1. Where are you based?

Because I live in Italy, my company’s headquarter is located closer to Milan and the Malpensa International Airport in Oleggio.

2. How did you get started as a wedding dress designer?

I started my career at a very tender age in Putignano, Apulia, which is considered the ‘Italian capital of wedding gowns.’  I then continued in Milan, the capital of international fashion, where I studied architecture before founding my company in 1997.

3. What is the philosophy behind your brand?

The pilasters of my approach include the respect for authentic Italian craftsmanship, the value of tradition (with more than thirty years of experience in this sector), ] constant research and a strong focus on the end customer and market trends.

4. What was the theme of your 2019 collection?

My 2019 bridal collection was a tribute to the woman’s figure - the ‘prime mover’ of the world and boundless font of love and energy. I wanted to give a strong, revolutionary signal, a declaration of authentic, a profound renewal of the culture and the world of the bride. I also want to portray an act of courage revealing the deepest nature of being a woman.

5. How do you come up with your inspirations?

The dresses in my 2019 collection were meant as celebrations of the heroine concealed in every woman - tracing the stages of her evolution over time, her path towards emancipation, her courage to dare and the freedom to live her passions. Hence, they all embrace her facets and capture her multiple personalities; from the great ones that have gone before to each of us, struggling with the challenges of our day and of our daily life.

6. Tell us about style of the gowns you design.

My gowns are precious garments, made entirely from fabrics sourced exclusively from the best Italian silk works and hand-sewn; from soft silk tulle to georgette, from mikado to linen, and from the innovative use of eco-leather and paper-effect non-woven fabrics to the use of ultramodern silk organza embroidered in PVC. They are transformable, three-dimensional dresses with multiple shapes. They also feature special details, such as the roses that blossom from romantic or stylized lace, embroidered silk or printed. Additionally I have overlapping elements such as hoods, capes, short jackets, removable belts and overskirts, where certain styles are made suitable for the evening and other key moments of the celebrations. The dominant color ranges from classic silk white to ivory, from azure to gold, from various shades of pink to fuchsia and from various shades of green.

7. How does your design process work?

Each one of my creations first takes place in my head. Then a consolidated process begins with the purchase of fine materials from the best silk-works and embroiderers in Lombardy (selected by highly qualified personnel), and ends with all-Italian artisanal production. Every Elisabetta Polignano gown is entirely made in Italy.

8. Is there a difference between the American and European's customer style?

America is a very large country with many different kinds of people, different cultures and so on -  you can find all kinds of brides: traditional, stylish, romantic etc. But one thing that every bride should always take into great consideration is the quality of the dress, the ideal of the dress instead of the style, because we dress a dream. The wedding dress is a special dress, it is unique, it is only for that day. As I always say, you see the difference wearing the dress. This is the reason because I believe in the importance of ‘made in Italy’ dresses: I want that my brides understand the difference and they know what’s pure silk, beautiful fabric, the perfect fit. Only when the bride looks herself in the mirror, she must recognize her own style!

9. What is your favorite part of the process?

I love each of the steps because I personally oversee every phase of the making of my gowns - lavishing the greatest attention to every detail. I pay particular care to the fit of every garment, which is conceived so that it perfectly dresses every physique and every type of woman. I also find the time to listen to the many brides that I meet at my flagship store.

10. What countries are you gowns sold within?

Elisabetta Polignano gowns can be found in more than 90 boutiques throughout Italy and in some of the most important ateliers in Japan, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Korea.