leFt Sylvia’s niece, Susan,
wearing a Swiss lace dress
on her wedding day in 1984
below At the height of her career,
Sylvia travelled extensively to
France and the US to buy laceBack in Singapor e
Following Balzac, Sylvia now back in post-war
Singapore offered brides exquisite guipure and
chantilly lace, ethereal tulles and the smoothest satins.
Nobody had seen or felt such materials. The secrets of
creating exclusive wedding gowns were gleaned from
extensive study and buying trips to the UK, France, The
Netherlands and the US. French lace manufacturers
feted her, providing limousine services on the tarmac
upon her arrival in France. Her purchases of lace pieces
manufactured on small hand looms were veritable
works of art, each pattern now no longer available.
Ever the consummate artist, she brought perfection
to her craft by going not one but hundreds of steps
further. The luxurious laces she acquired were not
simply transferred onto gowns – each motif was
individually cut out and repositioned on the gown she
was working on, then ornamented with seed pearls or
other decoration.