STEPHANIE D. LONDON
Artist Designer Author Speaker
BIO
Stephanie was born in Orlando, Florida, grew up in Wichita, Kansas and currently resides in New York City. While in high school she found an interest in painting. After spending a couple of years teaching herself to paint, she went on to graduate from the University of Kansas with a Bachelors of Fine Arts, Painting, in 2000.
While exploring the combination of color, line, and texture at the university, Stephanie found an interest in using women's dress as her imagery. The next natural step was then to continue her studies, so, Stephanie moved to New York City in 2001, and studied fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Several months after completing her studies, she was making a routine visit to the roof of her building to read; however, she slipped and suffered a life threatening 5-story fall off the fire escape of her building. After spending several weeks in the hospital, Stephanie then returned to her family's home in Kansas for her recovery.
During her more than 15 months of recovery, Stephanie came up with the idea of painting and drawing wedding gowns. She has been recognized internationally for her beautiful and detailed creations, and her work has been represented by some of the bridal industries top names.
In 2011 Stephanie began painting faux finishes, murals and theater sets. She also continued to exhibit her studio work in galleries - having been influenced by the frailty of life, the value of beauty, and a love for India, Stephanie created a show about human trafficking, “Emerging from the Deep”. Stephanie is passionate about life and an advocate for justice.
Shorty after the fall, Stephanie also began sharing her story publicly. Today, she continues to do speaking engagements on colleges campus, in churches and for special events - inspiring and encouraging others with stories of hope, perseverance and life.
ABOUT GOWN PAINTINGS
REVIEWS
"As a wedding planner in SC, I have recommended Stephanie London to ALL my brides. She did a painting of my daughter's wedding dress a couple of years ago, her work is amazing!! The likeness of the painting to her dress is perfect (and all from a picture). The qualityis superb and the price is extremely reasonable!! Everyone should have a painting for their daughter or wife!! It's the perfect wedding gift!" - Leslie Ellison, ABC. Dreamy Affairs Weddings
"It is so special for me to see my dress portrayed like this. A girls wedding dress is something that she wants to cherish and treasure forever. I can't think of a more beautiful and creative way to do that, Stephanie's work is captivating! She really captured the beauty and romance of my dress. I'm so excited to hang the painting in my home and have it live on in that way." - Patron New York, NY.
"I had never seen Stephanie’s work until my parents asked her to do a drawing of my wedding dress, which they surprised me with several months after my wedding. I was absolutely blown away. With her charcoal pencil, Stephanie captured my favorite elements of the gown, showcasing all of the details that made me choose this dress above all the others. Although my face is not pictured, she somehow illustrated my heart in the drawing. Stephanie is a true artisan. As my actual dress lies preserved in a box in my closet, I am so grateful to have such a beautiful rendition hanging on the wall of my office, where I can view it daily. It is a constant reminder of one of the happiest and most important days of my life. Thank you, Stephanie, for giving me a priceless momento that will always make me feel beautiful." - Patron, Kansas City, MO.
“I received one of Stephanie London's pieces for Christmas last year. Words cannot express how I felt when I opened the gift! The time and effort making this piece shows in the work. My gown has an extensive amount of beading and she was able to capture it all in the drawing. It is such a perfect gift for a bride! Having the drawing out on display in my home is an awesome reminder of how beautiful that special day was. I have received so many compliments on this piece and I tell everyone about the very talented Stephanie London!” - Patron, Orlando, FL
THE HISTORY OF GOWN PAINTING
Queen Victoria’s wedding dress: the one that started it all.
Victoria was so fond of her wedding attire, so enamored with Albert and the whole romance of the wedding, that she posed for numerous paintings in her dress. A close inspection of all the different depictions of Victoria’s dress over the years, reveals numerous minor differences, making it very likely that she had elements of the dress altered as the mood suited her, and to align with changing fashions.
Queen Victoria also had an engraving made of the wedding, to enable wide distribution of images of her wedding dress.
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