When you think of designers who have mastered the art of the wedding gown, Vera Wang will probably be the first name that comes to your mind. Perhaps the most well-known designer in the bridal industry, she has spent over three decades delivering what brides want, and has developed a unique viewpoint that reflects the changes that have taken place in wedding traditions since she started out.
“We are in a new era of weddings now,” she tells me. “Being a fashion designer – and I really don’t consider myself a bridal designer, but a fashion designer who focuses on bridal, I feel that this same attitude that happens in fashion – we always want our collections to reflect what is happening in the world, in the street.”
Wang has seen tradition go out of the window for many brides when it comes to how they choose to celebrate, but also what they choose to wear. This has been a slow-burning trend for decades, but the pandemic certainly had an impact, she says.
“I think that after Covid, there is even more joy in weddings. There has been such an influx of optimism because people can actually celebrate together again. There is a real celebratory mood for a party, but this is also definitely reflected in terms of the bride and her fashion sense, who she wants to be and what she wants to express.”
Courtesy of Pronovias
“Right now, there is a sense of energy,” she adds. “I see a sense of freedom and even entitlement that was perhaps ignored in previous decades, and I think that is extremely powerful.”
Freedom in terms of bridal style comes in many different ways, but one of the clearest trends Wang has seen is brides choosing to forgo those expected traditions for something they feel more comfortable in.
“I was actually very influenced by the way Hailey Bieber wore my dress with trainers for her afterparty – I loved how she did that. For years, I’ve seen brides want to take their shoes off at that point in the night, they just want to have fun, be free, celebrate – and that is the attitude that I have tried to emulate in my recent collection and campaign.”
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Reflecting on this move away from the once inflexible wedding structure, Wang has used her second collection with Pronovias to embrace freedom. “I want to portray this energy and sense of fun – they’re married and just joyful, energetic and partying with their friends. When I started out, weddings like this did not exist – it was always so much more formal, and so this is definitely a change in attitude that I have seen.”
This collection features 54 designs, all of which embrace that red-carpet glamour that Wang is so well-known for, but injected with a sense of freedom: “It’s about skin. It’s about fun. It’s about everything that I think young people are feeling right now.”
Courtesy of Pronovias
Courtesy of Pronovias
While the Pronovias gowns certainly sit at a much lower price point than her main collection, Wang says that this is by no means a lesser line. “In terms of design, thought, influence, this collection is special.” And there is something for everyone – she wants to make sure every bride has an opportunity to find her own path.
“I think that in the 30 plus years that I’ve been doing weddings, I’ve always tried to encourage brides to embrace their own individuality. I’ve always found this to be the most important thing because so frequently, brides will fall into what they think is correct, or what they think they should wear. I’ve always gone against that.”
Courtesy of Pronovias
That being said though, some brides really have no idea where to start. Wang’s advice? Get out there. “If you really aren’t sure what you are looking for, just go into a store and start trying things on. Just go for it, try on dresses, start the process.”
“I have clients from Hollywood that come to me expecting to want something really specific and often, they’ll end up liking something completely different. You could have someone coming in thinking they want something really modern, really out there, and then they end up with something very traditional. Nobody actually knows what they want on their wedding day until they’ve tried on a few dresses – I think you really have to go through the process.”
Courtesy of Pronovias
When starting out, another concern that a lot of brides have is that they want to wear something current, but they don’t want it to look dated in a few years. There are always fears that anything too modern may quickly feel the opposite when you look at photos a decade on, but Wang thinks being current is what makes a look timeless.
“I actually think it’s all about reflecting the sense of time you’re in. Take Grace Kelly for example, people always refer to her wedding as being so beautiful, and I think what made it so was because it really reflects that era. I think reflecting that is actually what makes wedding photos stand the test of time.”
Courtesy of Pronovias
Ultimately, your wedding dress is all about you – don’t overthink it, choose something that really makes you feel comfortable and reflects who you are.
“The most important factor for me is whether the bride looks like herself. If you’re very edgy, that is who you are, and that is who you should be on your wedding day. If you’re classic and conservative, be that. I don’t think you should ever feel the pressure to be anything else.
“My entire career, I have wanted to give women options so that they can be themselves – everybody is different. I think that individuality is what makes weddings today so much more interesting than they’ve ever been – people aren’t conforming as much and that’s wonderful.”
Vera Wang’s second collection for Pronovias is available to shop now.
