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Wedding belles: bridal powerhouses Vera Wang and Pronovias Group team up to make the perfect match
By Juliet Herd | 24 April 2021 | Lifestyle, Style
The iconic brands combine forces to release stunning new collection
Vera Wang has designed wedding dresses for some of the world’s most famous women, including Kim Kardashian, Victoria Beckham, Alicia Keys and Hailey Bieber. Now, the doyenne of bridal wear has teamed up with leading brand Pronovias to offer women worldwide the chance to become a Vera Wang bride.
In an historic deal for the industry – and one which must surely represent the perfect match – the two bridal powerhouses have signed a 10-year licensing agreement, whereby the Barcelona-based Pronovias Group will manufacture, distribute and market Vera Wang Bride designs through its international stores and wholesale accounts.
The new partnership will enable New York-based Wang to reach a wider audience, offering wedding gowns at a more affordable price point without compromising the quality and craftsmanship for which she is renowned. Pronovias is distributed in 105 countries, with 102 boutiques in capitals such as New York, London, Milan, Paris and Shanghai.
Announcing the deal this week, 72-year-old Wang said: “Pronovias Group is one of the most respected and successful bridal companies in the world with huge international reach. But the most important value we look for in a company is the ability to create a great product. Product is king; it is where it all begins. Pronovias understands this.”
The collection will feature 60 bridal gowns and 60 special occasion dresses, fully designed by Wang and her team, aimed at the fashion-loving bride and characterised by innovative designs and the use of luxurious fabrics and materials as well as hand-crafted finishes, such as beading.
As part of both companies’ commitment to inclusivity, dresses will be available in US sizes 0 to 28, covering both petite and plus-sized, with sustainable options also on offer.
“My intention was to make sure that certain Vera Wang design codes were identifiable,” explained the designer. “I wanted to keep creativity as the undisputed pillar of our brand, without sacrificing this new opportunity to reach more brides.”
Added Pronovias’s chief executive Amandine Ohayon: “Vera’s collection is unique and very complementary to our portfolio of brands. It allows us to speak to an incredible new audience because her designs have been admired by many women for many years and we are able to bring those designs at a price that will allow Vera to speak to a wider audience.”
Wang described the new bridal line, which will be available from October with prices ranging from $1600 to $4000 (US dollars), as “attainable and intelligent”, and praised her team for being able to produce the “same level of detail and beauty” while facing the challenge of working during a pandemic.
“We were doing six-way Zoom meetings,” she revealed. “It’s one thing when you’re making a t-shirt but another when you are creating and trying to be very precise on detail.”
Explaining the Vera Wang ethos, she said: “We want people to see the dress but notice the woman. Each woman is unique in terms of her own style and personality, and I never want the dress to overwhelm that.”
When asked what style of wedding dress she would design for herself, she admitted she would do something quite different now to her normal minimalist and structured aesthetic. “I might do something fantastic at this point,” she said. “Culture and fashion have been starved for so long [due to the Covid-19 pandemic], I would probably go over the top and make an emotional statement rather than a wedding statement. We are in different times now, so anything goes.”
She added that post-lockdown, there was a fresh desire among brides for a more fashion-forward approach as women looked forward to dressing up again. “There is a new reality where consumers are in the mood for some more elaborate, edgy and intellectual work,” she said.
As part of the designer’s commitment to offer the complete “bride’s universe”, the collection will also include a range of accessories from headpieces and gloves to exquisite lace lingerie. She will also design a range of special occasion dresses, which will be introduced from January 2022.