Summer Bride? These 5 Latinx Bridal Designers Have the Dress of Your Dreams
According to the experts at The Knot, the most popular time to get married is summer through early fall. I can confirm this is true, since it seems like every couple around me is getting hitched.
Now that we’re in July, it’s peak wedding season and many brides are currently trying to finalize every aspect of their big day, a major component of which is, of course, the dress. If you’re a bride scrambling at the last minute to find a dress — no judgements, wedding planning is known to be a notoriously stressful endeavor — or if you’re ahead of schedule in planning a summer 2023 wedding, here are five Latinx designers that may inspire you say “yes” to the dress.
From classic glamour to bohemian whimsy, these designers can help you not only express who are but also exalt your culture in the process. If you don’t want a single dry eye in sight as you’re walking down the aisle, here are our top picks.
1. Jorge Manuel
A Cuban American designer based in Miami, Jorge Manuel has been in the bridal industry since he was a teenager. His work is meticulous, focusing on “quality over quantity” and employing a family of seamstresses that take pride in the traditional way of doing things.
This means that nothing is mass produced, rendering every dress as shimmering and unique as a snowflake. These gowns are high drama, featuring elaborate necklines, intricately beaded bodices that can take months to complete and custom-made veils to match each dress.
The Heavenly Collection is his latest and features a stunning selection of gowns, including the scalloped Ariel dress and the Oriel, which a sequined crop top and ballgown skirt — perfect for the modern bride who doesn’t want to compromise on glamour while showing that trendy strip of skin.
2. Ines Di Santo
The first word that comes to mind when I think of this Argentinian-born designer is “romance.” The second is “ethereal.” Ines Di Santo draws inspiration from her Italian background and upbringing in Buenos Aires to create the impossible fantasy of the “perfect” wedding gown.
However, with Ines, the impossible feels possible, as all her gowns possess an element of magic that would make any bride feel like she was in a storybook — a fairy princess frolicking in a garden or a Grecian maiden running through a field of narcissuses, blessed by Aphrodite.
Her spring 2023 Bridal Couture Collection is an amalgam of dreamy lace, floral appliqués, and a dash of the avant-garde. Her breathtaking blue Romina gown transports us to the land of cherry blossoms, while the more traditional Lilou gown is like a poem someone is whispering.
3. Johana Hernandez
Considering she was the first El Salvadorean Latina to show at Paris Fashion Week, we already know Johana Hernandez’s bridal collection, GLAUDI, is going to be good. An L.A. native, Hernandez is inspired by the cosmopolitan as well as the traditional.
She used her skills and influence as a designer for the greater good during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and places special emphasis on faith. All of Hernadez’s dresses are inscribed with the following Bible verse: “…the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate” Mark 10: 8-9.
The collection is versatile, offering something for everyone — bell sleeves, plunging necklines, mini dresses. The all-silk Breanna gown is a great option for the sexy bride who wants to show off their curves, while the Esther gown features an off the shoulder corset that just screams fairytale.
4. Angel Sanchez
This Venezuelan designer describes his aesthetic as “architectural, feminine, and contemporary” and we couldn’t agree more. Angel Sanchez grew up in his mother’s atelier, and although he originally went to school for architecture, he felt compelled to return to fashion.
Sanchez uses geometric shapes in his designs, creating structured looks that are as unique as they are timeless. Any of the gowns in his most recent collection could easily serve as inspiration for a beautiful cathedral, skyscraper or museum — and vice versa.
There is definitely an otherworldly element in Sanchez’s work as well, as evinced by this ballgown with a sheer back and organic leaf appliques. It’s giving New York bride on a bridge on the cover of a magazine and there’s nothing we don’t love about that.
5. Lydia Lavín
Based in Mexico, Lydia Lavín does not shy await from color or print. In fact, she embraces it. Her mission is to honor traditional indigenous Mexican techniques and textiles. Wherever her bride goes, Lavín wants them to bring the “esencia” of Mexico with them.
Guided by the vibrancy of her culture, Lavín’s preferred fabrics include fine silk, organza, lace and tulle. She makes custom designs based on the bride’s specific personality and ideas, many of which are symbolic of the bride’s past and wishes for the future in that new stage of her life as wife.
Her designs are often very sexy, with low backs and sheer bodices, while still giving a nod to the way our ancestors may have dressed on their own wedding days. This colorful gown features an indigenous print that is sure to make whoever wears it the unmistakable belle of the ball — as if there could ever be any confusion.
