Here comes the bride! With a ring on your finger, it's time to begin one of the more exciting parts of the nuptial planning process: picking out your wedding dress. While shopping may at times seem daunting, designer Christian Siriano has advice for brides on the quest for the perfect look.
The fashion designer, who unveiled his first full bridal collection for Kleinfeld Bridal in New York City on April 18, shared with HELLO! three simple tips for finding your dream wedding gown.
A chic, modern look from Christian's spring-summer 2017 collection
1. When it comes to trying on dresses for the first time, go outside of your comfort zone.
"I think my biggest thing I’ve noticed that every bride we’ve had recently [is] you have to take risks," he says. "Every bride that we’ve had is like, ‘Oh I don’t want to wear strapless,’ and they end up in a strapless dress or ‘Oh, I don’t want to cover my arms’ but then they love covered arms and open back."
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"You have to take risks" to find your perfect dress, advises the designer
2. Trying on an array of bridal styles is essential to finding the gown you love.
"You just never know so I think it’s important to try as many options as you can," he advises. "It really is the key." However, there's one caveat – be sure to keep the options at a reasonable number so as not to complicate the shopping process. "I have girls that have tried on like 200 dresses," Christian reveals. "That is crazy. That’s insane." He added, "[It] just confuses you."
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3. Keep your shopping squad to a minimum.
"My number one rule for fittings is don’t bring too many people," he shares. "Focus. Bring your core team – and that’s it."
A dreamy ombré skirt makes this gown a standout
Meanwhile, the designer has unveiled his spring-summer 2017 looks in his first capsule collection for Kleinfeld Bridal boutique. Christian was inspired by some of French artist Edgar Degas' watercolor paintings. "There’s actually some color and some gradients," he said. "A lot of kind of ombré techniques."
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The designer included a statement pink ombré gown in his collection – no surprise considering Gwen Stefani's famous dip-dyed wedding dress for her nuptials to former husband Gavin Rossdale is one of his favorites. Christian explains, "I loved how it was ombre and I thought that was really beautiful. I think that’s a really beautiful technique, so I loved that."
The designs are Christian's first full capsule collection for Kleinfeld Bridal