Maybe it’s because of Baz Luhrmann’s much-anticipated remake of The Great Gatsby, which hits the big screen later this week, or because of reruns of PBS’s Downton Abbey, but Jazz Age fashions have gained big bridal momentum this season. Don’t believe us? Just look at the spring 2014 bridal market fashion shows, where decadent glam appeared all over the runways, with dresses showcasing fringe, feathers, drop waists, and heavy beading. Whether you want to subtly engage the trend or go full flapper fabulous, here are five dresses perfect for your roaring celebration.
1. Anna Sui Aiguille gown, $1,200 at BHLDN.
2. Sequin fringe dress, $295 at Ann Taylor.
3. Clara Bridal Gown, $1,100 at Nicole Miller.
4. Aidan Mattox embellished tulle dress, $330 at Nordstrom.
5. Va Et Vien Swirling Platinum Gown, $1,000 on sale from $1,800 at BHLDN.
Photograph courtesy of Astrid Photography.
“When Randy calls, you say yes,” says Carin Rosenberg Levine, co-owner of Hitched bridal salon in Georgetown, on working with Randy Fenoli, star of TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress and Randy to the Rescue. For the uninitiated, Randy to the Rescue is a reality television show that follows the over-the-top bridal gown guru and his hair and makeup team as they travel across ten cities in America, bringing couture wedding dresses to brides. The show is in its second season of filming, and this time it was DC’s turn to get rescued by Randy.
As part of the show, Fenoli partnered with Hitched to set up a bridal pop-up shop at the Capitol Hilton last Sunday. Featuring 200 of Fenoli’s favorite dresses, as well as 50 of Hitched’s hand-selected picks, the event hosted 40 area brides on the hunt for their dream gowns. Hitched consultants helped brides-to-be narrow their options, while Fenoli popped in and out of the fitting rooms to advise each bride on the dress, accessories, hair, and makeup—part of what he calls his “head to hem” approach.
1. Alice + Olivia Fyona lace-bodice party dress, $597 at Bergdorf Goodman. 2. Tadashi Shoji crinkle chiffon one-shoulder dress, $368 at Tadashi Shoji. 3. Hitherto Kensington dress, $380, BHLDN. 4. Ted Baker London embroidered mesh fit-and-flare dress, $825 at Nordstrom.
You don’t need a floor-length gown to look fantastic on your big day. Not only can you dance all night sporting a shorter hemline, but you can also stretch your dollar by wearing it again in the future—something you can’t always say about a traditional wedding gown. Whether you are looking to walk down the aisle in a leg-baring design or just planning on slipping into a shorter number for the reception, here are our favorite picks. You can thank us when you get your dry-cleaning bill back.
5. Jason Wu leather-and-silk dress, $3,395 at Neiman Marcus.
6. ML Monique Lhuillier tiered lace bustier dress, $598 at Saks Fifth Avenue.
7. Va Et Vien Kauai dress, $800 at BHLDN.
8. Ann Taylor embroidered tea-length strapless dress, $695 at Ann Taylor.
Add another name to the ever-growing list of top fashion designers dipping into the bridal realm. BHLDN, Anthropologie’s oh-so popular bridal brand, just tapped Peter Som, a favorite of Claire Danes, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Scarlett Johansson, for a line of wedding gowns.
The collaboration collection, set to launch March 5, includes two flowy and feminine gowns and one short, flirty special-occasion dress. Made to look and feel like Som’s effortlessly elegant ready-to-wear designs, the line features easy silhouettes with eye-catching details. The prices range from $1,200 for a lace shift dress to $3,000 for a ruffled fit-and-flare gown.
Charae Carter. Photographs courtesy of TLC.
When word came that Alexandria resident Charae Carter would be appearing in an episode of Say Yes to the Dress, we shot her an e-mail to find out what it’s like to be filmed for the show—which, for the uninitiated, features brides-to-be on the hunt for their ideal wedding ensemble inside Kleinfeld, the iconic Manhattan wedding dress emporium. While Carter’s dress choice must remain under wraps until the episode airs, she did hint that she went looking for something right out of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” video (she loves the ’80s). In our estimation, that would mean a short, fluffy, flouncy, ruffled number. Tune in to TLC tonight, March 1, at 9 PM for the full story and the reveal, and read on for our conversation with Carter.
How did you decide to apply for the show?
My best friend Alicia absolutely loves the show. I’m a fan of it, as well. As soon as I got engaged, Alicia said, “You’re applying for this show. I’ve read the questions already and you would have some great answers; I think you’d be a perfect fit.” So I applied! A couple of days later I received an e-mail, which led to a phone call, and voilà!
An exclusive Rochas and Net-a-Porter wedding gown, priced at $9,165. All photographs courtesy of Net-a-Porter.
As if we needed another reason to love Net-a-Porter, the insanely fashionable online shopping site has just launched an exclusive bridal collection in collaboration with eight top designers. The impressive lineup includes Nina Ricci, Jay Ahr, Antonio Berardi, Lover, Rochas, Giambattista Valli (who most recently designed Jessica Biel’s wedding dress), Issa, and Chalayan, with gown silhouettes in everything from a simple shift to a taffeta ballgown or a slinky beaded halter dress. Six of the dresses are available online now; the Giambattista Valli and Jay Ahr gowns come online in the next few weeks.
Left: For a reception in a ballroom, or on an estate or at a museum, this Watters Too gown is perfect for the bride channeling her inner-princess. Photograph courtesy of Watters Too. Right: A look from Douglas Hannant's Spring 2013 bridal collection showcases the pink trend. Photograph courtesy of Douglas Hannant.
Jessica Biel, Anne Hathaway, and Reese Witherspoon are just a few of the celebrities who’ve recently eschewed traditional ivory wedding attire in favor of gowns with a decidedly rosier hue. From Claire Pettibone to Oscar de la Renta to Watters, designers are turning out gowns infused with color, be it boldly verging on magenta or muted, barely there blush. Whatever your pleasure, the dresses have become approachable from a design standpoint, as well as an acceptable way to show off a variation on bridal style.
For Washington, we think the trend is spot on—can’t you just see a March Tidal Basin photo op with cherry blossoms in bloom to match your gown? Actually, we can’t imagine a time when saying “I do” to a pink gown isn’t a perfectly pretty option. Here, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorites from recent bridal collections.
As most of us predicted, Kate Middleton’s traditional (and stunning) Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen wedding gown has ignited a series of trends for the upcoming year in bridal fashion. Designers are forsaking strapless gowns in favor of sleeves—long, short, and cap—and straps. Lace is back, as are layers of fabric and a healthy dose of pomp and circumstance.
However, adding extra coverage doesn’t have to mean sacrificing sex appeal. What some of these gowns conceal cleavage-wise, they more than make up for with plunging backs swathed in sheer tulle. Whether cut-out, beaded, or scalloped, fall 2013 is “bringing sexy back,” so to speak.
In fact, many gowns this season have more to say going than coming. Dramatic trains on frocks of any silhouette are another nod to royal wedding fashion. Though not quite Princess Diana style, detachable, full, long trains are popular with brides who want to add a little oomph to their walk down the aisle. Here’s a sampling of the hot trends we spotted at last week’s bridal market fashion shows.
Hint of Color: Monique Lhuillier spring 2012 (left) and Carolina Herrera spring 2012 (right). Photographs courtesy of Monique Lhuillier and Carolina Herrera.
Welcome to a new three-part series on Bridal Party. We’ll be asking some of the area’s top wedding experts their advice for your encore walk down the aisle.
Carine Krawiec, owner of Carine’s Bridal Atelier in Georgetown, says second- and third-time brides are ditching traditional gowns for modern silhouettes with a touch of flair.
“When it comes to second weddings, brides tend to shy away from things that look like a typical wedding dress,” she says. “So they’re looking for something that has a bit more architecture, a little bit more color. They don’t just want to repeat their first wedding.”
Carolina Herrera, Monique Lhuillier, and Marchesa are just a few of our favorite designers to offer unconventional yet sophisticated options. Herrera’s Spring 2013 collection featured structured peplum in off-white, as well as other simple, more mature designs, perfect for an understated second wedding. But sparkle is still a very practical (and appropriate) option, as long as the detail is elegant, as in Lhuillier's breathtaking chiffon halter gown with crystal straps, a dazzler from her fall 2012 line.
Who says brides must wear white? Vera Wang's Spring 2013 collection includes a one shoulder mermaid gown in Dahlia, and Oscar de la Renta offers a light blue gown. Photographs courtesy of Vera Wang Bride and Oscar de la Renta.
Regular viewers of the bevy of wedding-related reality shows on TV these days may be familiar with the varying shades of gowns available—a veritable sea of muted hues. You’ve got diamond, ivory, candlelight, cream, ecru, off-white, and white-white.
But now, thanks to top bridal designers, blue, crimson, and oatmeal have joined the fray. Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta, Ramona Keveza, and Watters are just a handful of the designers who opted to send color down the runway at the Spring 2013 bridal market fashion shows. Wang’s collection featured her signature frothy layers of tulle and organza in varying shades of scarlet (the previous season, she designed in black and nude hues), while de la Renta presented a girlier take with periwinkle tulle covered in white eyelet. Watters’s Palm Springs gown, a confection of blush tulle, has been making the editorial circuit since last year, as the soft pink turned out to be a hit with brides.
We talked with local gown buyers about decidedly non-white wedding dresses and whether the Washington bride will follow this trend.
Carine Krawiec, owner of Georgetown designer bridal shop, Carine’s Bridal Atelier, says she’s glad to see color infusing standard bridal style.
