10 QUESTIONS WITH DESIGNER NNEKA ALEXANDER-BRIDES BY NONA

Designer Nneka Alexander

1) Tell us the story of how you got your training as a designer.

Fashion has always been a passion of mine from my toddler years, but I trained at Barbizon School in Houston to hone my skills. Due to my tall and statuesque nature in my teenage years, I was always egged on to go into modeling and so being that I was already into fashion I decided to pursue a career in modeling and enrolled in Barbizon. While at Barbizon, I took a very keen interest in the fashion design courses they offered and there began my training as a fashion designer.

2) What were you doing before you launched Brides by Nona?

My background is in Finance. Prior to launching Brides by Nona, I worked as an Investment Banker on Wall Street with Credit Suisse in New York, and then on to work as a Financial Reporting Specialist with Coca-Cola Refreshments in Atlanta.

3) What was the motivation that lead you on this path to design wedding and evening gowns?

It all started in 2013 when my twin sister was getting married. She asked me to make her wedding ceremony gown, her wedding reception gown, 10 bridesmaids dresses, and my dress as the Matron of Honor. I immediately turned her down – there was no way I was going to make all 13 gowns in less than six months! After much persuasion from our parents (in the Nigerian culture, parental directives cannot be argued with), I obliged her request and made all 13 gowns. Unbeknownst to me, that would be the beginning of a new era in my life that I had never dreamed of and was completely unprepared for. Long story cut short, all 13 gowns were a hit and her wedding was a viral sensation. I had unknowingly fed a hunger that was out there in the bridal industry – a hunger for non-traditional, non-cookie-cutter gowns by a person of color. In February 2014, I made it official and started my company Brides by Nona.

4) Where is your atelier based?

In Atlanta, Georgia.

5) How would you describe your design aesthetic and what are you known for?

The Brides by Nona aesthetic is timeless chic and so are my brides. I design pieces that transcend short-lived trends and fads. The Brides by Nona bride understands the language of luxury and the intricacies of a bespoke process that lends to the creation of a garment that will adorn her offspring several generations later. I create gowns that will still take your breath away 10 years down the road.

I am known for intricate detailing, with emphasis on my detailed beadwork.

6) Does the bride have something in mind first or do they choose from certain looks you offer?

The one thing my team will tell you about me is that I dislike creating the same dress twice. Variety is the spice of life and so I like to get real “spicy” with my designs. Most of my brides have a good idea of what they want in general but they always give me the autonomy to create something that’s truly unique to them. I can pick elements of design from my collections, but the end result will always be a fresh new look.

7) Describe some of the process when working with brides?

The couture process is a very personal hands-on one. So I always officially start off with getting to know the bride via a consultation which lasts anywhere from 40 to 60 minutes and it can be in one of many forms: in-person, over the phone or via a video call. I let the bride do most of the talking while I listen, analyze and sketch out ideas. This is my chance to connect with my bride and understand her.

Next, the bride and I agree on the technical part of the process – pricing, measurements, production details, timing, fittings, etc.

Then we move on to production. This is the critical part of the process where I translate everything the bride discussed with me during the consultation into a couture garment. This is where the dress goes from dream to reality and because my team is heavily involved in this part of the process I have many moving parts to oversee in order to ensure we execute exactly as we promised the bride. We keep the bride engaged by sharing videos and photos of the production process so that she can also see her dream dress taking life! This part of the process can be very nerve-wrecking but very much worth it at the end of it all!

Finally, the bride is ready to meet her dream dress at her fitting. Many brides have dreamed of their wedding gowns since they were little girls. For decades, they’ve dreamed of floating down the aisle in the most exquisite gown fit for a princess and now is the moment of truth. At her fitting is the first time she will see the gown in person – the gown that she has only seen in her dreams – and the reaction when she sees it is priceless!!! Nothing but pure, unadulterated joy!

8) What countries have the brides traveled from to have you design their gown?

I have been blessed to meet with and design gowns for brides in the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Tanzania, Panama, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Bahamas, and Barbados.

9) How do you work with brides who can’t travel now?

My design process is very detailed and personal -- from the initial consultation to the selection of fabrics/embellishments/materials to the production of the gown and all the fittings involved in perfecting the gown. My team and I work closely with the bride to give her a customized process from start to finish. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has created a major shift in our process from personal to virtual. Every part of my design process has gone completely virtual with a heavy reliance on technology to connect with my brides and keep the design process as customized as possible. Nevertheless, this new "normal" was not too shocking for my team and I because we were already applying virtual processes with our international clients that were unable to fly to us in the past so we just simply extended the virtual process to our domestic clients as well. Consultations are done virtually via a video call so that brides are still able to see the designer and the atelier. Measurements are also done virtually in stages with very detailed guidance from me so that the dress is a perfect fit when the bride finally receives it via courier. We have created a strategic partnership with our local FedEx office for special handling and delivery of our couture gowns worldwide so that brides are able to receive their gowns in pristine condition and on time, regardless of the pandemic situation in their country.

10) As a designer for celebrities and socialites, describe what it was like working with Cynthia Bailey of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, model and businesswoman for her wedding dress? What did she imagine for herself?

I created two dresses for Cynthia Bailey – her wedding ceremony dress and the reception dress. Working with Cynthia was an experience I will forever treasure (and I mean that whole-heartedly)! There were so many memorable events during that period which Cynthia intentionally created for me and I am forever grateful for that. First of all, Cynthia is extremely easy-going. She did not know what she wanted in a gown. She gave me just two directives – (1) she didn’t want to wear White for the main ceremony dress, and (2) she wanted a design that would “Wow!” her! I went to work immediately by studying all her photos on her Instagram page. I studied her good angles, her physical features and what silhouettes looked best on her – I studied her long and hard! Weeks later, I sketched out two designs for her and she loved them. She had no major changes to the designs and wanted me to go right to production.

Cynthia was a very calm bride. She had no bridezilla moments at all and treated every vendor with respect. She always greeted me with hugs and cheek-to-cheek kisses even at our very first meeting. She was accessible whenever it came time for fittings. She is also very organized and neat! Whenever we had fittings at her home it was spotless – nothing out of place – even with camera crew and other vendors present! It was truly an honor working with Cynthia – so much so that she and I are still very much in touch!