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A History of european Embroidery

The Historyof European embroidery is a long and illustrious one with every conceivable surface having been embellished with the art of needlework. Garments and items of all kinds for both religious and domestic use were richly embroidered. During the Reformation in the 16th century, which involved the dissolution of English monasteries, many of the church vestments were burnt. That, coupled with the general wear and tear on domestic items, resulted in few early examples of European embroidery surviving. Those examples that do survive show us what a highly developed art embroidery was. These European traditions in needlework were taken to America during the 17th century by the early settlers and there is a great similarity in both the style and motifs used between early American embroidery and its European counterpart.
In the medieval period up to the end of the 14th century, English embroidery was considered to be the best in Europe and was known as opus anglicanum (English work). It was carried out by guilds of craftsmen and women who were mostly centred on monastic houses and medieval convents. Made solely for the Church and exported throughout Europe, its importance is shown by the fact that many of the best artists, who worked on the books and illuminated manuscripts, were also employed to design these great works of embroidered art.

On the domestic front it was mainly the women of noble houses and their servants who stitched the garments and items used in daily life. No well-born girl would have been considered a lady without being able to sew; all the Queens of Europe were well skilled with their needle. The Spanish Catherine of Aragon, Mary Queen of Scots educated in France and Elizabeth I of England were all noted for their skill at embroidery.
Although embroidery is considered to be a woman’s art there were men who were employed as embroiderers in Royal households.

Queen Elizabeth of York, wife to Henry VII, employed one Robynet, who was paid £2 a year by the Privy Purse. Mary Queen of Scots, who embroidered away the hours of her long imprisonment, employed Pierre Oudry between 1560—67 and later Charles Plouvart as her embroiderers. The popularity of embroidery and the demand for rich and sumptuous garments became so great in medieval Europe that there were various attempts to control what was seen as an excessive desire for finery. Edward III in 1363 decreed that:

“no one whose income was below four hundred marks per annum should wear cloth of gold or embroidery.
Later in 1586 a petition was presented to Catherine de Medici of France on The Extreme Dearness of Living, which declaimed that:
“mills, lands, pastures, woods, and all the revenues are wasted on embroideries, insertions, trimmings, tassels, fringes, hangings, gimps, needlework, small chain stitching, qui/tings, back stitching, etc: new
diversities of which are invented daily”.

Samplers begin to make an appearance in the history of European embroidery from about the beginning of the 16th century although as long as people have embellished and embroidered cloth it is reasonable to suppose that they have made use of a sampler. In essence a sampler is a piece of cloth with diverse patterns and stitches used as a personal reference source. It is also an easy way to experiment with embroidery before starting a major project. Samplers appear in various European countries all at the same time with a great similarity in style and motifs used but there are some notable national differences. Italian samplers show a preference for cut and drawn thread work which seems to be influenced by the lace pattern books that were printed in Venice. Spanish samplers have bright colours and geometric designs perhaps related to the Moorish influence on Spanish decorative arts. German samplers are more restrained in colour and patterns whilst Delft vases can be found in Dutch examples. However, cross stitch is always the main embroidery technique used.

The earliest surviving sampler in England is one from the late 16th century worked by Jane Bostocke in 1598 to commemorate the birth of one Alice Lee but there is sufficient evidence to show that they were a common and useful tool before this date. The earliest mention of a sampler in England is in 1502 as an item in the Privy Purse expenses for that year which refers to a piece of linen cloth bought for Elizabeth of York as ‘. . . a sampler for the Queen.’ Later in 1546 Margaret Thomson of Freestone in Lincolnshire bequeathed in her will, ‘. . . to Alys Pynchebeck my sisters daughter my sampler with seams.’ In 1552 in a household inventory of Edward VI there are two entries relating to samplers: one being a ‘. . . sampler of Normandy canvas wrought with green and black silk . . . and a sampler and book of parchment containing diverse patterns.’ These written records show that sampler making was carried out by the Queen and her ladies of the court and that samplers were imported from continental Europe. These were also important enough in themselves to be recorded. In an age when books were costly and rare the sampler, which was a personal book of patterns and stitches, would have been a valuable item worth passing on to the next generation.
Samplers were also mentioned in literature, an interesting example being in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, where reference is made to a sampler being stitched by two people.

These  are Helena’s words to Hermia :

Have with our needles created both one flower,
Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion,
Both warbling of one song, both in one key,
As if our hands, our sides, voices and minds,
Had been incorporate. ‘ACT 3 SCENE II

The above quote also seems to imply that samplers were made in childhood. Girls were taught to sew very early on in life and probably did make samplers; however, due to the high standard of workmanship it is generally considered that the surviving examples of early samplers were made by adult needlewomen. It is unlikely, prior to the 16th century that samplers would have been worked by women of all classes: the cost of materials was high (linen cloth and silk thread have always been expensive (and this type of decorative embroidery was probably only worked by wealthy ladies with time on their hands.

In Europe and America the early samplers ore known as ‘band samplers’, which are long thin strips of linen generally three times longer than the width. They appear to have been made from the end of a length of cloth as they mostly have selvedges at the top and bottom with the long sides being hemmed. The patterns on them are worked in bands long enough to show the repeat plus ‘spot’ motifs such as birds, flowers and animals. These band samplers were also a convenient size and shape to use as a reference source as they could be rolled up and stored easily in a work box.
The shape and content of samplers changed gradually during the 17th century until in the 18th century they take on the more familiar square shape with spot motifs and inscriptions. These are generally referred to spot samplers. By this time the sampler had ceased to be a personal book of stitches and become either an exercise in sewing competence produced by young girls or simply an embroidered picture made to be displayed i a frame. There has never been a standard shape or size for a sampler and over the centuries any piece of left over cloth has been used. It was not until 1882 when sampler making had virtually ceased to exist  that Canlfield and Sawards’ Dictionary of Needlework gave written instructions as to what a sampler should be both in ter.ws of its size and design content.

The patterns and motifs found in early samplers tend to be fairly similar from one to another which suggests that they were traditional designs passed on from one generation to the next. From the first half of the 16th century printed pattern books, as design sources for embroiderers, begin to appear in Europe. They were from presses either in Germany, Italy or France and proved so popular that many were reprinted in several editions. One of the most influential of these books was SchOn Neues Modelbuch published by Johann Sibmacher in Nurnberg in 1597, which was later reproduced in England as The Needles Excellency. Richard Shorleykers’ A Scholehouse for the Needle, also published around this time, was full of fruit, flower and leaf spray motifs but more importantly it was the first book to give instructions for enlarging or reducing the size of a design by using a squared grid, a simple and efficient method still used today. The patterns in these books were not necessarily original as there was no copyright law to stop the practice of borrowing designs from all sorts of sources. Motifs used in American samplers prior to the 18th century can be traced back to these European pattern books. Many English ladies went to settle in the new colonies and took their pattern books with them. Often they would make their living by teaching needlework and advertised themselves as having the latest designs from England.

During the 18th century pattern books lost favour with embroiderers in Europe as they tended to use printed fabrics as design sources and increasingly alphabets and moral verses replaced the more decorative spot or band patterns. By the mid 18th century pattern books were being published in America and many of the needlework teachers drew their own patterns and motifs for embroidery. This, coupled with the increasing population of America and the associated need to develop a more refined culture, led to the distinctive American style in samplers. While European samplers were becoming more rigid in content and style, the American ones became freer and more pictorial. Houses and landscapes became the preferred subject for samplers and a variety of materials such as beads, hair, ribbons and even paper were added to the wool or linen background to increase the surface interest. From this point on these American samplers should really be considered as embroidered pictures.

Sewing was an important part of any girl’s education. It was a necessary accomplishment for a young lady and for less fortunate girls good sewing skills would at least afford them reasonable employment. From the 17th century onwards the sampler became a means of not only teaching girls how to sew but also a certificate of their compe tence. Their importance was not lost on teachers and the inclusion of inscriptions and verses served to give the girls a moral education. Later on the craze for map samplers combined the teaching of geography with needlework. These schoolgirl samplers were produced in vast numbers and show the high level of skill achieved by even very young girls.

During the 19th century there was a steady decline in the practice of sampler making as other forms of needlework took over in popularity. Knitting, crochet and tatting were all favoured and popularized by the new magazines aimed at women. Books on needlework became cheap and plentiful and cloth printed with a design ready to stitch was also available. In the middle of the 19th century the sewing machine was invented and the need to teach girls how to sew by hand ceased to be important which led to a sharp decline in sampler making. Nowadays there is a renewed interest in the art of sampler making and many individuals and museums realize the importance of collecting these unique documents of social history.

Nowadays embroidery and cross stitch is not so much a profession anymore and is enjoyed by haberdashery enthusiasts

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Eco-friendly Paper Boom

Handmade Paper Journey from Valley to the Peak the Indians is said to hold the credit of having used paper from cellulose fibers during third century BC. Skilled Indian makers use a variety of raw materials for making handmade papers.

The handmade paper in India is produced mainly by recycling waste agro raw materials such as cotton rags, in the form of tailor cutting, hosiery cutting; and small quantities of waste paper. Other agro fibers like jute, straw, banana are also used to blend with the primary fibers for effect purpose etc. The major states for acquiring raw material for manufacturing are Tamilnadu, Kanpur, Mumbai etc.

The process to make is also Eco-friendly i.e. there is no machinery involvement or any kind of chemical usage done. They come in appealing varieties, with small dried flowers and leaves, colored fiber etc., making them attractive.

It’s popularity is increasing day by day due to the effective inbuilt qualities as it has huge tensile, bursting, tearing and double fold strength as compared to mill paper and it does not turn brittle due to aging. The possibilities for what can be accomplished with handmade paper and paper pulp are limitless.

These are effectively used in making a variety of decorative items, greeting cards, wallpapers, carry bags, gift boxes, art portfolios and much more. Also in the stationery field many items like paper letterheads, visiting cards, envelopes, note pads, memo cubes and many more items are seen to be made of this. Today, this industry has approximately 157 working units all over the country. The paper industry in India could be roughly categorized into three according to the raw material used that is wood based, agro based and waste paper based.

A wide range of raw materials, such as bamboo, wood grass, rice and wheat straw, jute, rags and waste paper are made available for paper and board making. The Indian pulp and paper industry has recently experienced enormous growth, coupled with consolidation due to the value addition activities like embossing embroidery on handmade paper etc.
The industry in India offers considerable potential to meet the increasing demand for paper products in an environmentally sound way.

Delhi is an ideal location to find both of these materials because it has a thriving rag trade, which provides abundance of old cloth and vast amounts of used paper.

The cost difference between handmade paper and millmade paper is marginal. The concern about the disappearance of forests, coupled with renewed interest in the quality of papers generated new study of the paper maker’s materials, especially the pulps and fibers. With several technological changes taking place in the paper industry, the government has to rethink its land use policies and conservation strategies to protect the natural resources.

The Indian government has provided funds to different supplying councils like KVIC (Khadi & Village Industries Commission) which tie up with banks and through banks provide funds to promising entrepreneurs who want to start handmade paper making business. Seven years back UNDP provided funds to improve activities further in the industry which gave a lot of exposure of that market.

Also the government had come out with REGP plans (Rural Employment Generation Program) where the government gave loans to village people to start small handmade paper units thus boosting the rural areas to further develop. India is said to produce approximately Rs.21crore worth of handmade papers, providing full time employment to around 10,000 persons in the rural areas.

They also plan to carry out similar activities in northeastern states also to boost the northeastern regions of paper industry. This year two major units, The Sthaneshwar Handmade Paper P.C.I.S. LTD and Handmade Paper & Board Industries under the KVIC sector won National Award through the president of India for supplying best quality products.

Mr.K.Sudhakar – Dy.Director I/C (Handmade Paper and Fiber industry) is of the opinion that the “Handmade Paper products is a real treasure with full of creative, innovative and thought provoking ideas and the industry has got an excellent future because of value addition and export oriented prospective.”

The sector also plans to tab or explore the very big area of packaging industries be it for medicine packaging or fertilizer packaging etc. Even the Internal Trade Fairs like PAPEREX have been fruitful trade encouraging activities. This year in PAPEREX 2005, Carlton Coats Pvt.Ltd. were the ones to win the 1st prize. Each unit in India is said to roughly provide fifty crores worth material.

Most of these units have become totally export oriented. Ever growing International market for Handmade Paper Though countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines have already emerged as `handmade paper giants’; India is being looked upon as the country with the maximum growth potential. The country is almost self-sufficient in manufacture of most varieties of handmade papers. There has been phenomenal growth in the export market for Indian Handmade Paper and its products, especially in the developed countries like the United States of America, West Germany, European Countries, Australia etc.

The last decade witnessed rapid growth in export as a number of Handmade Paper and paper products manufacturing units have become hundred percent export oriented units and helped in increasing the foreign exchange of the country. The export of handmade paper and paper products from the last two year was estimated for around fifty crores and this year the approximate growth was estimated to be 20% more and in the coming years it is said to be growing in many folds or multiples.

The Eco-friendly quality and long shelf life of the handmade paper fetches a high premium in the international market. Exports from Sanganer alone accounts for nearly 70 percent of the total handmade paper exports from India. The paper and allied products are sold in the US, Australia, Japan, Britain and South Africa. Besides paper sheets, items like paper bags, sacks, gift wrappers, art books, photo albums, diaries gift boxes and photo frames find ready buyers abroad.

The international demand for handmade paper and its value-added products are increasing at an approximate rate of 30-35 percent a year, which is phenomenal compared to five-seven percent a decade back. The industry, however, has weaknesses in terms of market concentration to a few countries and lack of technology for product conversion resulting into low production capacity.

Other than this other threat that would have to be overcome would be the competition being posed by more pioneering countries like China. But it is said that like any other commodity, handmade paper too goes through a cyclical trend depending upon the demand-supply scene in the international markets. Even the prices in the domestic market are inextricably linked with the paper price movements internationally.

But the growing preference for environment-friendly products worldwide and increasing demand for handmade paper products have eradicated the limitations of the handmade paper industry and once again it has emerged as one of the market leaders. In the era of globalization, handmade paper is one of the prime sectors, which has a major say.

About the Author

Karishma Roy works at Netlink Solutions (India) Limited as a Web Content Writer
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The 7 Most Influential Bridal Gown Designers

Every season, the bridal designers debut their latest collections in New York. There are numerous designers, but from those, there are a select few whose collections are always eagerly anticipated, much sought after by brides, and often imitated by their competitors. These are profiles of the top seven most influential bridal gown designers.

Priscilla of Boston: The First Famous Bridal Gown Designer

The Priscilla of Boston bridal gown collection is by far the oldest house among the most influential wedding designers. Founded in 1945 by Priscilla Kidder as “The Bride’s Shop” on tony Newbury Street in Boston, the company that was to become Priscilla of Boston gained a reputation for both the quality of its service and its wedding gowns. The gowns were made by hand in a factory in Charlestown, Massachusetts in the greater Boston area. Many of the firm’s wedding dresses are still made in the original factory, and it is possible to tour the facilities and watch a gown being assembled or the beaders handbeading a piece of lace withSwarovski crystals and pearls.

By the 1950s, Priscilla of Boston gowns were the gold standard for brides with discerning taste, and they were carried in the top name department stores. The gowns were famous for their exquisite silks, hand beadwork, and French laces. Alençon, Chantilly, and Lyon laces were some of the preferred trimmings for Priscilla Kidder’s bridal gowns. In 1956, Kidder was granted the honor of designing the bridesmaid dresses for the wedding of Grace Kelly, and other high profile weddings would soon follow. In a span of six years, three Presidential daughters walked down the aisle in Priscilla of Boston gowns: Luci Johnson (1965), Julie Nixon (1968), and Tricia Nixon (1971). Tricia Nixon’s sleeveless gown of lace appliqued to English net was a signature Priscilla of Boston feature that could be found in many of her gowns for decades to come. Tricia Nixon’s gown was the subject of much interest, and there was even a story about it in Lifemagazine.

In one way, Priscilla of Boston was to influence every bridal designer who was to follow in her footsteps: she was the first to promote her name and brand as a status symbol. There could be no Vera Wang had there not first been a Priscilla Kidder. The founder retired at the age of 75 in 1993, but the company continued to create designs that had her trademark timeless “wasp” good taste in the same Charlestown factory. The 2000s brought many changes to the venerable old firm, including the sale of Priscilla of Boston to the May Company in 2002 (it has since been resold), the death of Priscilla Kidder in 2004, the 2005 acquisition of bridal designer Melissa Sweet, and expansion into sister lines Platinum by Priscilla, Vineyard, and Jewel. The goal of the Priscilla of Boston collection of brands is to meet the needs of every type of bride, from the traditional, to the ultra luxurious, the modern, and the eclectic. There can be no doubt about the influential nature of this updated bridal powerhouse.

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Vera Wang Revolutionizes Wedding Gowns

There is no woman who has had a greater impact on modern American weddings than Vera Wang. Her gowns are the most referenced, the most researched by brides, and the most inspirational each and every season. If Vera does it, the style is sure to be a hit. Her wedding gowns are among the most trendsetting in the bridal industry.

The story of how Vera Wang got her start as a bridal gown designer is legendary. When she was planning her 1989 wedding, she was dismayed to find nothing but overblown “princess style” bridal gowns in the Princess Diana mode. Wang came to realize that there was a serious disconnect between bridal and high fashion, and set out to change that. And change it she did! After Vera Wang opened her first bridal salon in New York in 1990, the bridal gown industry was transformed from one that was stuck in the past to one that is relevant and inspirational to both the modern bride and the larger fashion industry as a whole.

Plenty of brides have had a difficult time finding the wedding gown of their dreams, but very few are able to turn a frustrating experience into a global enterprise. Vera Wang was uniquely positioned to achieve this level of success. Born on June 27, 1949 in New York to wealthy Chinese parents, Wang attended elite schools (The Chapin School, Sarah Lawrence College, and the Sorbonne in Paris). Her early passion was figure skating, but when she was not chosen for the U.S. Olympic team, she decided to pursue one of her other lifelong passions: fashion.

Wang spent sixteen years as a fashion editor at Vogue before departing to work at Ralph Lauren in 1985. By the time of Wang’s wedding in 1989, she had all the tools in place to launch the bridal line that would become synonymous with luxury, modern elegance, and high fashion. Vera had years of training in the fashion industry, connections within both fashion and upper crust society, and a keen eye for style. From the bridal collection’s 1990 debut, the Vera Wang label quickly became the go-to wedding gown brand for the rich and famous, as well as for the regular bride who values top design. Celebrity clients include Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, Mariah Carey, Karenna Gore, Victoria Beckham, Sharon Stone, Kate Hudson, and many more.

Vera Wang branched out from the bridal industry into designing other special occasion gowns, eventually evolving into a full lifestyle brand with products ranging from ready wear clothing, housewares, fragrance, wedding stationery, and fine jewelry. Wang’s signature style is modern, trendsetting, sophisticated, and whimsical. Her philosophy is that brides fall into five general categories: traditionalist, modernist, individualist, romanticist, and minimalist; Wang’s intention is to design the perfect bridal gown for each of these types of women, and if her international popularity is any guideline, she has certainly achieved her goal!

The Forever Modern Style of Amsale

Vera Wang is not the only high profile bridal designer who got her start due to the lack of selection when she planned her own wedding. Amsale Aberra, who was born in Ethiopia, had a very similar experience. Amsale grew up in Ethiopia, which she left to attend college in Massachusetts. Her focus at the time was commercial art; Aberra later said that while a child in Ethopia, she did not know that there was such a career as fashion designer. It was while in college that Amsale became interested in designing clothing; it all began when she started to sew her own clothing to save money. What was born of necessity turned into a passion, and Amsale moved to New York to attend the famed Fashion Institute of Technology.

When Amsale began shopping for a gown for her 1985 wedding, like Wang, she was turned off by the lack of sophistication in the gowns on the market. No where was the simple and refined gown which Amsale envisioned in the sea of heavily embellished bridal confections with their poufy sleeves, sequins, and enormous bows. Shortly after her wedding, the newlywed decided to take matters into her own hands and remedy the situation. Amsale rightly believed that there were other brides out there who desired the same understated elegance that she had sought in a bridal gown. Amsale’s bridal business began with an ad in the newspaper for custom made bridal gowns, which she designed and had made by a small team of talented seamstresses. From the beginning, fine fabrics and quality craftsmanship were trademarks of Amsale’s wedding gowns, and the company that began in her New York City loft apartment eventually grew to be featured in the country’s most luxurious department stores and bridal salons.

The style of an Amsale gown is described as “Forever Modern”, by which the designer means that she works with traditional wedding dress features, but with an eye to creating modern classics. Amsale’s gowns are updated and sophisticated with clean lines. One of her most famous designs is a simple white silk strapless wedding gown with a blue sash. The style, though simple, was revolutionary, and it became a smash hit that has been imitated by countless bridal gown designers since. Amsale’s high regard in the bridal industry resulted in her appointment as the creative director for the traditional heirloom quality Christos bridal collection, upon the retirement of its founder Christos Yiannakou in 2005.

Monique Lhuillier’s Gowns Hit The Red Carpet And The Church Aisle

Thank goodness for the lack of chic wedding gowns in the 1980s and early 1990s, for yet another of the most influential bridal designers launched her collection from the same frustrating circumstances as Vera Wang and Amsale. The cutting edge collection of Monique Lhuillier was founded in 1996, fresh off of her disappointment with the bridal gowns on the market when she planned her wedding. The gowns for which Lhuillier has become world famous came about when the 23 year old decided that there were simply not enough choices for the stylish modern bride.

Born in the Phillipines in 1971, Monique Lhuillier’s prominent family sent her to a Swiss boarding school, followed by an education at Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. Following her frustrating experiences during her own wedding, Lhuillier set to create the types of gowns which she wanted for herself. Monique Lhuillier’s gowns are best known for her ability to blend classic bride materials, especially lace, with fashion forward styles. Her iconic looks walk the line between sexy and bridal, which has made them a hit with celebrities (she also now designs red carpet gowns in addition to the bridal collection). Some of the famous brides to wear a Monique Lhuillier gown include Britney Spears, Al Gore’s daughter Sarah, andHeidi Montag.

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Reem Acra’s Bridal Gowns Are Fit For Royalty

When brides are looking for opulent royal gowns for their weddings, they turn to the intricately embroidered creations of designer Reem Acra. Originally discovered by a fashion editor while a student at the American University in Lebanon, the young Lebanese woman showed her first collection only 10 days later. This happy turn of events led to Acra’s decision to pursue a career in fashion; she studied in Paris and later at F.I.T. in New York. The dress that originally drew the fashion editor’s eye was one that Reem Acra had created out of an piece of ornately embroidered silk organza; this sort of lavish embellishment was to become the hallmark of her bridal gown collection.

Reem Acra’s bridal line was launched in 1997. Her career took off when one of her friends wore a Reem Acra bridal gown for her high profile society wedding. It was not long before brides around the world were flocking to the label for opulent, exquisite wedding dresses. Unlike some of the other top bridal designers whose focus is on modern simplicity, Acra’s gowns are unabashedly embellished. She is known for her remarkable metallic embroidery and intricate beadwork in Swarovski crystals and seed pearls. A Reem Acra wedding gown is formal, glamorous, and sophisticated, with a signature style that invokes royalty. Indeed, royal brides have chosen Acra’s European inspired styles for their wedding days. In addition to wedding gowns, Acra also designs gowns for celebrities to wear at premieres and award shows. Her red carpet-worthy creations have been worn by some of Hollywood’s most beautiful and glamorous women, including Catherine Zeta-Jones, Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Beyonce Knowles, among others.

Carolina Herrera Has Been Dressing Brides, Debutantes, And Celebrities For 30 Years

The grand dame of this international roster of inspirational bridal wear designers would have to be Carolina Herrera. A long time New Yorker, Herrera was born Maria Carolina Josefina Pacanins y Niño, the Marchioness of Torre Casa on January 8, 1939 in Venezuela. The young Herrera grew up in a world where all of the ladies wore haute couture. She attended her first couture show (Balenciaga) at the tender age of thirteen. With such illustrious beginnings, it is no wonder that Herrera has always been known for her refined style and her personal grace. Carolina Herrera’s company was founded in 1980, and features not only bridal, but also formal wear and day wear. She has dressed countless fashionable ladies, including style icon Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, actress Renee Zellweger, and celebrity debutante Cornelia Guest.

The signature of Carolina Herrera’s designs has always been the balance between intricacy and simplicity. Her bridal gowns are renowned for their exquisite details and careful craftsmanship. Herrera also draws from vintage inspiration, such as the 1950s strapless silhouettes, as well as from artists, nature, and other points of interest. A Carolina Herrera wedding gown typically has a timeless style coupled with a special fabric featuring lace, embroidery, or unique draping. Her bridal gowns have found great favor with celebrities, and have been worn by Renee Zellweger, Mariska Hargitay, and Christina Hendricks, to name a few.

Oscar de la Renta’s Wedding Gowns Epitomize Luxury

The only man on the list of the most influential wedding gown designers,Oscar de la Renta originally hails from the Dominican Republic. Born in 1932, Oscar de la Renta’s fan base includes many of the same celebrities and wealthy clientele as Carolina Herrera’s label. Like Herrera, the bridal collection is a part of a larger lifestyle collection encompassing formal attire, day wear, and accessories. An art lover, Oscar de la Renta moved to Spain to study painting at the age of 18. It was not long before he changed his focus to fashion, obtaining an apprenticeship with the legendary Spanish couturier Balenciaga (it is an interesting coincidence that Balenciaga was Herrera’s first couture show; perhaps it is no accident that de la Renta and Herrera share some similar design aesthetics). De la Renta’s next step was a move to Paris, where he worked for Lanvin, Elizabeth Arden, and Dior before finally starting his own label in 1965.

Oscar de la Renta’s bridal gowns are defined by their couture craftsmanship, femininity, charm, and attention to detail. He is the epitome of luxury and elegance in bridal fashion. Not unlike Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta wedding gowns are often strapless with classic silhouettes. He makes great use of embroidered organzas and laces, as well as flounces and ruffles with a touch of Latin flair. Former President Bush’s daughter Jenna was one of the best known brides to wear an Oscar de la Renta gown for her wedding. The fairly simple lace gown, while beautiful, was actually a bit more informal than a signature de la Renta wedding dress.

Every Bride Dreams Of The Perfect Wedding Gown

Everyone loves a wedding, and they love the gowns most of all. These seven designers represent the best that the bridal industry has to offer. Whether born of need, tradition, or simply a passion for fashion, each of these bridal designers is among the favorites of brides everywhere. Their influence on the rest of the wedding gown designers and the imagination of brides is simply unmatched.

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