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Italiano
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English
Deutsch
Italiano
28 April
Overwhelmed by ostentation, the pressure of matrimonial tradition, or the risk of investing in something not quite you? Here we present the best alternative bridal wear designers to dip into, creating pieces with ease, elegance and just the right amount of ritz to wear when saying ‘I do’.
At her eponymous label Roksanda – which shows each season at part of London Fashion Week – Roksanda Ilinčić is known for a sculptural approach to volume and silhouette, oftentimes inspired by contemporary art (Ilinčić is an avid follower and collector, and cites sculpture, dance and architecture as some of her wide-ranging cultural reference points). She brings this approach to her bridal collection, which spans romantic caped dresses in ivory crepe, Grecian-style draped gowns, and unexpected details – like trailing tie fastenings which loop around the sleeve of a dress or cut-out elements, like that on the shoulder of the ‘Felina’ gown.
Founded in 2020 by married couple Katie and Adam Barclay – the former a creative director and stylist, the latter a still-life photographer and set designer – In-Grid Bride has a focus on unexpected silhouettes which eschew the frou-frou conventions of traditional wedding dressing. ‘It’s about shaking off that princess vibe of the wedding dress,’ Katie previously told Wallpaper*. ‘Precision and meticulous craftsmanship; post-modern, structured silhouettes, executed through traditional couture,’ describe the brand of the label’s hallmarks, continued in the new collection for 2023. An exploration of volume runs throughout the pieces – whether the bell sleeve of the off-the-shoulder ‘Cecily’ gown, or the flared ‘Kahlo’ dress with its hidden millefeuille of tulle ruffles. Each of the Made in England gowns are bespoke, fitted in the brand’s in-house atelier in Sheffield.
In her lifetime, iconoclastic British designer Vivienne Westwood became a go-to for brides seeking the unconventional when it came to dressing for their wedding day (memorably, the late designer dressed Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw in a theatrical corseted duchess satin and Radzimir taffeta gown for her nuptials in the first movie spin-off). A new bridal wear collection from her eponymous label continues Westwood‘s distinct approach, which melded historical references – corsets, romantic drapery, bell sleeves, opera gloves – with unorthodox cuts and silhouettes. This season, the just-released collection takes inspiration from the night sky with sweeping draped georgette, cascading trains and shimmering iridescent fabrics reflecting ‘the shapes, colours and explosions of the cosmos’. It is divided into two concise parts, a made-to-order and bespoke offering, the latter comprising nine couture-level dresses – like the corseted ‘Interstellar’ gown in metallic silver lace which descends into a dramatic four-metre-long Watteau train.
Gauge81
Known for its sensually-charged eveningwear, Gauge81 – the Amsterdam-based label started by Colombia-born Monika Silva Michelsen in 2019 – has launched a high summer collection which features a series of pieces doubling as bridalwear. ‘[Made for the] effortless bride… cool, simple, fun,’ says the brand of the pieces, which include a 1990s-style full-length ice blue slip dress, gently oversized tuxedo jacket, and mini dress with asymmetric hem (befitting the mood, they are styled with vast wraparound sunglasses in the accompanying images). Alongside, there are also numerous options for bridesmaids, spanning draped gowns in vivid scarlet, cumin and yellow, as well as dressed-up separates from plunging blouses to signature cutaway blazers.
Roland Mouret
After a recent reboot – the British brand was bought by Han Chong of Self-Portrait’s recently formed conglomerate SP Collection last year – Roland Mouret has returned with a series of collections that place a razor-sharp focus on the fastidious approach to cut and silhouette which made him a household name. These are now brought to a new bridal collection, comprising pieces which the brand say straddle classicism and modernity for ‘a mix of styles perfect for every type of bride’ – whether a dramatic strapless gown with draped chiffon cape or simple off-the-shoulder dresses (the latter playfully teamed by Mouret with chunky black leather boots). A series of jewel-toned dresses, for bridal party or wedding guest, accompanies.
Despite emphatic silhouettes and mille-feuille layers of frou, Molly Goddard’s dresses are always designed with a sense of ease at heart. The designer has long created custom bridal commissions for friends – like a transparent tulle creation for model and actress Agyness Deyn – and last year launched a made-to-order debut bridal range of 12 dresses, available in white or ivory and lined with silk, toeing the line between romance and realism. ‘There are enormous taffeta and tulle gowns but also dresses you could easily hem and wear again and again,’ she said of the offering at the time.
As of May 2022, Goddard launched a new ready-to-wear bridal collection, available to order directly from the designer’s website with no need for showroom visits or time-consuming fittings. Comprising 11 new styles – in mini, midi and full-length – the various designs feature Goddard’s signature hand-smocking and shirring, and arrive alongside colourful veils in blue and coral pink, a lambswool cardigan, and a frilled tulle bolero.
Taking its name from the Italian word for bride, ‘Sposa 1’ marks Taller Marmo’s first foray into bridal wear, promising an exploration of ‘decoration, dressmaking and ceremony’ through ornate but contemporary designs which contain all the Milanese label’s hallmarks – namely, fringing and feathers in abundance. Drawing inspiration from 1960s jet-set style – Sophia Loren is noted as a perennial reference point – the intricately crafted collection comprises numerous options for the modern bride, from feather-trimmed mini dresses to signature kaftan-style gowns in alabaster white and cream, decorated with a plethora of detailing inspired by ‘nature’s gifts’ (flowers, corals, shells, et cetera). It lends the collection the ‘essence of couture’, not least in the fabrics themselves, several of which are made in Como in Italy on traditional looms dating back to the 1950s, ‘thus adding to the romance of the pieces and harking to the notion of love beyond time; everlasting’.
Danielle Frankel
‘Whether it’s a 15-person wedding, or 150, you should feel special on your wedding day,’ says designer Danielle Hirsh, whose bridal wear brand Danielle Frankel, operates from New York’s garment district. Hirsh, who previously worked at bridal behemoth Vera Wang, creates pieces that abound in personality, rebellious flair and finesse. For A/W 2021, her brand’s collection features not just Delphic, draped and bias-cut dresses, festooned with exquisite tulle and floral brocade, and fluid in ivory and crisp white silk, but pieces with short puffball hems, mini skirt lengths, and even dresses in darker ombre purples, greys and black. ‘If you offer these designs, people will buy them,’ Frankel explains. ‘Brides want to feel the best version of themselves.’
The fledgling label grew by 40 per cent during the Covid-19 pandemic. ’People have gone through so much in their wedding planning,’ Hirsh says. ’You really want that bride to feel special.’ That special attention comes courtesy of a collection-focused or custom service, which takes a total of ten months, from moodboards to final fittings. ’I’m trying to answer to what various women like, not a specific person,’ she adds. ’Being in the studio with brides and really hearing what they have to say.’
London-based Self-Portrait – founded by Han Chong in 2013 – has long been a go-to label for wedding guest dresses, and now the brand has introduced a collection which answers the wearable-yet-wondrous wardrobe requests of the bride too. This alternative bridal offering balances pragmatism with pizzazz, frou with finesse, featuring mini-dresses with bow details, crystal embellishments and pleated capes and tailoring, from bouclé blazers which tie at the waist to 1980s-centric jackets with buckle details. The collection revels in the feminine flourishes that define Self-Portrait, from rose and polka dot lace to floral guipure, and is swathed in pristine tones, from ivory to cream, whilst short lengths, transparent fabrics and androgynous shapes bring modern ease to matrimony.
Self-Portrait fans, whether brides themselves, bridesmaids or wedding guests, now have no shortage of options for upcoming nuptials. These are silhouettes that speak of timeless ease, suited to any bridal bash, whether saying ‘I do’ in a registry office or on a remote sandy shore.
For the more androgynous dresser, the concept of saying ‘I do’ in a dress sends shockwaves of style panic. Luckily, Blazé Milano designers Corrada Rodriguez D’Acri, Delfina Pinardi and Maria Sole Torlonia have the well-tailored matrimonial answer. The trio’s label celebrates the eternal chic of the tailored jacket, referencing women who have championed its enduring silhouette, from Coco Chanel to Biana Jagger. Now, the label has launched a series of blazers, blouses and trousers which tap into this insouciant style, including a tactile cream version of its signature ‘Everyday’ blazer and a soft silk jacket with a robe-inspired tie.
The collection of bridal-inspired pieces is available exclusively at Matchesfashion.com, as part of the London retailer’s tradition-breaking Wedding Edit capsule offering, which launched in 2020. ‘In this new world, we all had to hastily rearrange plans and have more intimate celebrations. Our edit features non-traditional options that are well suited to smaller weddings, such as pared-back mini dresses and directional tailored separates,’ says global fashion officer Natalie Kingham.
‘The goal was to bridge that gap between bridal wear and womenswear,’ says New York-based Meredith Stoecklein, who cut her teeth at Zac Posen, Narciso Rodriguez and in the world of custom-designed celebrity dressing before launching her wedding brand Lein in 2016. Aimed at making the bridal wear world more approachable – ‘so many women just want to wear a white dress from their favourite designer’ – Stoecklein creates sartorially-minded styles fit not just for a ceremony, but rehearsal dinners, wedding brunches and beyond. Think strapless dresses in ethereal nude tulle or with delicate French lace skirts, and more daring creations including a confetti-centric fringed mini dress and flocked lace gowns and chiffon halter neck dresses in shades of black. ‘I want to offer ready-to-wear styling in an elevated way that still honours the meaning of the moment you are shopping for,’ she says.
Sustainability-minded brides today are conscious of the excess of wearing a dress simply for just one day. Stoecklein is emphatic that her alternative bridal wear can be worn again and again. ‘I love the idea that clients can incorporate Lein pieces into their daily closet and relive a part of their wedding memory,’ she says. Clothing to me has always been like perfume; it can trigger a memory of when I wore something, who I was with and what fun we were having.’
‘For our second season we used deadstock fabrics from a 300-year-old mill that wove the taffeta for Princess Diana’s wedding dress,’ says Evan Phillips, co-founder of London-based bridal wear brand Wed, which launched its first collection in 2019. The conscious brand incorporates waste fabrics into its draped, transparent and asymmetric designs, that appeal to those searching for something a little off-kilter. It’s latest offering features tiered dresses, puffball and handkerchief skirts, ruched blouses and trousers, in white, black, red and pink fabrics, which have been sourced from unwanted wedding dresses found on eBay. ‘We’re really giving these bridal fabrics like lace, sequins and heavy beading a second life,’ Phillips adds.
Wed was born from co-founder Amy Trinh’s inability to find a wedding dress that hit the sweet spot between something ‘really casual’ or ‘over the top’ for her own big day. ‘I spoke to Evan and we decided to create my dress together as a fun thing to do,’ she says. ‘Then in a more business sense, we wanted to explore this gap in the market.’ The soon-to-be-betrothed can visit Wed’s studio in London, for a piece that’s a variant on their collection designs or an entirely bespoke creation. ‘We’ve had clients who want a top from one style and a skirt from another,’ Phillips says. ‘We’re talking with women who have a really good eye for design.’
All article from wallpaper.com