A WEDDING gown is not just cloth at all. More than a testimony of love’s vivacity, it is an expression of the beginning of a lifelong journey. The bride must revel in the treasure’s glory.
Last June 13 and 14, the public had a peek at the wedding gown collection of Cebu’s leading designers at Radisson Blu’s Weddings at the Blu Bridal Fair, which happened at the Northwing Atrium of SM City Cebu. The designers talked about their creations and how an essential element a gown is to the bride.
Angela Dado
“This elegant wedding gown was made with minimal but intricate and dainty floral bead works that accent the front and back of the bodice. Its shirred straps that extend to the back waistline frame the decorative piece at the back. The sheer tulle back bodice shows off a bit of the bride’s skin and at the same time emphasizes the beaded floral decor. Molded from layers and layers of tulle to achieve the softness of the form, it was created with the young ‘princess’ bride in mind.
For me, the wedding gown is an expression of the bride’s character which shows her personality. It should be comfortable to wear physically but also psychologically, meaning it is supposed to make her feel very special on the big day. That is why it is very important for me to listen not only to my guts as a designer but also to what the bride has to say regarding what she actually wants.”
Dexter Alazas
“Alazas Atelier 2016 will introduce colored gowns for brides aside from my signature designs in the past using blush shades of pink, blue, green and a lot of monochromatic color tones. For this season, I’m introducing shades of gray as part of my first Signature Style Series Collection. As color matters on photos, I want my brides to not look traditional. I make sure no pattern is repeated as I re-introduce customized embroidery to every bridal gown. I do love the classic look but it should have a modern contemporary touch to it.”
Lord Maturan
“A wedding gown is but the realization of sweet dreams and beautiful nightmares. That’s how important it is. Ever since I’ve become a bridal designer, I’ve kept track of my gowns by giving those names, either derived from emotions or sometimes the names of my brides. This one is called Nerma, my mom’s name.
This design is specially tailored for the event. It’s a sleeveless, waist-cut, custom embroidered and crystallized bodice with voluminous, random-rose-petal and tiered ruffle skirt for ages. It is made of soft tulle for the bodice which anchors the embroidery custom designed according to the figure of the wearer. The skirt part is made of chiffon, organza and tulle bias strips put together to come up with a textured finish for the skirt.
This gown is inspired by the modern woman which is in all sense just like my mother. Nerma is a lovely irony between vulnerability and empowerment.”
Philip Rodriguez
“The name of the gown is Hazel. It’s a new piece especially made for a client. I drew inspiration from her delicate, subtle, romantic, fragile and yet strong character. The gown is made of yards and yards, layers upon layers of illusion tulle to achieve lightness and flattery effect of the skirt. Embroidered lace subtly fully beaded was appliqued in the bodice as well as in the skirt down to the train. Swarovski crystals as well as opal stones were used to embellish and highlight the design.
The design is very important as this will be her most important walk of her life. For me, it’s the responsibility of the designer to absorb and distill the designs and aspirations of the bride to ensure that it will be the most flattering to the celebrant.”
Mary Ty
“I wanted something that’s as overwhelming as the feeling the bride gets when she walks down the aisle. So I decided to make a skirt that’s 120 inches in diameter and finished it off with a beautiful lace scalloped hemline. The gown was crafted from hand-stitched lace applique embellished with white acrylic stones with off white tulle skirt. The top design is for sale but the skirt was specifically made for the event
The gowns design doesn’t need to just look beautiful. It has to be really comfortable. There will always be a way to design the gown and not compromise comfort.
Weddings happen only once, so the dress should not be a reason for the bride not to enjoy one of the most important days of her life.”
Weddings at the Blu Bridal Fair also featured the gown designs of Dino Lloren, Jun Escario and Philip Tampus.