New York City Bridal Market

This past week Alicia, Amy, Tali, and myself (Marissa) attended Bridal Market in New York City! It was an amazing experience to meet all of our designers and pick out all of the new dresses for next season for both the Winter Park and Gainesville stores. One of my favorite moments was when we got to meet Anne Barge! (She is the teeny tiny one in the middle in the picture below.) Her fashion show was incredible, and she is so incredibly sweet and humble.

We also got to attend the Martha Stewart Weddings party at The Plaza Hotel. It was a great opportunity to mingle with designers, speak to consultants from other stores across the country, and eat yummy food.


It wasn't all about the dresses at Market. We looked at some amazing bridal accessories as well. Some of my favorites were the fabulous shoes from Salon Shoes/Grace Footwear, and the belts and cage veils from Erin Cole Couture. Erin (on the right in the picture below) dressed her model up with some crazy accessories for us!

All of the collections that we saw while in New York were amazing, but there were definitely a few stand outs for me. The Rivini dress below was very simple, but the beaded belt at the waistline was gorgeous.
Marisa is one of my favorite collections that we carry at Solutions, and their new collection definitely didn't disappoint. We were all obsessed with the dress below. The top is satin and fitted, but the bottom is made out of romantic organza that swirls into a unique flower detail. I cant wait to see it in the store!
We saw a lot of tulle ball gowns on the runways, but this dress from Jasmine Couture is a must have for the bride who loves a little bling!

The Kenneth Pool shown below was quite the stunner. Any bride in this dress will definitely turn some heads!


It was hard to pick a favorite out of all of the dresses that we saw, but for me I think it was this amazing Kenneth Pool. It is hard to tell from the picture below, but the bead work on the skirt is incredible. The wrapping on the bodice was oh-so-flattering, and the way the organza skirt flowed was so romantic. I think I'm in love!

I cant wait for all of the new dresses! We should see them arriving in the stores at the beginning of 2010. I will be working on posting some of the other pictures on our Facebook page over the next week or so, so make sure to check them out. I would like to leave everyone with my list of the TOP 5 TRENDS that I saw on the runway:

#5: Details in the Fabric: We definitely saw less all over beading and full lace gowns. Most of the drama came from the volume of the fabric, and the way it was draped, folded, rouched, and molded.
#4: Showing off the Natural Waistline: Lazaro, Rivini and Kenneth Pool were among many of the designers who used beading or other details to accentuate a dress' natural waistline, which typically hits at the smallest part of a woman's torso.
#3: Beaded Belts: Watters, Lazaro, and Anne Barge showed of beautiful beaded belts to accessorize their dresses. Many of them came in an array of different colors and fabrics.
#2: Flower Power: Flower details were a huge trend on the runway. On one dress they were quarter sized and crystal beaded, and on another they were huge and swirling out of the skirt of the gown. Look out for them popping up in unexpected ways!
#1: The Ball Gown is Back!:(But it's not just for princesses!) We saw a ton of fuller skirts on the runway. Tulle was definitely a favorite fabric among the designers showing this shape, but they often added beading or belts to update the look. Many designers also used organza in their ball gowns to create a more airy, romantic look. Personally, I loved this trend and I cant wait to see what our brides think!