Bridal trendspotting — black accents, all-over beading
NEW YORK The recent round of spring 2018 bridal shows pointed to a turn back to tradition, sometimes with modern twists, along with plenty of options in silhouettes.
Black accents were plentiful and jewelry seemed to be mostly about the neck. Formal gloves were back and statement shoes went on the rise.
Some highlights:
___ BLACK FOR BRIDES
Vera Wang once went with a collection of black dresses, but there hasn’t been a lot of black in bridal since, said Shelley Brown, fashion director for the wedding site TheKnot.com.
This season, the colour seeped back in, mostly as an accent, she said.
Reem Acra was inspired, in part, by the colour for her 20th-anniversary show in collaboration with Tiffany & Co., playing with black as an ode to Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” at the iconic jewelry house’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue.
“She started the show off with a bunch of black evening gowns that can also be ordered in white. Throughout the show she had black bows and different kinds of black accents,” Brown said.
Acra, herself, said of the colour: “Black is an accent to the luxury world.”
At Marchesa, there were also a lot of black bows, black earrings and furry, feathery black shoes. Bridal designer Kelly Faetanini sent a black ostrich-feather ball gown down her runway.
“That trend really jumped out at us because black isn’t usually a colour you associate with bridal, but done the way it was done this season, it felt very romantic and elegant,” Brown said. “I think black accents are a classic way to make a statement.”
Black, she said, when done right, can also lend a modern, edgy feel to brides looking to go in that direction.
___ BEADING AND SEQUINS
“I noticed a return of allover beading,” Brown said. “That embellishment has obviously been a bridal staple for a really long time, but I haven’t seen over-the-top beaded dresses in a while and I noticed a lot of those came down the runway.”
There was beaded fringe, art deco beading and all-over pearls and sequins, she said, and fewer sexy, nearly nude dresses.
Lela Rose, for instance, showed an off-the-shoulder gown with a wide neckline that was adorned with pearls, along with a gown nearly covered in them.
“You could actually hear it as it moved on the runway,” Brown said. “Pearls are having a ready-to-wear moment, too.”
Jenny Packham, Naeem Khan and Pronovias, which recently showed in Barcelona, Spain, along with Justin Alexander, rolled out all-over beading, Brown said. The brand Theia went a step further with looks completely inspired by pearls in shimmery gowns and embellishment.
“They felt even red-carpet appropriate,” Brown said.
SHORT VERSUS LONG GOWNS
Brown notes a swing back to a more traditional floorlength hemline in gowns after short looks and even pantsuits shared a moment several seasons ago.
“There’s definitely been a return to more classic silhouettes. We saw a lot more ball gowns, a lot more classic Aline dresses and even oversize-bow details that just felt so traditionally bridal,” Brown said.
While black popped, so did white in a range of shades, said designer Monique Lhuillier.
“White looks right again. It feels new and timeless at the same time. I really embraced that this season,” she said.