By Ross Brewster

Last updated 11:21, Tuesday, 25 March 2008

ROMANIAN fashion designer Angy Morton draws some of her inspiration from the Lake District, where she lives with her English husband.

Different: Angy Morton loves to create something unique from just a few pieces of material

A black lace on silver skirt design inspired by Wastwater and an ice dress, based on an impression of Windermere on a crisp winter’s day, are just two of the radical designs she intends bringing to a wedding show in Carlisle on Sunday, March 30.

Angy says future brides are increasingly looking to add pizzazz to their wedding dresses. “The idea of brides wearing the obligatory fairy-tale white is increasingly rather dated,” she said. “These days brides-to-be are looking for something that really stands out – a genuinely special gown for a special day. I think it’s much more interesting to go for something with a splash of colour that will really help you to stand out from the crowd.”

The dresses she will have on display at the Live the Dream Wedding Show at Carlisle Racecourse include one with a vibrant pattern of orange flowers.

Angy said: “Flowers are a regular feature of wedding dresses in Romania. Although they aren’t used as much here, I think a floral pattern helps to make a wedding dress look particularly beautiful.”

The wedding dresses will feature in the catwalk shows, together with Angy’s bridesmaids’ dresses.

But as well as wedding styles, Angy turns out a wide range of different types of dresses and outfits as well as handbags. Her influences include Art Nouveau, reflecting the architecture of Timisoara, her home town in Romania.

Other influences that can be seen in her work include Romanian folklore, in particular with her use of embroidery. She also uses macramé, a form of textile making using knotting rather than weaving or knitting that is widely used in Romania.

Angy got the dressmaking bug from her grandmother and made her first top at the age of six. She later went on to study fashion design and dressmaking in Romania, selling her first designs when she was just 16.

She said: “For me dressmaking was like a glove. I used to sit watching my grandmother working and I knew that was what I wanted to do. It was the perfect fit for me. I just get so much of a thrill out of the creative process of making something unique and elegant from just a few pieces of material.”

For more information about Angy Morton visit www.romantiquecouture.com or phone 01539 530648.

RBrewster@cngroup.co.uk