Dare to Dream
Melinda Looi’s new ‘Every Bride’ bridal campaign aims to inspire brides of all shapes and sizes
TATLER WEDDINGS: What inspired you to start designing wedding gowns? MELINDA LOOI: You could say it was a natural progression down the path of my career. I started the Melinda Looi Couture label in 2000, specialising in made-tomeasure evening gowns and cocktail dresses. These orders eventually branched out to include requests for wedding gowns as well. Thanks to increasing demand and the amazing support from my clients, in 2012 I finally started Melinda Looi Ivory, my eponymous bespoke wedding gown service.
TW: How did the idea for the ‘Every Bride’ bridal campaign begin and can you tell us a little more about it? ML: I wanted to try something different from the typical ‘posing models’ campaign shoot and go for something ‘real’ that every woman could relate to, hence the campaign name ‘Every Bride’. As a designer, it is important for me to recognise each bride-tobe as a unique individual with her own set of ideas, preferences, hopes and dreams, and yet one thing they all have in common is to wear the dress of their dreams as they walk down the aisle. As such, the campaign features a photo shoot with my past bridal clients of varying body shapes, from different backgrounds, in their own wedding dresses. All of them look equally beautiful in their gowns, even though they are all so different. That’s what I want to show to everyone—your dream wedding dress is one that conveys your personality and makes you look stunning and feel confident all at once.
The plan is to compile the photos and collect stories from each featured bride to be edited and printed in the form of pocket-size booklets distributed at our outlets. We also plan to take the ‘Every Bride’ campaign online, posting the images and stories, and interacting with other brides-to-be by encouraging them to share their thoughts and experiences in planning their weddings.
TW: What message are you hoping to convey to your customers and how do you think they will react to the campaign? ML: I want every bride to be inspired from this campaign and be brave to dream. I can see them sharing and discussing the pictures with their friends and family, saying something like, ‘Hey, my body type is similar to hers! She looks great in that dress—I never would have considered this dress for myself, but maybe I’ll give it a shot now!’
At the end of the day, I want brides to know that we are here to listen and understand their needs, and would love nothing more than to help make that dream dress a reality (like a modern-day fairy godmother!).
TW: How can you tell which wedding dress is suitable for a person? ML: I could go on about colour, silhouette, fabric, style and more but there are plenty of tips out there on how to select a dress that looks good on you. The right wedding dress will not only make you look amazing, but also exude a sense of confidence in you. You must feel comfortable in it and the last thing you would want to do on your wedding day is to spend time adjusting your strapless dress because you’re afraid it will fall off.
TW: What are the latest wedding gown trends, which you have included in your new designs? I have always been an avid user of lace in my work, so you can expect generous doses of it. Long-sleeved gowns are making waves as an alternative to strapless ones. I think they’re elegant, modest and modern too. Lastly, mermaid/bias-cut gowns have always been staples in my collections and I believe that their universally flattering silhouette will never go out of style.