Seven seems to be Shawne Jacobs’s lucky number: That was the count of winning gowns in her curated Spring 2020 collection for Anne Barge. But there may have been more variety in this small edit than in larger shows past: Like Snow White revived by a kiss, the bridal market is starting to stir, and Jacobs is moving her brand forward.
Some of this change has been instigated by brides. Jacobs reports that while her clients may not end up wearing sleeved dresses, they’re all asking to try them. She thinks this could be explained by Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding looks. Or maybe after seeing “all of their girlfriends get married in strapless gowns,” they simply want a more individual look. Though there was only one long-sleeved dress in Jacobs’s lineup for Spring, she is experimenting with different necklines and bodices (even allowing corset boning to modestly peek through). She’s also offering a trio of stunning “accessories.” These took the form of a shawl-collared wedding coat and two bridal capes: a wispy cold-shoulder number in tulle and a stunning off-the-shoulder style with airy puffed sleeves. The latter was made of floral brocade and styled over a lace dress for a pretty play of textures, something that was also found on a dress with a romantic, detachable overskirt. Both pieces came in tulle and were embellished with Alençon lace and white velvet “vines.”
Bridal white, by the way, has had some competition of late from blush, a hue that’s been embraced by bridal designers. Jacobs used it under ivory tulle for Spring. Having said “Yes way, rosé,” she also went out on a limb and included a clean-lined ball-skirted dress in an unforgettable steel-blue mikado scuba.
