solange would wear to her wedding, I wouldn’t have guessed white.  To look at her art is to see so much colour and vibrancy while honoring her melanin.  Yet on her wedding day, she opted for a crème colored, minimal, conservative look.  She kept the accessories to a minimum, choosing only to have wrists stacked with gold bracelets.  A full red lip and picked-out afro later, the bride was complete.  When I saw that she came to the wedding riding a bike while dressed in a Stephane Rolland ivory jumpsuit that said Solange to me.  It was perfectly carefree like her smile is.  She manages to tap into a childlike spirit in a lot of her presence and work.  Then transform into a statuesque force of fashion.  When I see Solange in her wedding dress and cape, the first word that comes to mind is regal.  Even the way she clasps her hands is a touch of a queen.  It felt like a stripped-down wedding dress with the emphasis placed squarely on the one wearing it. 

 (Rog Walker)

(Rog Walker)

The Pose

At first, I didn’t get it, but I should have expected it.  Solange stood front and center while her bridal brigade was positioned in a militant formation.  Unconventional yet right on brand for her. The pose was influenced by the artist Vanessa Beecroft.  If you look up Vanessa’s work you’ll see that she’s a fan of having people assembled in a precise and militant position.  Furthermore, everyone is wearing white and none of them were matching.  It was as though Solange had them come in a white outfit they felt most comfortable in.  The uniformity was in the stance, not the garments.

 (Rog Walker)

Now let’s get into the dress details:

The jumpsuit she rode in on was designed by Stephane Rolland while the cape wedding dress was designed by Humberto Leon for Kenzo.  Two different dresses by two different designers and yet they could easily be part of the same collection.  This speaks to the vision of the bride and the understanding of who she is. 

When I look at the cape with the jumpsuit it appears more playful and carefree.  Fitting for a wedding bike ride.  This allowed for much more flow and she could move comfortably while being a work of art in the process. There’s something to learn from all of this.

 (Rog Walker)

Remember that the capes were not shrinking violets behind Solange.  They too were art pieces.   

To be honest I don’t see a lot of capes for celebrity weddings.  Today, when I see people ask about a cape, they usually want to know if they should wear a cape or wear a veil.  Wearing both seem out of the question, (it’s not).  There are more than two ways to wear capes. They can be there to function as a layer for chillier wedding days.  They can be an added layer to cover arms.  Or they can simply be a beautiful statement piece to be worn on a wedding day.  Whatever the choice, remember that it is adding to you.  Not hiding you, adding to you.