Imagine a bride walking through the garden of a grand Italian villa, her gown softly trailing behind her, reveling in a few magical pre-wedding moments alone. That feeling is precisely what Monique Lhuillier wanted to create with her new Fall bridal collection: “It’s about joy and romance, and I wanted to bring it to a storybook level,” she said. Each of the 17 gowns felt different and would help represent a bride’s individual style, but they were unified by details like exaggerated trains, dramatic draping, and luxurious textures.
Lhuillier’s love of flowers was “amplified,” as she put it. An ivory A-line gown with poet sleeves came in a colorful botanical and butterfly print; a trumpet gown was constructed from intricate guipure lace in a floral motif; and a tulle ballgown with a drop waist was covered in oversized, 3-D flower pompoms. To address the needs of a bride who wants more than one look for her wedding day, Lhuillier sprinkled in a few detachable boleros and jackets. Rather than appear as completely separate items, they blended in seamlessly with the dresses, so only the bride would know of their transformative properties. Elsewhere, Lhuillier updated her classic silhouettes with subtle plays on color, and for the bride who wants a more tailored look, a long-sleeved crepe sheath felt traditional with just a touch of edge.
