Retailer Picks

OUR RETAIL MEMBERS GIVE US THEIR TOP PICKS FROM THE NEW YORK MARKET.

 

BRIDAL GALLERIA

1) WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE COLLECTION?

INES DI SANTO WAS TERRIFIC. SHE WAS ABLE TO CAPTURE THE FINE LINE BETWEEN BEAUTY AND SEXY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, SHE STAYED TRUE TO HER POINT OF VIEW. NOT AN EASY FEAT AS THE INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO JUMP ON THE “SEXY” BANDWAGON. HER NEW DIFFUSION LINE INES BY INES DI SANTO WAS AN IMPORTANT ADDITION, MAKING HER DISTINCTIVE LOOK ACCESSIBLE TO MORE BRIDES.

2) WHAT TRENDS DID YOU SEE?

• LEGS, LEGS AND MORE LEGS! DESIGNERS ARE USING SLITS, SHEER SKIRTS AND HI-LOW HEMS TO SHOWCASE BEAUTIFUL LEGS AND SHOES.
• SUPER LOW OR SHEER BACKS: RATHER THAN SHOWING CLEAVAGE, DRAMATIC BACKS ARE IN!
• OVERSKIRTS AND DETACHABLE TRAINS: LOVE THE VERSATILITY OF CREATING TWO DIFFERENT LOOKS.
• SLEEVES AND SHOULDER COVERAGE: DESIGNERS ARE FINDING BEAUTIFUL WAYS TO CREATE SUBTLE YET SENSUAL SLEEVE AND SHOULDER TREATMENT.

3) WHAT TREND DO YOU THINK IS OVER?

THE PANDORA BOX OF “SEXY” HAS BEEN OPENED FOR BRIDAL GOWNS FOR SOME TIME AND WILL LIKELY STAY TO SOME DEGREE. HOWEVER, AS MORE DESIGNERS INTERPRET THAT LOOK, THE OVERTLY “NAKED” DRESSES WILL GIVE WAY TO A MORE REFINED LOOK WITH SUBTLE COVERAGE. 

4) WHAT IS YOUR CUSTOMER ASKING FOR?

OUR BRIDES ARE LOOKING FOR THE “WOW’ FACTOR. WHETHER IN VERY SIMPLE OR ORNATE GOWNS, THEY WANT A DRESS THAT HAS SOMETHING SPECIAL – IN FABULOUS FIT, UNIQUE STYLING, COOL BACKS OR TRAINS, ETC. INTERESTINGLY, AS MUCH AS SOCIAL MEDIA HAS PROMOTED TRENDS, SOME OF OUR BRIDES ARE STARTING TO PUSH BACK AGAINST DRESSES OR LOOKS THAT ARE OVERLY EXPOSED ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

5) WHAT ARE YOU BUYING?

I’M STILL WORKING ON IT! AS BUYERS, OUR JOB IS TO CURATE THE BEST OF THE MARKET. THERE IS AN UNLIMITED FLOW OF NEW DESIGNERS TO THE MARKET, SO IT’S A DELICATE BALANCE OF FINDING NEW TALENT, WHILE STAYING LOYAL PARTNERS TO OUR CURRENT DESIGNERS. IT’S NEVER AN EASY TASK…

BRIDAL REFLECTIONS

1) WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE COLLECTION?

WE SAW SO MANY WONDERFUL COLLECTIONS, BUT ONE THAT STOOD OUT THIS YEAR WAS THE INES DI SANTO COLLECTION. IT WAS FILLED WITH SOFT ROMANTIC LOOKS WITH FEMININE DETAILS AND LACES. ALL OF THE NEW DESIGNS HIGHLIGHT THE THEMES OF "LOVE" AND "NEW BEGINNINGS" THAT ARE THE FOCUS OF A WEDDING.

2) WHAT TRENDS DID YOU SEE?

WE SAW A LOT OF SOFT, FLOWING, WHIMSICAL GOWNS.  ALSO, A-LINE SILHOUETTES, LONG SLEEVES AND BEADED AND LACE SHEER BODICES WITH V-NECKLINES WERE POPULAR. SATIN GOWNS ARE ALSO MAKING A BIG COMEBACK. THE TWO-PIECE GOWN - A GOWN WITH A TRAIN OVERLAY - IS BIGGER THAN EVER.

3) WHAT TREND DO YOU THINK IS OVER?

WE DON’T REALLY THINK THAT THERE ARE ANY TRENDS THAT ARE OVER. FROM WHAT WE SAW WE BELIEVE THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.  THE DIVERSE STYLES WERE A HIGHLIGHT OF THIS YEAR'S BRIDAL MARKET.

4) WHAT IS YOUR CUSTOMER ASKING FOR?

OUR CUSTOMERS ARE ASKING FOR GLAMOROUS AND TRADITIONAL GOWNS WITH A-LINE AND FIT AND FLARE SILHOUETTES WITH LONG SLEEVES. ALSO, SOFT AND DELICATE LACES ARE BECOMING MORE REQUESTED.

5) WHAT ARE YOU BUYING?

WE ARE BUYING GOWNS WITH BATEAU NECKLINES, LONG SLEEVES, CAP SLEEVES, A-LINE SILHOUETTES AND ALSO SATIN GOWNS. WE ARE ALSO REPLENISHING OUR CLASSIC STYLES.

CHIC PARISIEN

1) WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE COLLECTION?

MY FAVORITE COLLECTION THIS SEASON WAS MONIQUE LHUILLIER. I FEEL SHE STAYED VERY TRUE TO HERSELF AND HER AESTHETIC. THE GOWNS WERE  FEMININE AND LIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL. 

2) WHAT TRENDS DID YOU SEE?

THERE WAS MANY DIFFERENT SHADES OF PINKS AND BLUSH. FROM VERY LIGHT TO A FAIRLY DARK. ALSO, SEXY GOWNS MADE A VERY STRONG SHOWING THIS SEASON AS WELL AS OVER-SKIRTS. 

3) WHAT TREND DO YOU THINK IS OVER?

THE COLORED SASH SEEMS TO BE DONE FOR NOW. 

4) WHAT IS YOUR CUSTOMER ASKING FOR?

THE BRIDES ARE ASKING FOR LOW BACKS, LOW BACKS AND LOW BACKS. ANYTHING THAT HAS A 'BARELY THERE' DETAIL ON THE BACK IS ON TREND.

5) WHAT ARE YOU BUYING?

I  MAINTAIN A BALANCED MERCHANDISE MIX SO I BUY A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING. I BUY FOR EVERY KIND OF GIRL AND EVERY TYPE OF WEDDING. FROM THE ULTRA CONSERVATIVE TO THE ULTRA SEXY.

JOAN PILLOW

1) WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE COLLECTION?

MIRA ZWILLINGER, A MOTHER-DAUGHTER TEAM FROM ISRAEL.

2) WHAT TRENDS DID YOU SEE?

MANY  GOWNS THIS SEASON WERE NOT STRAPLESS. OFF THE SHOULDER, POPULAR IN READY TO WEAR, WAS ALSO VERY VISIBLE IN BRIDAL. NAEEM KAHN, PETER LANGNER, ANNA MAIER AS WELL AS NEW-TO-BRIDAL SACHIN & BABI SHOWED GOWNS WITH THIS NECKLINE.  IT IS SO FLATTERING TO MOST BODY TYPES.  V-NECK GOWNS AND HALTER GOWNS WERE ALSO IN THE MIX. FABRIC BOWS WERE PLENTIFUL. I KNOW MANY GIRLS, REGARDLESS OF AGE, LOVE THEM.

3) WHAT TREND DO YOU THINK IS OVER?

I THINK THE ISRAELI INFLUENCE HAS BEEN INCORPORATED BY MANY OF OUR AMERICAN TRADITIONAL DESIGNERS. WHEN THE ISRAELI DESIGNERS FIRST ENTERED OUR MARKET THE LOOK WAS UNIQUE. TODAY, ONE IS ABLE TO FIND THIS LOOK WITH MANY DESIGNERS SUCH AS MONIQUE LHUILLIER, INES DI SANTO AND REEM ACRA. 

4) WHAT IS YOUR CUSTOMER ASKING FOR?

MANY OF OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR DRESSES THAT ARE NOT STRAPLESS. DESIGNERS HAVE RESPONDED.  BOLEROS HAVE ALSO BECOME AN IMPORTANT ACCESSORY BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE A BRIDE TWO LOOKS WITHOUT MUCH EXPENSE. THIS ADDITIONAL ITEM CAN BE USED LONG AFTER THE WEDDING. THEY LOOK WONDERFUL OVER A SIMPLE BLACK COCKTAIL DRESS.

5) WHAT ARE YOU BUYING?

I LOOK FOR NEWNESS. PERSONALLY, I THINK MY STORES HAVE ENOUGH LACE FOR NOW. I AM BUYING DESIGNERS SUCH AS SABRINA DAHAN, PETER LANGNER AND MIRA ZWILLINGER BECAUSE THEY OFFER FRESHNESS AND QUALITY TO OUR STORES' COLLECTIONS. 

mark ingram

1) WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE COLLECTION?

THERE WERE SOME TREMENDOUSLY BEAUTIFUL OFFERINGS THIS SEASON. IT'S VERY HARD TO CHOOSE. I WOULD HAVE TO SAY PALLAS COUTURE, BUT IN CLOSE SECOND PLACE IS NAEEM KHAN, WHICH TOOK MY BREATH AWAY!

2) WHAT TRENDS DID YOU SEE?

I SAW LOTS OF BOHO CHIC, HIGH AND OFF THE SHOULDER NECKLINES. LONG SLEEVES RULED. 3D FLOWER APPLIQUÉS, POINTE D'ESPRIT AND PINK! CAPES, CAPE-LETS, AND WATTEAU TRAINS WERE ABUNDANT, I ALSO LOVED THE PLETHORA OF PANTS SUITS AND TEA LENGTH TULLE GOWNS. 

3) WHAT TREND DO YOU THINK IS OVER?

I BELIEVE THAT THE VERY NUDE TREND IS WANING, NOT DEAD YET, BUT SLOWLY ON THE WAY OUT!

4) WHAT IS YOUR CUSTOMER ASKING FOR?

THE CUSTOMER AT MARK INGRAM SAID, "SHOW ME SOMETHING NEW AND DIFFERENT!" AND THIS SEASON THERE WAS LOTS OF NEWNESS AND EXCITEMENT, SO MY BRIDES SHOULD BE VERY HAPPY.

5) WHAT ARE YOU BUYING?

I AM BUYING GOWNS WITH SLEEVES AND OFF THE SHOULDER NECKLINES, BROCADED AND TEXTURED FABRICS, TEA LENGTH DRESSES AND SOME OF THE REALLY CHIC BRIDAL PANT SUITS!