Wedding dresses used to come in a variety of colours: ivory, eggshell, ecru, cream, blush. But now, bridal designers are adding new shades into the wedding dress colour palette. Bridal Fashion Week 2013 saw most of its designers send dresses down the aisle¦err¦runway in a rainbow of shades.
Blackout
Last year, Vera Wang shocked the bridal and fashion industry with her witchy 2012 collection of black wedding dresses. With distressed tulle, unfinished hems and deconstructed details, her collection was more witchcraft than wedding. Wang said she wanted to step outside-the-box with that collection, and there’s no doubt she started a trend. Since then, black wedding dresses have been featured on TV shows like Say Yes to the Dress and once again, the trend was seen during Bridal Fashion Week 2013.
Canadian designer Ines di Santo showed a black gown that featured a gothic embroidered overlay. Isaac Mizrahi’s collection showed how black can be done right: with sashes, black lace embroideries and overlays to accent white. Romona Keveza and Amsale both featured all-black gowns in sophisticated silhouettes. It takes a lot of guts to wear a black wedding dress, and the biggest problem is how to distinguish a black wedding gown from an evening dress. The best way to wear black on your wedding day is by incorporating it into your accessories or in the details of the dress. But if you’re confident daring enough, a bride can pull off anything on her special day.
Seeing red
Vera Wang may have sparked the black dress trend, but for her latest collection at Bridal Fashion Week 2013, striking hues of red, crimson and burgundy strutted down the catwalk. Wang’s signature layers of dreamy chiffon cascaded beautifully, and regally in red. Red dresses are a symbol of good luck in Eastern cultures, and Wang’s new collection is perfect for a bride looking to go with that tradition. But even if you’re not wearing red for tradition, crimson hues of red are perfect for a fall wedding or for a bride looking to make a statement.
Something blue
Many brides this year may choose to make their something blue something all-over. Oscar de la Renta’s latest bridal collection featured beautiful dresses with periwinkle and sky blue accents. One show-stopping dress featured tiers of powder-blue tulle, creating a retro look. Lazaro’s collection also featured a dreamy ball gown in a washed-out blue. Whether you embrace blue in a big way or subtly, the colour goes perfect with white.
Blushing bride
Blush pink might be considered a traditional wedding day colour, but now more than ever, muted pinks are popular for both bridal designers and brides-to-be. Lazaro is known for his tulle gowns in pale pink and sherbet, a delicate mix of pink and yellow. Carolina Herrera and Monique Lhuillier also showed classic gowns in pale pink shades. This look is perfect for a bride who embraces colour, but still wants a more traditional look for their wedding day.
