How do you come up with this shit?

Or, as my sweet brides like to ask me, "how do you design these?"

Well, there are a lot of things that go on to come up with a Loulette Bride gown. But, it all starts with our fabrics.

One of my favorite things about bridal is the endless possibilities of texture, pattern, sparkle, and subtle color dimension that make an all white color palette infinitely interesting. I've never been into plain, minimal crap. Let's keep things interesting, shall we?

I always begin with finding the most interesting fabrics to create a story for the collection. I work with local fabric and lace vendors who work with mills in Italy, France, and Spain, and then take all these different fabrics from different mills and see how we can combine them to make something fascinating and new. I love combining geometrics and organic florals (like on our Nala gown here! And Casablanca. And Rita. And Carmen. What can I say, it works!) Sometimes we get floral crazy, and maybe combine a floral print, with a floral lace, and throw on a floral embroidery, like our Carolina Gown! Maybe we throw sparkle on lace on velvet on tulle? Ta-da, you get a Jasmin!

After we find our fabrics, I think about how that fabric would work best as a gown and start sketching. If it's an organza, you have to allow it to flow, so organza would work best as a nice, full-skirt, like our Poppy Skirt! If we are working with a slinky fabric, like a velvet, the silhouette should be draped and effortless, like our Tania Gown. I like to let the fabrics do their thing, and not force any fabrics in a way they don't naturally like to fall. As Lennon would say, I let it be.

As our fabrics and silhouettes get chosen, I always keep our Loulette values in mind: is this fabric sustainable? Natural? Is this silhouette utilizing fabric responsibly and liming wasted scrap fabric? Is this silhouette as flattering and supportive as possible, on all women's bodies? Is this something my brides have been asking for? And the most important question of all: Can I put pockets in this style?

And then we get to pattern making, sewing, draping, and creating! Sometimes, a dress is as effortless to design as she is to wear. Sometimes, what works on paper is just NOT working IRL, and we have to revise. Sometimes I hate everything. Ah, the joys of the creative process.

Finally, we have a collection! The best part of the process, by far, is seeing these gowns on our brides, and playing dress up with all of you in our Brooklyn Studio!

Stay tuned as we create our Spring 2021 collection!