Bridal Fashion Week (also known as Bridal Market Week) hit New York this October 2015 and brought with it a flurry of breathtaking designs and trends for 2016 brides-to-be. Without question, planning your wedding is one of the most exciting times, but can also be stressful as you weed through all your options, especially when it comes to saying “Yes” to the dress.
Fear not, help has arrived as we sat exclusively with co-owners of Charlotte, NC-based, premier bridal boutique Ladies of Lineage, Natasha Duff-Cole and Jodene Pooler, to get their expert feedback and inside scoop on NYBW16. These gorgeous wedding gurus touched on everything you need to know—from the hottest trends of the season to their personal favorite designers. Your walk down the aisle just got a tad bit easier. You’re welcome!
Hottest Bridal Trends Direct From NYC Runways NYFBW
NEW THEORY MAGAZINE: What trends did you see on the runways for Spring and Fall 2016 brides?
LADIES OF LINEAGE: 2016 spring trends we observed included bridal suits, stone-washed shades, cropped tops, blushed colored dresses, and basic bateau. As we get into fall, there are a bevy of different trends we see including:
Airy skirts Light-as-air dresses took over the runways with tulles and organzas giving off an ethereal vibe. Seamless ball gowns as well as sheath silhouettes graced the runways with the romantic bride in mind.
Off-the-shoulder sleeves Just skimming the shoulder, these designs created a sexy but classic look. We fell in love with the Rosa Clara 2016 collection for this reason and couldn’t help but swoon over their rich textiles and fabrics that brought this trend to life.
Floral embellishments A new Lineage favorite are floral embellishments and 3-D floral appliqués, with none more effortless, romantic, and modern than the beautiful Marilyn design by Sassi Holford of London. Designers uniquely created 3-D floral embellishments peaking from under skirts, boldly stemming from fitted bodices, and uniquely appliquéd on paired veils.
Detachable skirts Detachable skirts make for a seamless outfit change. We like to consider it “Convertible Bridal,” a trend that started with Fall 2015 collections and clearly something brides are still loving. Creating two to three looks with one dress is a favorite of our Lineage brides and we love seeing this trend stick around for a while.
Sheer materials We must admit, the thought of “Naked Bridal” is a trend we were hoping would go away. However, having the incredible Don O’Neill from THEIA Couture explain his overall vision provided an inside look into this incredible trend that seems to be taking over the fashion and bridal world.
Strapless low sheer backs Lineage brides asked and they received. Everyone loves a low back but not all brides love straps or a sleeve. The two usually come hand in hand. Designers found a way to create a strapless design structurally secure enough to provide a low back with a hint of illusion and details. Our favorites come from Lis Simon Bridal. We’ll let the designs speak for themselves.
“My bride has lost all of her inhibitions, she’s free to wear what she wants, how she wants. I was inspired by 1920’s Chinese opium dens, so yes, it was a risk but a risk I felt paid off and was executed flawlessly.” —Don O’Neill, creative director of THEIA Couture.
IM: We don’t want you to pick favorites…but well, we do! We know all of the collections you viewed over the course of the week were amazing. But in your opinion who were the stand-out designers/collections you were privy to seeing?
LOL: It is hard to pick favorites. All of the designers truly put their hearts and souls into creating their collections. But some of the Fall 2016 standout designers that put us over the edge were:
THEIA Couture: Don O’Neill is a bridal genius. We often joke with our brides that it took a man to design a comfortable wedding gown for a woman. He never disappoints and this season was nothing short of perfection.
Rosa Clara Couture: Chanel anyone? Though it’s extremely hard to choose favorites within this collection, we couldn’t get enough of Rosa Clara’s Chanel-inspired wedding gown Desmond. Rosa Clara had to get the rights from Chanel to use their iconic tweed fabric for this gorgeous design.
Lis Simon Bridal: Though they haven’t made a huge name for themselves yet, we found ourselves purchasing 12 items from their 16-piece collection. Slightly obsessed with the incredible detailing, fabrics, and the fact that they gave our brides every silhouette and neckline that they were asking for. Lis Simon by far was our favorite complete collection at market this year.
Sassi Holford of London: Sassi Holford has been designing for over 30 years. There’s not a bride or royal highness in the U.K. that doesn’t know her name and we were lucky enough to pick up her collection shortly after she launched in the U.S. With rich textiles and impeccable detailing, Sassi never disappoints and is always on point, beginning the trend, never following. We fell in love with her separates this season and floral embellished design.
IM: Hearing all that makes me want to get married, now! When will brides able to find the newest designs in the Ladies of Lineage showroom?
LOL: We’re very excited for our Lineage brides as the new Fall 2016 bridal designs will begin hitting our showroom floor at the beginning of December. As for our AIRE Barcelona and Rosa Clara Couture collections, these designs are already here and our brides cannot get enough of them!
IM: Being experts in your field—you obviously know a thing or two about not only wedding dresses themselves, but best practices for the upcoming bride when purchasing her gown—what is the most valuable advice you can provide a bride-to-be?
LOL: It is such a magical time in your life…stay true to yourself. We recommend when bridal gown shopping bringing no more than three “opinions.” Everyone has a different style, look, and personality, but stay true to the look, style, and vision you have for your big day. Most importantly, come to your bridal appointment with a budget in mind and ask your consultant to only show you gowns under your price point and/or budget. There are beautiful designs in every price point, don’t stress over a brand, set your budget and stick to it. Last but not least, keep an open mind. Ninety percent of our brides walk in our doors with a vision of the dress they plan to wear on their wedding day and walk out wearing a design they never imagined was for them. Style consultants are there because they know their designers, they know how to dress your silhouette. Wedding gowns are not something you try on everyday (unless you work at Ladies of Lineage), trust your consultant!
IM: Let’s talk celebrity girl-bride-crush? In your opinion, what celebrity (regardless of their marital status to date) is your end-all-be-all bride?
LOL: We love any bride that stays true to herself and her personal style. Gwen Stefani will forever be our favorite bridal look. No celebrity or bride has ever stayed more true to her personality and Gwen’s Christian Dior gown, created by designer John Galliano made her our forever girl-bride-crush.
Ladies of Lineage is a premier source for couture bridal gowns and more. Located in the heart of Charlotte, NC, they service brides globally. Getting married soon? Make this your first stop (and for the record it will also be your last) and tell Natasha and Jodene we sent you!
Ladies of Lineage ~ 1419 East Boulevard ~Charlotte, NC 28203 ~704.547.4208 ~LadiesOfLineage.com ~@LadiesOfLineage ~ [email protected]
Photos courtesy of Ladies of Lineage
Show Comments
Roandliz Castaneda
This is a great read from a fantastic bridal salon! Thank you for an outstanding article!
Comments are closed.