Watching frothy wedding gowns sweep down the runway is never hard on the eyes. Bridal fashion, after all, is designed to celebrate the female form—using the finest silks, lace, and embellishments to do so. This season, New York Bridal Week delivered beauty in every silhouette, presenting gowns that flattered a diverse range of shapes and sizes.
This season’s gowns dazzled with jewel-encrusted bodices, delicate French lace, and intricate floral embroidery—each creation a testament to craftsmanship and imagination. Every detail served one purpose: to make a woman feel extraordinary on what is the most important day of her life. That’s a lot of pressure for one dress, yet many designers rose beautifully to the occasion during New York Bridal Week in early October.
Trends seen, were a continuation of the Basque waists, hip detailing, drop waists, and corsetry as well as 2 piece dressing in long and short. There were many convertible dresses, as weddings have become longer affairs, brides need more looks. The parade of voluminous ball gowns seem to signal designer’s strong belief in bridal.
Ines Di Santo
Speaking of voluminous gowns, Di Santo does it best using yards and yards of tulle and other lux fabrics to drape, layer and embroider her gowns. This season brought a grouping inspired by the upcoming movie, Wicked For Good. Yes, Glenda, the Good Witch was there in her pink confection along with the not so evil, Wicked Witch— in a black and forest green feathered gown. Ms. Di Santo certainly goes big with her runway show in presentation and in the actual dresses which took up most of the runway—she pulls out all the stops.
Jaclyn Whyte
For the second generation designer, fabric is the pivotal point in the design process. But what she does with the fabric results in some of the most fashion forward bridal dresses during bridal week. It’s likely the reason Bergdorf Goodman’s buyers were there to view the collection at the Lotte Palace Hotel.
A key design for this season is a mini with a removal cropped jacket, a bejeweled sash and overskirt which had a distinctly 80’s vibe. Many of her designs have a convertible element so brides can transform her look as the wedding day does—from the ceremony to reception to afterparty.
Ese Azenabor
Azenabor’s boutique on the upper east side served as the location for her Fall ’26 collection. The Dallas based transplant is unrestrained in embellishing and bejeweling her bridal gowns which seems to have a “more is more” philosophy. Voluminous ball gowns with huge 3D roses were seen as well as a jeweled encrusted jumpsuit with a tulle overskirt, that left not an inch of the fabric beneath to the naked eye. These are statement gowns—not for shy types.
Nardos
Another Texas transplant, Nardos, held her presentation at her Madison Avenue shop, She sprinkled models on 3 of the selling floors which was packed with onlookers. Her collection included a few mini dresses as brides want at least 2 looks for their big day and designers are happy to accommodate. Ms. Nardos designs are classically beautiful but not to say they are boring. She showed a variety of silhouettes and is a master of all—each dress a feat that stands on its own and is an example of the designerr’s talent.
Ricca Sposa
Ukrainian designer Yullia Lobachova presented 2 collections at Melange De Blanc which is the collective that gathered bridal brands during bridal week; Yullia Lovachova Couture and Ricca Sposa Couture. Ricca Sposa is both a bridal and evening wear collection with a body-con vibe that uses exquisite fabric to sculpt and shape the female form.
Sareh Nouri
Ms. Nouri presented her collection at the Lotte Palace Hotel, where her standout gown drew inspiration from the Edelweiss flower in The Sound of Music. The design evoked the essence of an Alpine meadow, with soft touches of green and delicate, speckled blooms of the Swiss hillsides that framed the film’s iconic scenes.
House of Gilles
J. Mendel is no stranger to dressing celebrities and had a New York shop on Madison Ave shop for more than a decade. The designer, Gilles Mendel, became known for his delicately pleated gowns and was a regular on the red carpet with Hollywood’s starlets. His foray into bridal is a natural evolution which he has embarked on along with his daughter, Chloe Mendel Corgan, and is called House of Gilles Couture. They design and produce the collection at their NYC atelier where they offer clients bespoke service.
Anne Barge
The collection was shown at the recently opened Anne Barge shop— housed in a Brownstone off Madison Ave which set the tone for her beautifully designed gowns. The high ceilings and large windows offer clients a classic New York setting as they choose their favorite gown. Ms. Barge debuted a shoe collection and a jewelry offering so brides have a one stop shop.
Honor
Giovanna Randall, is the designer for the brand Honor which takes a different path than traditional bridal dressing. Her collection takes inspiration from 1980’s prom dresses which she creates with layered of sheer fabrics, embroidery and ruffles—some look like decorations on a wedding cake. Ms. Randall likes to reference another time as she did in her imagery for this collection with a trio of 1960’s uniformed ladies in waiting helping a bride with her dress.
House of Idan
Idan Cohen presented his collection on the rooftop of 1 Wall Street on a clear crisp New York day, with a stunning view of lower Manhattan. Mr. Cohen’s inspiration was Hollywood Glamour and to that end he used corsetry, detachable sleeves, Basque waists and large 3 D flowers to create drama.
