Four wedding dress designers to know now

For the modern minimalist bride

Danielle Frankel

Few brides-to-be can go about their shopping without encountering – through TikTok, Pinterest, or luxury e-tailers – the phenomenon that is Danielle Frankel. Since launching her label in 2017, Danielle Frankel Hirsch has garnered cult status for her body-skimming bias-cut gowns, basque-waist bodies and accessories in hand-dyed tulles and timeless silks that toe the line between the classically romantic and fashionably contemporary (dresses from $3,990).

“I felt we could make more of a connection between the fashion world and the bride herself,” says the New York-based founder, whose designs have been worn by Zöe Kravitz, Julia Garner and Naomi Biden. Clients fly in from distant cities for fittings at the brand’s discreet Garment District studio. “The brand has been able to grow by finding that space where we’re just ‘fashion’ enough, but never crossing the boundary of too weird or too strange – you still feel like a bride,” says Hirsch. She now heads a team of almost 50 and this month will open her first bricks-and-mortar store on Los Angeles’ Melrose Place. The boutique will mirror the inviting yet private atmosphere of her New York appointment-only studio and give the brand more space to cater to its starry and increasingly global clientele. daniellefrankelstudio.com Zoe Suen

For the more-is-more bride

Ingrid Bridal

Working out of her atelier in Sheffield, Ingrid Bridal designer Katie Timothy creates voluminous, romantic dresses that combine architectural precision with bygone Hollywood glamour. “I find inspiration in the romance of the late 1940s and ’50s couture,” says Timothy, who cut her teeth at Celine and Roksanda before launching her brand in 2017. Handmade using traditional couture techniques, each of the made-to-order styles – from the puff-sleeved corseted Cecily dress to the billowing Sylvia gown, which reimagines the white button-down shirt – can be modified. The bestseller is the Agnes gown (£2,200), which “suits many body shapes and can easily be personalised with subtle changes to suit your own style”, says Timothy, who recently updated the gown with semi-sheer organza sleeves for a bride getting married in the Dominican Republic. ingridbridal.co Sara Semic

For the trendy town hall bride

Talia Byre

Launched in 2020 by Warrington-born designer Talia Lipkin-Connor, Talia Byre has built a loyal following in just five years (the brand name is a nod to Lucinda Byre, the womenswear boutique Lipkin-Connor’s great-uncle founded in Liverpool in the 1960s). The brand’s new bridal collection channels the same off-kilter energy as its wider offering (think minidresses with raw edges and corseted knitwear with exposed seam details). “Our bride is alternative – more of the town hall or eloping type,” says Lipkin-Connor. “I don’t think she goes and stands on a podium in a fluffy dress.”

Designed to be mixed and matched, the collection of 12 pieces features understated separates such as frayed white shirts and silk pencil skirts, as well as a bridal spin on Lipkin-Connor’s signature corseted Bambino dress. There’s also a veil-accented beanie made in collaboration with headwear designer James Pink (from £450 for the veil). “We’ve tried to keep it as clean as possible – there isn’t any lace on anything,” says Lipkin-Connor, who makes everything to order in London. “We wanted to offer our customer something that isn’t cosplay. You could wear it again and it wouldn’t be strange.” taliabyre.com SS

For the unconventional bride

Wed

This London-based brand has become the outfitter of choice for fashion-savvy brides seeking a wedding dress with contemporary edge. “Bridalwear is steeped in tradition, so we always try to have an element that feels off-piste or a little odd,” says Amy Trinh, who co-founded the brand with fellow Central Saint Martins alum Evan Phillips in 2019 after struggling to find a dress to wear for her own wedding.

Drawing inspiration from references as varied as French couturier Madeleine Vionnet and the Surrealist drawing method of the exquisite corpse, the duo starts with its signature draping, playing around with different silhouettes over many revisions to achieve Wed’s distinctive, sculptural shapes. Traditional bridal fabrics, including duchesse satins and cotton jacquards, are updated with unconventional accents, from layers of sequins to bow details – such as in the bestselling strapless Corset Tie dress (£5,475). “A lot of it is unpredictable, which makes it feel quite fun and modern,” says Phillips. The pair releases one collection of dresses per year, each of which is made-to-order, though customisation services are also offered at their Tottenham Hale studio, or via private trunk shows in New York City. wed-studio.com SS