Inside Ines Di Santo’s Digital Universe
Dawn Bromander, President of Ines Di Santo, talks to The Bridal Council about reaching young brides through irresistible and inspiring content.
click to view the Magazine
How did the idea of Ines the Magazine come about?
A year ago, in April, we began exploring what kinds of interesting alternatives there might be to the standard April/October runway show model. That season, we did a press activation where we invited the press to be a part of a major shoot we did for social.
At the end of the day, we found ourselves with several beautiful editorial segments — stories that we wanted to tell. Our creative team for our shows and photoshoots is Moses Media, led by Deborah Moses. She was the editor of Elegant Bride several years ago. With her on board, we made the decision to pull the trigger on something of our own.
How long has it been in the works?
We went to work on it shortly after last April’s market. The first issue dropped early September before October market when the styles were fully shipped in stores.
What voids in the media landscape do you think it fills?
We all know it is a difficult market for print right now. The budgets for creative editorial are understandably slim.
We also believe that while social media is still vital, there remains a desire to see and experience more than the snapshot view. This rings especially true for the person who appreciates fine things.
For us, this fills our desire to tell our stories. Several years ago, we made the decision to run multiple pages in fewer publications with the same wish to share a juicy, in-depth look at the season Ines had created. It worked well for us for a couple of years. Our digital magazine is the evolution of that first step to own our narrative.
What types of features make it unique from other bridal magazines?
Right now we are loving the flexibility of adding features as interesting content becomes available. In issue two, we featured the bridal shower of our Customer Service Manager, Melissa. Ines designed a beautiful jumpsuit for her, and Melissa and her family created a lovely event.
We also are thrilled with the ability to call out some of our partners. We work with talented, interesting people worth sharing with our readers. They enrich our experience ,and sharing their stories gives the reader a look at an important piece of our DNA.
Who is your target audience?
Couples planning a wedding and the team they surround themselves with — friends, family and the professionals they hire.
How do you think this inspires millennial brides?
I think the mistake being made in all markets is thinking that there is a single answer to the question: Who is the millennial customer and what does she want? There are as many answers to that question as there are women engaged. The magazine allows us to show all the facets of who Ines is as a designer and who we are as a brand.
This gives us a chance to speak directly to the bride and allows her to decide if our direction is right for her.
We began a hashtag several seasons ago, #iaminesdisanto. We’ve continued “I am Ines Di Santo” in the book to show the many kinds of women we dress and to celebrate their diverse beauty and style.
Tell us about the creative process. How would you describe the aesthetics of the magazine?
The aesthetic of the magazine reflects the season that inspires the issue. In our last two seasons, Ines and her design team were inspired by the concept of telling a story or a tale on the runway. Their story boards are not a simple collection of the work of others. They are a progression from left to right of a vivid inspiration far removed from our bridal world. Each gown or piece of jewelry is then created to move the story forward. Our Jewel Box collection of gowns was born out of this process. These are the pieces that are rich in detail and color that start each of the chapters. The magazine is an extension of their boards and the creative process that starts each shoot we do.
From start to finish, how long does it take to create the magazine?
We start to talk through ideas right after market. Like every creative project ever done, the real work happens a few short weeks before launch. Deadline pressure sparks a different kind of creative fire.
How do you see the magazine evolving?
Right now, we are exploring the events around the event. The diversity of our millennial woman provides all kinds of visual inspiration and beauty. Destination is no longer limited to the beach, and we find our couples creating adventures that speak to their lifestyles. We love the weddings that are rich in all the details, yet intimate with the smallest gathering of dearest family and friends. We look forward to featuring the weekend weddings and the events around them — the welcome party, the golf tournament, the sailing afternoon. We can’t wait to cover our first sunrise wedding and the breakfast celebration that follows it. Ines will keep the fashion forward and then follow our bride where she takes us.