Inspired by modern women who live in diverse cities and diverse cultures, Justin Alexander used this inspiration to explore graphic silhouettes juxtaposed with soft textures and floral embroideries, creating a modern collection that transcends tradition.
By naming each bridal garment after a specific international city, Justin Alexander solidly designated what each garment was suppose to conjure up. Not an easy task, but Alexander rose to this challenge.
In this collection Jason Alexander had the arduous task of finding that delicate balance between keeping the collection market viable and expanding his design aesthetic beyond just beautiful bridal gowns. In an ever-expanding bridal market that is faced with over saturation, bridal designers are challenged to increase their bridal demographic while at the same time staying true to their vision and core audience. With this fall 2019 collection, Justin Alexander does just that!!
This collection was very sophisticated, exquisitely designed and combined the classic with the cutting edge. And one has to add, that the styling in this collection was of the highest quality.
Though Alexander has elevated his design aesthetic in this collection with several bridal looks that caused bridal editors hearts to quicken, there is a concern that this collection might not have as much market value as previous collections. Still, there were some garments that will have wide market appeal. And because this was a fall/winter collection, Alexander appropriately include some fur or fur-like embellishments.
Images courtesy of Jason Alexander
Standout looks in this collection include straight clean silk Mikado dress with flare back, ostrich feather skirt ball gown with V-neckline, allover beaded jumpsuit, Venice lace-embroidered ball gown, and bateau neckline geometric beaded fit-and-flare dress with keyhole back.—William S. Gooch
There are too many superlatives about Ines di Santo bridal than can be described. However, without gushing here are a few. Her bridal designs are stunning, innovative, thoughtful, and above all, consumer ready and market friendly, particularly if the bride has deep pockets.
Ines di Santo enhanced her exquisite bridal collection by launching her first jewelry collection that was made its debut on the fall 2019 runway. Partnered with Ciner, a 125–year old, family-owned jewelry company known for its attention to detail. Ines di Santo’s Fairytale Collection was inspired by illustrations from “East of the Sun; West of the Moon.” The jewelry featured pavè stones, antique glass flowers, and birds freed from their cages on a range of exquisite rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. Additionally, the models in the fall 2019 show wore crystal-heeled shoes, The Diego Dolcini footwear, inspired by Baccarat, the quintessential French crystal maker.
What also can be said about this bridal collection is that the bridal gowns displayed in this collection is for the bride that wants to make a big statement with her gown selection. These gowns in this collection are chosen casually, these gowns should be collected for the bride that is planning a well-thought out bridal ceremony. And there is a reason for that. Ines di Santo’s gowns are for brides that have deep pockets and many of these gowns can be passed on as legacy or heirloom gowns.
One thing that can be said about Gracy Accad, she always includes a pretty wide demographic in her bridal collections. And there’s lots of variety of bridal garments for Accad’s ever-expanding bridal customer.
“Through this collection, I south to represent their influence, whether through sheer feats of craftsmanship, or dramatic re-embroidered laces. Frothy gowns of Italian tulle move like the romantic whisper of a poem, while silk taffeta coats billow as if aerated by a soprano’s bravura,” explained Gracy Accad.
It was in with the old and out with the new at New York International Bridal Week this season. Bridal often plays on two themes, the beautiful white dress, as is the gold standard, and the whimsical, often creating fairytale like gowns making women feel as close to a princess as possible. Many designers were even inspired by Meghan Markle’s wedding dress when she married Prince Harry this past spring.
The standout pieces from the collection this season were the graffiti jumpsuits, that were something never seen before from the brand, and looked like they could have fit in right at New York Fashion Week in the ready-to-wear collections of Jeremy Scott and Johnson Hartig of Libertine. This was Rita Vinieris’ bid for a younger, hip customer who goes against the grain. She’s a party girl with a penchant for the colorful, who doesn’t hide her light under a bushel. It was a great creative approach on the designer’s part, without trying to look like she was desperate to court a younger customer.
For her fall 2019 collection, Rime Arodaky looked to the dance world for inspiration. This has been done before—Gracy Accad looked to the dance world for inspiration for her bridal collection last season, even holding her runway show at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center.
Where bridal pundits might contend that this collection does not have a lot of retail value because Arodaky centered the collection on fantasy bridal garments over what would sell. Fashion Reverie disagrees. It is true that there were lots of nontraditional bridal garments in this collection, and some are the pieces could be a hard sell. However, there is a consumer for many of the pieces in this collection. And the bridal industry needs to embrace bridal designers that are creating collections that go beyond traditional bridal fare.
There are several things that standout about THEIA bridal, still there are two primary things that come to mind, the brand always comes up with something new and innovative, and the brand never disappoints. THEIA’s fall 2019 is no exception.
Now, the options in the collection are quite broad. From sequined joggers to a lace boat neck gown with long, statement sleeves to sparkling, fitted ball gowns, THEIA has something very every type of bride. From the guipure embroidery, majestic crepes, or luscious liquid satins, to dreamy tulles or classic faille ball skirts, the choices are almost endless.
For those that are familiar with Inbal Dror’s bridal collection, what is most obvious is Inbal’s penchant for designing beautiful bridal garments that are always on trend, but also expand the proverbial bridal envelope. Though some bridal pundits might be taken amiss or be slightly disturbed by the sheerness of several of the garments in Inbal Dror’s bridal collections, be aware that many of the sheer looks are for runway appeal—in fact, they are an editor’s dream—and that an extra layer or lining will be employed once those bridal garments hit the retail market.
If there was one drawback in this outing was Dror’s continued use of vintage lace embellishments that can sometimes make some garments look a little matronly. And occasionally those lace embellishments paired with ruffles created a disjointed mélange of an inchoate vision unrealized. Still, the effortlessness and calm and tranquility of the Mediterranean Sea did come through.
Alice + Olivia’s Stacey Bendet used international locations as inspiration for the brand’s spring 2019. Entitled “Wonderland,” Bendet takes her consumer to Paris, Marrakech, Positano, Tokyo, Provence, Careyes, and the fairytale location of “Wonderland.” And Bendet built sets that highlighted all these international locations with garments also reflecting said locations.
True to form, Bendet stayed with the Boho chic signature design aesthetic of Alice + Olivia. Bendet expands this signature design aesthetic to that of an international jet setter whose wardrobe is very travel friendly. There are lots of shirt dresses with lace trimmings, handkerchief skirts, halter dresses, and crop tops. Additionally, Bendet digitally printed classic monuments and cultural iconography from some of the international locations on skirts, tops and some jackets.
Marcel Ostertag has presented his collections six times at New York Fashion Week: The Shows (NYFWS). Unlike many designers from across the Big Pond that show one or two times at NYFWS and for some reason don’t get the market traction that’s expected and then call it quits, Marcel Ostertag has stayed the course. And this strategy is starting to pay off.
In this spring 2019 collection, Ostertag was also inspired by the music and fashion style of the 1970s. The high-waisted, pleated pants and sequined bell sleeve tops, as well as the various takes on the ubiquitous wrap-dress in particular give a nod to 70’s silhouette throughout the collection. Although this 70s reference is very strong and quite dominant throughout the spring 2019 collection, Ostertag makes this collection fresh and very current while touches of Ostertag’s signature aesthetic.
‘MUSE’ is a joyful explosion of yellows, blues, lavenders, oranges and nudes that was summed up perfectly in his Rainbow sweater; a cashmere crew comprising of over 24 shades of brightly colored yarn. Other highlights of the show were the over embroidered and beaded pants, Iris printed charmeuse ruffle tiered gown, and the blush sequined mesh top. Standouts from the men’s capsule collection were the oversized color-blocked cashmere hoodie and Fuji silk jumpsuit (as well as a wildly editorial, but ultimately niche version in blush micro sequins). 
If there is one drawback to this collection, it would be that this spring 2019 collection is heavy on garments that are more of an industry professionals’ love or aesthetic, particularly fashion stylists, than something that translates well to American consumers. While a decade ago that was a good thing with fashion editors and fashion industry professionals have more of an influence over consumers’ taste, those days have long past!!
Libertine creative director, Johnson Hartig has made his feelings on the current state of politics clear. He’s no fan of the current political administration, and he even once said that the state of the fashion industry reminds him of Trumpism, less than promising. However, Hartig has not let that stop him from churning out his usual maximalist, colorful, eye-popping collections. For his spring 2019 collection, Hartig didn’t leave his fans disappointed.
There is something that sees almost universal about Libertine’s collections and the brand’s coterie of followers; followers that be easily spotted in Libertine’s eclectic mix of fabrications and silhouettes. Libertine’s collections are not for those shrinking violets or self-conscious folks looking to hide their fashion glory under a bush.
Each season at the brand’s runway shows, Libertine gifts all their seated attendees a kit of stickers, often used to adorned things like cellphones and electronics. These same stickers appeared on the models arms and legs this season, with Hartig showing us a way to wear his sticker art alongside his fashion creations.
It’s always a statement at Libertine, from the mixed-maxi patterns, to the heavily decorated jackets, and even the smoking baby print featured on jackets and blazers. Hartig has this approach about making a statement about consumerism without really making a statement about consumerism. For Hartig, particularly in this spring 2019 collection, more is more, a comment on capitalist excessiveness.
