Sequin and crystal maternity gowns

Plain backdrops, so the sequins are the only shine. Most of the frames on this page were made against a plain grey, slate or dark backdrop. That is deliberate: when the background is quiet, the only bright things in the picture are the gown and your skin. You will also notice that you are rarely square to the camera. A slight turn changes which sequins catch the light.

Gold, bronze, black. Gold and champagne are the biggest group here, then black sequin, then bronze, copper and silver. There is also a plum and a wine-coloured sequin gown, and a scarlet one against a velvet curtain. Metallic and sequinned gowns are heavy in colour, so one is usually enough for a session.

Liquid metal. Some of the gowns here are not sequinned at all but metallic satin: a pearly gold fabric that falls like liquid and, when thrown, opens into wings. These are the glimmer frames with movement, and they are shot the same way as the drapes, with someone lifting the fabric just out of frame.

Crystal on a sheer base. The nude mesh gowns, hand-embellished with crystals, are made so the stones seem to float on skin. Against the white curtain they look like light on water. They are the most delicate gowns in the gallery, and you try them on at the consultation like any other.

Velvet and red. A few frames use a deep red velvet curtain behind a red sequin gown, one of the few sets where the backdrop is as rich as the gown.

With your partner. About a third of these frames have a partner in them. Because the gown carries all the shine, he does best in something plain: a dark or white shirt, no large prints, no logos. During onboarding we suggest options from his existing wardrobe.

Make-up that suits sparkle. Keep it polished but natural. Skin that reads as skin, defined eyes, soft hair. Heavy contouring and glitter behave unpredictably under studio light, and a gown that is already glittering does not need competition.

The loose ones. Not every glimmer gown is fitted. A gold sequin kaftan with a beaded collar, loose and draped over the arms, shows the bump through the fabric rather than against it, and suits mothers who want sparkle without a close line.

Silver and chrome. Silver sequin and mirror-sequin gowns appear here in shorter hems: a halter midi with a thigh slit, a high-neck dress with heels. They are the most modern of the glimmer frames and sit well against light grey or slate. A black sequin dress with a feather hem and a blue sequin dress with a feather trim add a little more drama.