By Daniela Degrassi
Sleek, modern and chic. That’s what minimalist brides love. And Sabina Motasem delivers it with her new vegan bridal Collection. With prices starting from £950 to £1400 The Green Collection is sustainably made in the same ateliers as her Couture Collection in London with the signature style the Sabina Motasem brand is sought after for.
The label was founded by Sabina Motasem in 2007, a multi-talented designer from the fashion and marketing worlds, who designed a wedding dress as an extra special gift, after a friend complained she couldn’t find a simple elegant dress from all the frou frou options. Word quickly spread and what started as a hobby soon turned into a highly sought-after brand. She won an award on the HBV New Entrepreneur Scholarship, was selected to showcase her collection at the Zandra Rhodes’ Fashion and Textile Museum, and has won numerous awards including the Highly Commended Award at the 2016 Wedding Industry Awards for London and South East, and Best Bridal Bridal Designer for the UK at the Lux Life Awards 2018, and most recently the Best Contemporary Global Bridal Designer for 2020.
The new dresses are made from natural, plant-based materials; circular viscose and cupro, where the fabric is derived from sustainable wood and pulp, coming from certified and controlled sources and certified by GRS (Global Recycle Standard), European Vegatarian Union and Oeko-Tex 100 Standard. Sabina Motasem shares with us the inspiration behind the collection:
So, without further ado, let’s unveil The Green Collection, so luxurious it hangs and drapes so beautifully to show off any figure!
ANISE
Anise is a scoop neck dress with a flattering arched empire line, split sleeves, a plunging back and slip A-line bias cut skirt with a centre back zip opening. Made from a silky viscose. Fully lined in cupro and rayon.
ELSA SASS
Elsa Sass is the vegan and sustainable version of Sabina Motasem popular Elsa dress with elegant spaghetti straps, super sexy low back and a godet train. Made from a luxurious floral jacquard patterned fabric in a silky cupro / rayon mix that feels like silky. Fully lined in cupro and rayon.
LOTUS
The Lotus dress is another favorite design of Sabina Motasem’s previous collections, with a fitted bodice, cap sleeves, keyhole back and a godet train. This vegan version is made from a luxurious floral jacquard patterned fabric in a silky cupro / rayon mix that feels like silky. Fully lined in cupro and rayon.
PEONY
Peony has a boat neck dress with an open back and cape floaty sleeves and a slim A-line skirt with a centre back zip opening. Made from a silky viscose feels like silky. Fully lined in cupro and rayon.
POSY
Posy is a super chic one-shoulder neck dress with spaghetti rouleau strap and A-line bias cut skirt with a centre back zip opening.Made from a floral jacquard patterned fabric in a silky cupro / rayon mix that feels like silky. Fully lined in cupro and rayon.
ROSEA
Rosea is plunging V neck, deep V back slip bias-cut dress. Made from a floral jacquard patterned fabric in a silky cupro / rayon mix that feels like silky. Fully lined in cupro and rayon.
Besides working on their first vegan collection, the Sabina Motasem team volunteered their time to make scrubs for many local NHS workers during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Their Green Collection styled shoot had to be postponed for a few weeks and Sabina shared her excitement with us when it was finally time to put the dresses in front of the camera!
“I’m so proud of what we achieved, we managed to pull off a carefully social distanced shoot, as a partial zoom with our lovely hair and make-up Hair by Duboux and Birute Thomas working remotely. Our art director and stylist Rebekah Roy steamed everything and our model Zaneta dressed herself complementing the looks with hair accessories by Victoria Fergusson. We had loads of zoom calls to help prepare, I bought vegan make-up and hair products from Tropic Skincare, strong mood boards… we knew what we were doing on the day. We decided to shoot near the models home in sunny tropical Deptford… and I spent several days doing recces on potential shoot set-up with our photographer Roger Wooldridge and on my own studying shadows and noting times. It was also one of the hottest days of the year at a blistering 31 degree heat. I even carefully positioned mobile with a WhatsApp video with the hair make up artist watching the shoot in real time so they feel like they are part of the shoot too. The result… are these beautiful images.”
An incurable enthusiast and independent spirit since she could remember (her childhood heroines were Pippi Longstockings and Katharine Hepburn) Daniela Degrassi found her creative outlet as a lifestyle photographer, working mainly in Northern California. Currently splitting her time between SF Bay Area and her native Italy to continue to be her autistic sister’s primary caregiver. Vegan since 2014, she found a perfect way to carry her message of compassion while celebrating her love for the wedding industry launching The Kind Bride in February 2018.
