Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Fashion brands say 'I do' to wedding gowns

Relax News
Tuesday 09 March 2010 01:00 GMT
Comments
(courtesy of Monique Lhuillier)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Urban Outfitters Inc, owner of brands including Anthropologie, has announced a new bridal label amid a growing wedding trend in ready-to-wear.

Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad told Relaxnews earlier this year that wedding dresses would save the haute couture industry in the long run - "a haute couture dress that you'll hopefully only use once in a lifetime, that's our niche in the market" - but recently, bridal gowns are also being incorporated into more budget-conscious designer ranges.

The new Urban Outfitters brand, which will be launched with a website next Valentine's Day, will carry gowns ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 as well as bridesmaid dresses, and other wedding gear including gifts and invitations.

Design duo Badgley Mischka also announced a collection of dresses for the budget-conscious bride: priced between $2,000 and $4,000, they cost half the usual price of a dress by the label.

And bridal dress designer Monique Lhuillier launched a more affordable range of her styles, called Bliss by Monique Lhuillier, retailing between $2,300 and $3,500.

The internet's top designer shopping site, Net-à-Porter (netaporter.com), already reacted to this trend, inaugurating its wedding boutique last month, featuring brands such as Temperley, Lanvin, and Stella McCartney.

If the trend continues, it will only be a matter of time until bridal dresses are integrated into designers' ready-to-wear fashion shows and wedding-themed beauty ranges are launched.

Whether the new launches will prove successful with customers, remains to be seen, however. The average American woman spends just over $1,000 for her wedding dress, for example, and web portal onewed.com says that the main trends for 2010 include customized, vintage, and eco-friendly, 'no-name' dresses.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in