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Updated Oct 14, 2024Did You Know These 6 Bridal Fashion Trends Have Roots in Cultural Fashion?
Can you guess where each of them originated?
Graphic: Natalie Romine,Photos: Whims and Joy, Aguiam Wedding Photography, Calenrose, Banga Studios, Getty, Elizabeth Fogarty
As a fashion editor, I have the privilege of attending New York Bridal Fashion Week biannually. Aside from seeing all the pretty white dresses, what I look forward to most each season is getting to meet designers from all over the world. These connections sparked my curiosity about cultural fashion and how it influences bridal design. Each wedding dress designer that showcases during the event comes from a unique cultural background. In one way or another, their identities have all shaped the way that they design. Some draw inspiration from the traditional wedding attire of their home country. Others utilize materials and work with artisans local to where they're from.
"What makes today's bridal fashion exciting is the fusion of these cultural elements with a modern aesthetic," says Yullia Lobachova, Ukrainian designer and founder of Ricca Sposa and Yuliia Lobachova Couture. "Brides today want more than just a beautiful gown—they want meaning, identity and individuality."
When you pick up one of the popular wedding dress styles in a salon, you might not realize the many ways that global fashion shaped that look. While there are countless examples of cultural influences on modern fashion, we're here to talk about the ones that are important for nearlyweds to know. So, keep scrolling to discover some of the top bridal trends you didn't know had cultural influences. And as always, if any style catches your eye, head to The Knot Vendor Marketplace to find out where you can try it on in person.
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In this article:
- How Does Cultural Fashion Influence Bridal Trends?
- Bridal Trends You Didn't Know Had Cultural Fashion Influences
How Does Cultural Fashion Influence Bridal Trends?
According to Nadia Manjarrez, Mexican wedding dress designer and founder of Nadia Manjarrez Bridal, cultural fashion feels more relevant than ever. "Brides and designers are drawing inspiration from traditional garments around the world and reinterpreting them in modern ways," she says. Although she works with brides from all across the globe, Manjarrez keeps Mexican culture at the heart of her brand. "Each season I find ways to incorporate subtle touches that reflect our heritage, whether that's through florals, artisan-inspired textures or silhouettes that nod to traditional garments," she explains.
Lobachova takes a similar approach of weaving multicultural fashion into her gowns. "At Ricca Sposa, we don't use overt traditional elements in every design, but we believe cultural heritage plays an important, more subtle role in how a bride connects with her gown," she says. "Sometimes it's a silhouette that echoes historical styles or a handcrafted detail that reflects artisanal roots." Lobachova draws inspiration not only from her Ukrainian heritage, but from other Eastern European and Middle Eastern traditions as well. "It's not about recreating the past—it's about honoring it in a way that feels relevant and personal," she explains.
But designers aren't the only ones who are able to express their cultural identity through fashion. "We've found that many brides are looking for ways to express their identity—whether through their culture, family history or values—and their wedding gown becomes a powerful medium for that," says Lobachova. In many cases, brides are able to weave a bit of their heritage into their wedding gown by requesting customizations. "Our role is to listen, to interpret their stories, and to design gowns that are both meaningful and modern," Lobachova explains.
Bridal Trends You Didn't Know Had Cultural Fashion Influences
If you're a nearlywed who's interested in expressing your cultural identity through fashion, the good news is that there are countless ways to do so on your wedding day. Many of the most prominent bridal fashion trends mirror wedding traditions from around the world. The six examples we've rounded up below offer a sneak peek into the many ways you can fuse fashion and cultural identity during your celebration.
Bridal Scarves
Indian wedding attire, known for all its glitz and glamour, has had quite a bit of influence on Western fashion over the years. One of the most notable examples is the wedding scarf, which draws inspiration from the dupatta. Both wedding scarves and dupattas can be worn a number of ways–around the neck, draped over the shoulders or even over the head like a veil. Their versatility has made them beloved by brides in recent years and a true testament of Indian influence on American fashion.
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Mantilla Veils
Mantilla veils are an excellent example of Spanish and Latin American influence on American fashion. While this veil style, which is characterized by its lace borders, is worn by brides all over the world, many people don't realize that they are actually rooted in Spanish and Latin American tradition. In these regions, where Catholicism is heavily practiced, it was once customary to wear a veil to church as a sign of modesty and reverence. Since many weddings are still held in Catholic churches to this day, it's no surprise that mantilla veils have made their way into wedding fashion.
Mandarin Collars
There are countless examples of Chinese influences on Western fashion, from the use of traditional Chinese fabrics like brocade and jacquard, to the rise of red accessories as a symbol of good luck. Of course, one of the most notable cultural influences in fashion design that we've seen in the wedding world recently is Mandarin collars. These types of collars, which are usually short, upright and connected by a closure on the neck, are a quintessential part of traditional Mandarin gowns called qipao. Qipao are worn for a number of special occasions, and they play a particularly important role within Chinese wedding attire. While Chinese brides typically wear a red qipao on their wedding day, today you can find plenty of white wedding gowns with Mandarin collars. These looks seamlessly fuse Chinese tradition with contemporary Western wedding style.
Photo: Michelle Alexandra Photography
Puff Sleeves
Puff sleeves on wedding dresses are the perfect example of globalization and the fashion industry. Since the early 1900s, puff sleeves, also called butterfly sleeves, have played an important role in Filipino culture. Traditional women's attire in the Philippines, such as the terno or Maria Clara dress, were known to feature these voluminous, flared sleeves that cut off around the elbow. While styles have evolved over the years, butterfly sleeves have remained popular, especially when it comes to occasion wear. Today, many AAPI designers continue to create dresses with similar sleeves as a subtle nod to Filipino culture and history.
Peplum Tops
Peplum tops originated in ancient Greece but have more recently become a staple within Africa's fashion diaspora. This unique style of top cinches in around the waist, while flaring around the hips, creating an attenuated hourglass figure on the wearer. Today, it is common to see African women, particularly in Nigeria, sporting the style in an Ankara fabric (also known as African wax print, which is a 100% cotton fabric featuring a bold, colorful print.) Because of their festive nature, peplum tops are extremely popular within Nigerian wedding attire, especially for brides and bridesmaids. This season at New York Bridal Fashion Week, I saw a number of peplum-style gowns (including some from Black wedding dress designers), which stood as a symbol of African influence on fashion.
Floral Embroidery
Floral embroidery may be popular worldwide, but it plays an extremely important part in Mexican culture. For one, flowers themselves serve as a symbol of love and celebration within Mexican culture. Because of this, you'll find floral decorations on so many different textiles made in the country–from clothing to tablecloths and just about everything in between. Different groups have developed their own techniques when it comes to embroidering flowers. They've even modeled their embroidery after the local flora of their region. For Mexican brides, wearing a wedding gown with floral embroidery serves as a way to express their cultural identity. Many Latinx bridal designers, such as Manjarrez, even work with local artisans to keep the artistic tradition alive.
Photo: Nadia Manjarrez
