view slideshow »

Monique Lhuillier's Winter Wedding

For the traditional bride, the wedding day is the chance to dress and feel like a princess, and Monique Lhuillier, known for her dreamy, romantic bridal gowns worn by celebrities like Jewel, Ashley Simpson and Alicia Silverstone, is the go-to designer for the ultimate fantasy dress.

Lhuillier’s Fall 2010 bridal collection, which she showed in New York on Sunday, Oct. 18, stressed exactly that kind of fanciful spirit for which she’s known. Entitling it “Fairytale Winter Wedding,” Lhuillier’s brides wore gowns that transformed them into art works worthy of being admired on a pedestal.

A life-size photo printed backdrop on the runway showed a medieval cloister with black and white marble tile floors and gothic archways, which were the architectural elements that the dresses mimicked with asymmetrically pleated bodices that twisted around the body or with geometric tulle appliqués.

The dominant silhouette for Lhuillier this season was the strapless A-line, the quintessential princess gown, and romantically tufted skirts and bodices embellished with crystals were the icing on the cake - or, in keeping with Lhuillier’s theme, glittering snowflakes in the sky.

It wasn’t just weddings or winter on Lhuillier’s mind as she designed this collection, however. “I wonder what my daughter would choose to wear,” mused Lhuillier on her program notes. “I can’t wait to see baby Sophia in five weeks.” Lhuillier has a baby due in November.

		* A Very Betsey Birthday Bash * Martha Davis: Industrial Design Meets Shoes