There was barely 24 hours between the last day of the Spring 2019 ready-to-wear season and the first day of Fall 2019 bridal week. It’s natural to try to compare the two, but these worlds couldn’t be more different; on the Spring runways, designers contemplated gender fluidity and politics, whereas most bridal collections are rooted in fantasy and have quite traditional ideas about femininity. For the bride who hasn’t spent her whole life dreaming about her wedding and doesn’t want to get married in a ball gown, the market can be a little intimidating—if not a complete turnoff.
But at least there’s Lela Rose! At her party in the Jefferson Market Garden (complete with Dominique Ansel treats and fresh cocktails, as always), she went so far as to call some of her dresses “casual”—not in a jeans-and-T-shirt way, but in bridal terms, an unstructured, unlined guipure lace gown with a deep-V neckline and self-tie straps is seriously low-key. Rose pointed out another midi dress in the same ivory lace, but with touches of pink and cream here and there so it almost looked antique. Another lean, strapless gown was as no-frills as it gets, save for the detachable satin bow in the back; wear it down the aisle to say “I do,” then ditch it for the reception.
There were a few A-line gowns, too, because Rose caters to a variety of brides—but the common denominator is always a sense of ease. The girl who chooses the lacy tulle gown with a ruffle at the hem will probably wear it with a sleek bun and kitten heels, not stilettos and a pile of diamonds. The other standouts—a long-sleeved lace gown with a square neckline and a tea-length fil coupé dress with a tulle ruff around the shoulders—spoke to Rose’s real niche: dresses that are neither too minimal nor too frothy. They’re for the bride with simple, elegant taste who still wants her dress to feel fun—because the wedding itself definitely will be.
