Renata Espinosa
October 18
New York – Monique Lhuillier left no surface untouched in her Fall 2011 bridal collection, shown on Sunday, Oct. 17 in New York, which featured gowns that celebrated lavish textures inspired by flowers.
“Romance and extravagance are back,” Lhuillier said in her program notes, no small statement during a time when the number of marriages in the U.S. is seeing a steady decline.
Only 45 percent of unmarried adults ages 25 to 34 are married, the U.S. Census Bureau reported in September, versus 55 percent a decade ago.
Nonetheless, for those women (or celebrities, as the case may be – Lhuillier is best known for dressing famous brides, from America Ferrara to singer Pink) who decide to get married and can afford one of Lhuillier’s deluxe four-figure gowns, they will have a bevy of fanciful dresses to choose from.
Petals and leaves in organza, rosebuds, elaborately embellished corsets, exquisite layers of lace and stardust sprays of crystals were the decorative focal points of Lhuillier’s “Floral Fantasy” collection.
Opening looks in mid-calf “tea” length full skirts called to mind ’50s-era dresses, while a short body-conscious mini-skirt length floral organza dress with a keyhole bustier – the keyhole was a major detail in many of this season’s dresses – wouldn’t be out of place in an ’80s Robert Palmer video.
But Lhuillier didn’t skimp on her signatures, either. Asymmetrically draped organza, resembling a floating cloud, is one of Lhuillier’s best fantasy bride looks, here accented with three-dimensional flowers revealed under the folds of organza.
The bridal party hasn’t been neglected, either. Lhuillier announced two new bridesmaid collections earlier this year, a higher-end Monique Lhuillier Bridesmaids, now available for sale on her Web site, and the more affordable ML Monique Lhuillier Bridesmaids, available exclusively at Nordstrom.
Dresses
Monique Lhuillier’s new collection focuses strongly on texture. Her bridal collection includes dresses heavily adorned with, flowers and eave in organza, rosebuds, lace, crystal corsets. The line is entitled “floral fantasy”. Her line also has a strong emphasis on asymmetrical lines.
In a time where romance seems dead and 50% of marriages end in divorce, it’s nice to see someone bringing back the soft ornate romantic style of wedding gowns. The use of texture is especially nice with the gowns. Those who are fashion forward and getting married want something to add interest to a plain white gown and the wayto do that without adding color is with line, texture, and shape. She does a great job of using the principle and elements of design in her collection.
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