Why Delta Goodrem chose Paolo Sebastian for “dream” bridal gown
With the world captivated by Delta Goodrem’s “dress of my dreams”, we’re giving you a “behind-the-seams” look at the bridal gown created by Adelaide couture house Paolo Sebastian.
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His Paolo Sebastian gowns are magical, so it’s no wonder Adelaide designer Paul Vasileff played a part in manifesting Delta Goodrem’s happily ever after?
When the Australian singer wore one of his ethereal creations to the 2016 Logies, fashion commentators were quick to point out her white dress was “bridal-inspired”.
Vasileff had already dressed Goodrem for the cover of Who magazine’s Most Beautiful People edition and her “Wings” music video released the previous year.
A decade later, Goodrem tied the knot with fellow musician Matthew Copley, who she met when he played guitar on her 2016 tour.
The couple wed on June 16 at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Mdina, Malta.
Vasileff was Goodrem’s bridal designer of choice to create “the dress of my dreams”.
Earlier this week she unveiled photographs from her big day – and her Paolo Sebastian gown – on social media.
“Couldn’t have imagined anything more and I can’t wait to share the dress journey with you,” she told Vasileff in her post.
Until the big reveal, everyone at Paolo Sebastian’s headquarters in Adelaide’s CBD had been part of a secret mission.
It began at the start of the year, when Goodrem’s people got in touch with an invitation Vasileff could not refuse; an offer to design her wedding dress.
“Delta and I had a similar vision from the beginning,” Vasileff tells the Sunday Mail.
“The beauty of it is that we have worked with Delta for over 10 years … I really understood her style and what she was wanting.”
Vasileff, who launched Paolo Sebastian in 2007, said Goodrem “knows every collection and everything about the brand”.
“We were on the same page from the very beginning (regarding the wedding dress design),” he says.
“We workshopped a couple of different options and had a play with trying on different shapes and then landed on the ballgown; an off-the-shoulder, long-sleeved, hand-embroidered gown with a scallop hemline and a pleated ballgown skirt.”
Fashioned from “bone white” French tulle, the gown also had a two-and-a-half metre train and matching cathedral veil.
In Paolo Sebastian tradition, the white silk organza hand embroidery also paid homage to the Goodrem and Copley’s love story.
Cherubs, a heart-shaped pair of swans and the couple’s wedding date were along the intricate and intimate details.
“Motifs on the skirt were inspired by the frescoes on the ceilings in St. Paul’s Cathedral,” Vasileff says.
While Vasileff hasn’t added up the total hours he and his team of 20 spent on the gown, he estimates it was three months in the making.
“It was a lot,” he says. “Pretty much everyone’s hands in the team touched that dress.”
On the day of the wedding, Goodrem gave Vasileff the honour of being one of the first to see her as a bride.
“We FaceTimed in the morning, so I got to see her, which is really nice. It was really lovely,” he says.
Finally seeing Goodrem’s photographs and being able to release his own behind-the-scenes images and sketch has been a thrill.
“It has been a secret and we have been waiting for the rest of the world to see the photos,” Vasileff says.
“It’s exciting and so wonderful to see people’s responses to them because it’s a bit nerve-racking knowing everyone will have their eyes on them.”
Vasileff's other famous clients have included Australia’s “first lady”, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s fiancee Jodie Haydon, who wore Paolo Sebastian to the White House in 2023 and singer Katy Perry.
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