1. Vera Wang
Thanks to her inimitable and unforgettable designs, American designer Vera Wang has become one of the most respected and influential bridal gown designers in the world today. Her dresses always boast the finest fabrics: flowing organza, luminous mikado woven silk, and rich and supple satins, which in addition to her ability to strike a balance between elegance, modernity and sexy styling, has helped propel her to bridal wear stardom. Her distinctive vision of beauty and glamour should keep her name on the lips and bodies of fortunate brides for quite a few generations to come.
2. Elie Saab
From the moment he first opened an atelier in 1982, at the age of just 18, Lebanese prodigy Elie Saab was revered for his gowns and wedding dresses. Saab designs are both glamorous and sophisticated, fusing a cultural myriad of fashion influences. He experiments with the central themes of femininity and romanticism, creating sensual clothing that is cut-to-the-curve, with soft edges and exquisite ornamental detail including hand embroidery and the use of luxurious fabrics such as mousseline and silk. The results are breathtaking wedding dresses whose fabrics and embroidery are as important as the shape and cut.
3. Carolina Herrera
Venezuelan aristocrat Carolina Herrera created her first collection in 1981 before subsequently expanding into bridalwear in 1987. Her wedding dresses appeal to those that dream of an elegant full-skirted ‘princess’ gown with a long train, a tulle veil and a blusher; albeit the look has been modernised to suit 21st century tastes. With delicate tailoring and ladylike touches, Herrera manages to avoid an over abundance of detail, opting for the more simple approach of clean lines with touches of embroidery or lace. These dresses are best described as modern classics.
4. Oscar de la Renta
After a long absence, the New York-based Dominican designer Oscar de le Renta delighted countless brides-to-be by launching a prêt-a-porter bridal line in 2006. The gowns may have a lot of detail, which is the norm in wedding designs, but the overall look is restrained, romantic and soft. In terms of quality, the fabrics are superlative. Silk satin organza, duchess satin and French alencon lace certainly don’t come cheap, but de la Renta says he learned from his previous foray into the bridal business that the quality and integrity of the dress take precedence over price.
5. Reem Acra
Reem Acra grew up in Lebanon, studied in Paris and New York and then became a fashion designer in the latter, where she has a boutique on 60th Street, near Madison Avenue. She actually launched her business with a bridal collection in 1997 that was replete with her signature use of intricate embroidered designs including tiny Swarovski crystals and seed pearls combined in delicate patterns. With an insatiable desire for luxurious fabrics, deep texture, rich colour and anything made by hand, Acra's exquisite gowns exude her own innate sense of style and love of fashion.
6. Alberta Ferretti
Famed Italian ready-to-wear and eveningwear designer Alberta Ferretti creates breathtaking bridal gowns for those looking to be pretty rather than glamorous. Her intricate and airy style dresses have a soft, romantic allure, combined with clean, structured lines that impart a composed, subtly sexy look. The gowns are mostly diaphanous, sheer and ultra-feminine, making them a popular choice for less traditional venues. Her ability to create a feminine, womanly appeal without being too girlish in design is quite unique and she has managed to stay on top of the growing demand for something new, without losing this hallmark touch.
7. Badgley Mischka
This fashion label comprises two New York designers, Mark Badgley and James Mischka. They frequently attest to being inspired by 1940s Hollywood glamour and as such their designs are known to emphasise and define the torso in soft body-contoured sheaths. Their intricately detailed wedding gowns are as exquisite and original from the back as they are from the front. The shapes are classic ball gowns and mermaid dresses, but the intricate hand-beaded embellishments - embroidery and crystals at the waist and neckline - make these dresses modern, striking and highly sought after.
8. Marchesa
With bridal wear trends shifting from the historical style towards a sleeker, more modern type of gown, US department store, Bergdorf Goodman, managed to convince British fashion label, Marchesa, to venture into bridal wear. The label, better known for its beautiful evening and cocktail gowns was co-founded by Keren Craig and Georgina Chapman (otherwise known as Mrs. Harvey Weinstein). Each off-the-peg dress is draped by hand in New York before then being sent to India to be hand-beaded. The result is a capsule collection of elegant bridal gowns that fuse high fashion with an eclectic aesthetic.
9. Junko Yoshioka
Yoshioka began her career in Tokyo before moving to briefly to Milan and then on to New York in 2002 to launch her Bonaparte-NY line of bridal gowns. With an avant-garde approach, she is widely regarded as one of the bridal market’s visionary designers, offering calm and simple dresses that are nevertheless detailed and creatively designed. Her signature style encompasses sweeping silhouettes, asymmetrical cuts, and unique handcrafted details that often accentuate the bride’s back, neck and collarbone. Texture and dimension are achieved by juxtaposing the finest silks with highly unconventional materials like delicate leather and hand-spun lambswool.
10. Manuel Mota
Forty-three year old, Manuel Mota has been creative director of the Spanish family-run bridalwear label, Pronovias since 1990. During those almost two decades, Mota’s prime focus has been to maximise the beauty of the female form. From this desire, he launched his own line of bridalwear in 2003, sold exclusively through Pronovias. Known for his integration of cutting-edge concepts, the recovery of nineteenth-century lines and the adaptation of wedding dresses to the latest trends, he has enjoyed such a success that he is now considered one of the most important names in the industry.
11. Lela Rose
Lela Rose is a Texan fashion designer who shot to fame when she designed the outfits worn by Jenna and Barbara Bush at their father's presidential inauguration. Her label is founded on a clear vision to create classic silhouettes with a whimsical twist. Rose is known to steer clear of satin in her bridalwear preferring materials not typically considered bridal that have added texture such as crinkle chiffon, cotton voile and silk faille. Another Lela Rose trait is the absence of white; instead she prefers the more flattering shades of ivory, candlelight and oatmeal.
12. Monique Lhuillier
Born to French, Spanish and Filipino parents, Monique Lhuillier was raised in the Philippines. Later, she attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in California, but it was the process of designing her own wedding in 1996 that cemented her vision of her future firm. Nowadays, her husband takes care of the commercial side of the business while she concentrates on the designs. With signature strapless dresses known for their classic shapes coupled with a modern sensibility and handmade details, Monique Lhuillier is already a shining star in the bridal gown industry.
13. JENNY PACKHAM
So important is bridalwear to English designer Jenny Packham that she opened a dedicated bridal boutique on Elizabeth Street in London’s chic neighbourhood of Belgravia. Her belief is that the wedding dress is evolving because brides have ceased wanting to be princesses; instead they yearn to be screen star goddesses with a little red carpet decadence. Consequently the Packham look is slim line, lightweight dresses using satins, chiffon, organza and tulle. Her contemporary designs are dramatic and eminently feminine yet they are also ornately and intricately detailed while boasting exceptional craftsmanship and individuality.
