Titled Hotel Madrid Part Two, Vera Wang’s Fall 2016 bridal collection, picked up where her Spring line left off, in the Spain of flamenco dancers. But in place of last season’s streamlined styles, the 17 pieces in the new collection seemed to be a study in form. Silhouettes varied from the conventional—a long-sleeved shirtdress style with hand-appliquéd lace—to the subversive, in the form of a princess dress with a sheer bodice sitting atop layer upon layer of gossamer-thin tulle.
The ethos of the collection was clear: Wang wants her bride to feel sexy and sensual, with hints of the exotic. Every style came with detachable bows, and clever black corsets acted as a subtle nod to the costumes sported by toreadors. There were more traditional takes on dressing for the big day, including a made-to-order stunner featuring hand embroidery with pearl accents and an ostrich feather–trimmed skirt. But it was Wang’s one color option, in black, that truly captured the joie de vivre of Madrid with a flower-lined bubble hem.
