Now that the dust has settled from Bridal Fashion week, with each designer declaring their design blueprint for the coming seasons, its time to discuss what we learned.  This year I had the pleasure of sitting in on the majors as well as taking in a few newbies, a few already established designers new to the bridal market or the birth of wedding dress designers all together.  As a whole, presentations came in a variety of styles from showroom appointments to grand presentations with commentary direct from the designer personally, notable as each way of showcasing a collection says a lot about it.

To say it was a world of hand embroidery, exotic laces, floral appliques & tulle would be redundant as it is bridal we are talking about after all and we know what its bones will always be made of.  Notably absent from just about every collection was statement color.  Blush, cafe au lait & mocha hues have officially worked their way into each collection for the last so many seasons, so to see them now is no longer a jolting surprise.  On a personal front I would have loved to have seen more bold colors trotting down the runway, especially when it is spring collections that are being shown, a season that is easily the most colorful & vibrant.  Non-traditional wedding dresses are finding a homes more and more as today’s bride grows to take weddings far more personal, wanting to express every bit of their personalities, right down to the fashion.  Perhaps Bridal Fashion Week Fall 2016 will bring it home in the color department…

Three things were abundantly clear in the future of bridal fashion, separates are here and they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, backs are the new cleavage, and sheer fabrics are a detail point all their own.  Separates popped up in more then one collection, from those that offered the idea of two pieces while baring no skin, to those that made it abundantly clear offering a glimpse of separation between the pieces.  As the idea of bridal separates is jarring enough, for now, each was design light, simplistic yet chic.

Mira Zwillinger Wedding Dress SS16  (4) Mira Zwillinger Wedding Dress SS16  (5)

Mira Zwillinger Spring Summer 2016 Short Wedding Dress Separates 

Lakum Wedding Dress Separates Lakum Wedding Dress Separates 1

Lakum Wedding Dress Separates

The second trend most certainly present in each collection was the utter power & beauty that is back.  Be it those of an illusion style, designs that bared it all or those with a bold detail point that made it stand out, from keyholes to gem thin straps, the back is it and it could not possibly make for a more sensual & beautifully feminine bride.  While each designer had their own take, it was Monique Lhuillier who pushed the back lines the farthest creating works of art out of the female form.

Monique_Lhuillier_Spring_Summer_Bridal_Collection_10-lv Monique_Lhuillier_Spring_Summer_Bridal_Collection_10-rv

Monique_Lhuillier_Spring_Summer_Bridal_Collection_9-lv Monique_Lhuillier_Spring_Summer_Bridal_Collection_9-rv

Monique Lhuillier Spring Summer 2016 Illusion Back Wedding Dress

Back Detail Wedding Dress Sareh Nouri Ingrid Back Detail Wedding Dress Sareh Nouri Ingrid Back View

Sareh Nouri Spring Summer 2016 Wedding Dress

 

Back Detail Wedding Marchesa SS16 Back Detail Wedding Marchesa SS16 Back View

Marchesa Spring Summer 2016 Wedding Dress

Stone Fox Bride Long Sleeve Wedding Dress Open Back Angel Sanchez SS16 Wedding Dress Ballgown

HONOR for Stone Fox Bride Open Back Wedding Dress, Angel Sanchez Illusion Back Wedding Dress Ballgown

Sheer fabrics are the last piece of the design puzzle for Bridal Fashion Week Spring Summer 2016 collections, as a main inspiration for unique & intricate designs within the dress itself.  Not only were stunningly sheer fabrics used to craft these gorgeous open back focal points, see through fabrics were used with careful thought taken to the design details of the fabric itself, creating art all their own.  Special attention was paid to the placement of each detail and where it fell upon the body itself, felt most in Mira Zwillinger’s collection, a personal favorite overall.

Mira Zwillinger Wedding Dress SS16  (1) Mira Zwillinger Wedding Dress SS16  (2)

Mira Zwillinger Wedding Dress SS16  (7) Mira Zwillinger Wedding Dress SS16  (8)

Mira Zwillinger Spring Summer 2016 Wedding Dress Collection

Each collection had its own highlights though no structural groundbreaking shapes to knock us off our seats this season were offered up.  Two notable styles that did break a touch with tradition were Jenny Packham’s show opening caped wedding dress gem in signature Packham style, something I would wear daily if I could & Angel Sanchez’s flowy wide leg pants that drew gasps of pleasure from all in attendance.  All in all, everything was pretty, sparkly & feminine, expected in the world of bridal fashion.  Its not that I was disappointed per say I guess I just expected more, I suppose I always will…   Hears to hoping some earth shattering bridal trends are in the works for the collections yet to come!

Angel Sanchez Wedding Dress Pants Jenny Packham Cape Wedding Dress