INSPIRATION

FLOWERS: The flower theme really hit home for me this season. I was so inspired by flowers that I developed an allover floral design with chenille-embroidered tulle, embellished with an amazing crystal-encrusted layout. The gown is so stunning; it truly captures the flower movement in all its glory. Lace is always a tried-and-true inspiration for me, and with the flower theme being such a big influence, I focused my attention on Alencon lace with its allover floral patterns. I created gowns with exquisite floral appliqué layouts, on both English net and satin, which resulted in a beautiful texture. I also developed dimensional floral accents by creating hand-rolled and cut petals of silk fabric arranged into delicate flower, leaf and vine layouts along a hemline, a neckline, and a draped waist sash.

SOFT, DRAPY FABRICATIONS: I was really drawn to flowy, ethereal fabrics. In the recent collection, I incorporated two fabrics that I love so much I know I'll continue to design with them for seasons to come. One is a satin-faced silk chiffon that has the sheen of satin, but the flowy movement indicative of chiffons. The subtle sheen of this fabric reflects light, making it look delicate, yet so rich. The other fabric is called Sposabella, a very soft, drapy satin-faced organza that also has a beautiful luster with a supple hand that lends beautifully to draping.

BEADING AND EMBELLISHMENT: I typically design my beading and embroidery layouts by hand first, and they serve as a constant source of inspiration as I illustrate and design the collection each season. The shape of an appliqué layout or crystal components guide the design lines of the gown, as well as the type of fabrics and color that I choose. The silhouettes revolve around and enhance the embellishments, leading to some really novel and unique draping and shapes.

CREATING TEXTURE AND INTEREST VIA FABRIC TRIMS AND DRAPING: I was inspired this season by experimenting with the beautiful fabrics that make up the collection. I played around with cutting and draping the fabric in different ways to create surface interest and a beautiful shape. I also used this technique to create interesting, unique textures such as a hand-made, origami bow trim made out of bias bands of silk Razmir.

TRENDS
There is a trend toward lighter, more natural flowing silhouettes. Gone are the days of the over-constructed, rigid corsets and heavy inner petticoats. Brides today want to show off their bodies and their fashion sense; they don't want to be hidden under layers of fabric and cumbersome inner-construction. To match this deconstruction trend in silhouettes, fabrication is also becoming lighter-weight with lots of easy movement.

Bridal design is more in-tune with what's happening in fashion than ever before. Tradition is still very important, but a fine balance of classic styling and trend elements define my design approach for Priscilla of Boston.

Lace is primarily a traditional design component, but I found a way to create a new twist for my lace styles by incorporating more than one lace pattern into the design. I created dynamic, exclusive patterns by combining the laces and appliquéing them together.

With the sea of satins, organza and chiffons that exist in the market, I feel that it's important to stand out by incorporating novel, fresh fabrications into the collection. This is why I've introduced satin-faced silk chiffon, cotton tulle, and a very fine, lightweight satin-faced silk organza into the line. These fabrics lend themselves to the ethereal trend that is happening now, and bring a new perspective to the collection.

As I've mentioned, the flower trend is hot, and I've found various ways to incorporate the floral theme within my gown designs. From a cluster of dimensional flowers hand-rolled out of silk accenting a waist, to hand-applied multilayered silk petals accented with crystal sprays, to a gown made out of an allover chenille-embroidered floral tulle, you could say that my collection is in "full bloom".

For bridesmaids, I always like to incorporate both fashion and traditional design components. The trend in bridesmaids involves a wear-again attitude with clean lines, sleek silhouettes, and delicate trim accents. Skirts are slimmer and sleek, and short lengths are still hot, including tea-length. Long skirts are always classic, but are more on the fitted side than full.

TIPS
Bridal gown silhouettes and styles can really accentuate or deemphasize various body types. I highly recommend that brides try on multiple styles (including various neckline shapes, skirt shapes, waistline placements, fabrications, etc.) to determine what looks best on them and feels most comfortable. This is such a fun and important process. I truly encourage brides to explore all the various options out there. By doing this, a bride may be quite surprised as to what gown style she ends up choosing for her big day.

One of the most important considerations for your gown is comfort. The venue of the wedding should, to a certain degree, dictate the type of gown in respect to silhouette and fabrication. For instance, if the venue is outdoors in warm weather, a bride would be extremely hot and uncomfortable in a heavy, grand, ball-gown with sleeves. In this case, the bride may want to consider styles that are not overly constructed and/or heavy. Short and tea-length dress styles are great considerations for outdoor weddings as they are light-weight, fun, and very fashionable. I recommend lighter, ethereal, deconstructed gown styles for informal and/or outdoor weddings. This allows for ease of movement and will keep the bride cool. For more formal, indoor weddings, the gown styles can be more grand and elaborate.

Make sure that the gown and the bride's overall look, including make-up and hair, match the formality of the venue. A bride doesn't want to look under-dressed when the venue is quite formal, and the bride doesn't want to look over-done and too made-up if the venue is outdoors or in a natural setting.