Here Comes the Princess Bride
They're slim and sultry, flattering and flared, and full of glamour. This season's looks have the royal air every bride deserves as she walks down the aisle
Image courtesy Kirstie Kelly
By no means are ball gowns left in the pixie dust. In fact, most designers can't afford not to create them for their collections. But, the trend toward narrower silhouettes has meant that the Princess Diana gown - a memory etched in the fantasizing minds of most Gen X females - has taken a back seat to more modern renderings inspired by Hollywood's royalty, a la actress Elizabeth Hurley, who wore a white goddess gown by Jenny Packham as one of many selections during her March 2007 nuptials to businessman Arun Nayar.
"These days, you don't want to overpower the bride and create more of a dress than she needs," says Justina McCaffrey, a couture bridal-dress designer based in Quebec, known for her understated styles with an elegant drape. "Now, she wants dresses that are more carefully cut without the stupid details, such as beading with no purpose or dumb bows for no reason."
The message isn't lost even on the world's greatest champion of princess lore. Walt Disney Co. began selling a line of bridal gowns designed by Kirstie Kelly in April in about 30 bridal boutiques, including prominent stores Kleinfeld, in New York, and Pasadena, Calif.-based Marylinn's Bridals & Tuxedos, with plans to branch out worldwide. Modeled after its most famous heroines - Cinderella, Jasmine, Snow White, Ariel and Sleeping Beauty - the 36 gowns are anything but over-the-top, save for the poufier Cinderella skirts. Instead, Ariel promotes a sultry allure with a silk charmeuse halter gown and Jasmine radiates bohemian chic in a strapless silk chiffon number.
"The main idea is to keep them as far away from a costumed look," Kelly says. "We're not recreating the costume but simply trying to embody the spirit of the princess."
Keeping it whimsical in a sexier fashion is the m.o. for a number of designers who are responding to bridal demands for more-fitted looks, such as the popular trumpet skirt. Both Allure Bridals in Memphis, Tenn., and New York-based Symphony Bridal Collections are touting dresses with mermaid flounces that flare out at the knee in strapless and halter styles. And, mermaid shapes are the big trend at Mon Cheri, says marketing assistant Dana Ressler, getting a boost from ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" season finale wedding in which Sandra Oh's character, Cristina, wore an Amsale mermaid gown.
"They fit and they flatter," says Linda Weiss, Symphony's owner. "Girls want to be sexy and show off their bodies." Getting in touch with her inner goddess also is easier this season as more designers trot out sheath-like styles that frame in elegance. Venezuelan-born designer Angel Sanchez liberally sprinkled his latest collection with empire bodice gowns in billowy fabrics.
For fall, J. Crew offers a long, lean dress in short sleeves and a straight dress rendered in swirling patterns of Swiss dot tulle, creating a fluttery, delicate effect. Budget-minded brides can buy taffeta retro sheath gowns and silk cowl dresses by Isaac Mizrahi for Target, a collection launched in May on the discounter's Web site.
"The No. 1 trend we're seeing is the glamorous Grecian," says Kathleen Murray, deputy editor of wedding Web site The Knot. "It's about flowing fabrics, very slim silhouettes that have a lot of movement and chiffon. The gowns look like they're floating down the runway."
Producing such an ethereal look for the bride's version of her red-carpet moment requires the graceful drape of lighter fabrics and a dose of lace, such as Angel Sanchez's use of layers in organza, gauze, metallic lace and hidden Chantilly lace to create the illusion of transparence. At Mon Cheri, the dresses incorporate chiffon and all-over lace, as well as lace appliqués scattered throughout the skirt. The body-conscious styles from Lynne Carter Bride, Irvine, Calif., borrow from the ballet with layered tulle in flounces and ruffles and the generous use of Chantilly lace as a layer over silk charmeuse.
Swoon-worthy fabrics are a must for brides, who this season also are exploring novel textures and treatments. Bridal designer Lela Rose is opting for matte fabrics without the shine, such as cotton and silk voile, cotton faille and Italian silk canvas, in her gowns, including an empire waist silhouette with cascading rosettes. A strapless gown crafted in silk shantung with a ruched bodice accented with a vintage broach is a highlight of Dallas-based Watters & Watters' collection.
These unconventional fabrics serve as the canvas for designers' masterpieces. "I use hand-embroidered techniques, and these type of fabrics allow that crafted quality to really show," Rose says.
To complete their works of art, designers are experimenting with ornamentation, especially on the back, and colorful hues as brides-to-be embrace alternative tones. Crystals sprinkled in butterfly shapes on the back highlight a Jenny Packham gown, while sequins jazz up a T-shirt dress by J. Crew. Lynne Carter even adds hand-beading to the tiniest of spaces - the 1/8-inch wide straps on her ballerina-styled gowns.
"It's like fairy dust on the shoulder," Carter says. "It's a more delicate approach, as if sunlight is bouncing off of her. We're adding sheen and shine, not just beading."
Pastels dominate the color palette, such as Lazaro's peachy princess ball gowns in silk satin, but jewel tones are making a dramatic entrance. Allure Bridals has added a burgundy taffeta gown to its collection and Sophia Tolli, the former head designer of Maggie Sottero, has launched a new fall collection of gowns not only in white but also amethyst and crystal blue.
And for the bride really looking to make a 21st-century statement, designers are offering styles showing more gams for those wanting to ditch the maxi silhouette. Edgardo Bonilla offers five short dresses in fuller styles with circle skirts and gathered tulle falling at the knee or at the mid-calf. By spring 2008, Allure Bridals also plans to roll out shorter looks. "For the past two years, we've been showing more short dresses," Bonilla says. "It all started with Jessica Parker, who wore so many short dresses on [HBO's] "Sex and the City." Our customers saw the show and saw the fun, and they're into second dresses. These make great dresses for rehearsal dinners, giving a preview of what's to come."
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