BY ANGIE FENTON
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIK BRANCH
Shopping for the perfect wedding dress is often an exhilarating adventure, but sitting with a local designer as you describe exactly what you want and letting his or her creativity flow onto the page and, eventually, your body is an option brides are considering more and more.
“Because I’m not a large company overseas somewhere, you can call me when you need me,” said Frances Lewis, who started Ann DeEvelyn Clothing Co. in Jeffersonville in 2012. “I am available to you … and I am the one who is responding to you. Because we’re small and independent, I am the one dealing directly with my client.”
Sure, you can purchase a beautiful gown manufactured by a well-known company, but, Lewis warned, “With a lot of the larger chains, what they want is what they get. I can give them what they want and what they need.”
Recently, Lewis worked with a client who was adamant about wearing a navy dress down the aisle but couldn’t find one she loved. “She was able to get the dress of her dreams because she could work hand in hand with me,” Lewis said.
The local fashion scene is “surprisingly larger than we think it is,” she added. “There are times when I might not be able to meet a client’s needs, and I can think of people I can send her to. We have some extremely talented people here. Our design scene is growing exponentially, and I couldn’t be happier about it.”
So, what’s the first step? “Research the designer,” advised Lewis. “Everyone has a specialty and a forte, and you need to fall in love with their work. If you don’t like their work, the chances are you won’t like what they do for you.”
As evidenced by the photos in this pictorial – which was shot by Erik Branch – it’s hard to imagine a bride who wouldn’t love the looks Lewis has been creating. “I wanted to have a touch of tradition and still have something unique, something more expected. It’s a blend of tradition and drama.”
Learn more about Frances Lewis and her designs at www.ann-deevelyn.com. Contact photographer Erik Branch at ebranch9@gmail.com, 502.387.0158 or ebranchphotography.photoshelter.com.
