Cue the nostalgia—we’re heading back to the ‘90s! When you look back to the end of the 20th century, so many iconic wedding-day trends come to mind: from voluminous skirts and sleeves to sleek and minimal slip dresses. Here’s a look at some of our favorite styles and the wedding designers that brought them to life.
#10: Vera Wang
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Courtesy: models.com, brides.com, crfashionbook.com
Vera Wang may not have been a household name at the beginning of the ‘90s, but she was by the end of it. In 1989, Wang designed her own wedding gown, an elaborate $10,000 design, and decided to open her flagship store the following year. Within her first decade of opening, Wang stunned brides with her princess-like designs featuring voluminous skirts, romantic fabrics, and beautiful accents.
In 1993, she designed Mariah Carey’s amazing satin ball gown. The off-the-shoulder gown cost a whopping $25,000 to create! Jump forward to Victoria Beckham’s wedding in 1999. Her champagne dress was so dreamy—the singer still has it in her closet for her daughter to wear one day.
#9: Demetrios
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Courtesy: wedding-venues.co.uk, preownedweddingdresses.com
By the 1990s, the Demetrios name was well-known as a thriving, international bridal company. Greece-born designer Demetrios James Elias grew up in the bridal world—he assisted his parents in their store in Ohio. When he opened his own company in 1980, it didn’t take long for the word to spread and the orders to pile up.
These Demetrios gowns are full of ‘90s flair: the off-the-shoulder style, lots of lace, long sleeves, and stunning headpieces. Brides were in love with the mix of color options as well, from shades of white to shades of ivory.
#8: Carolina Herrera
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Courtesy: vogue.com
If you think about a true icon in the bridal world, Carolina Herrera is towards the top of the list. Herrera became an overnight sensation across the U.S. in 1986, when she was asked to design Caroline Kennedy’s wedding dress. Her first bridal collection was launched a year later, and Herrera has been rocking the brand as the creative director ever since.
There are so many ‘90s trends that come alive in Herrera’s early bridal collections. We loved the short and sweet dress from her spring 1992 collection. For spring 1996, she went bold with a fashion-forward jumpsuit paired with a long train and sweetheart neckline.
#7: Chanel Couture
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Courtesy: people.com, firstclasse.com
French luxury couture brand Chanel has been ruling the fashion world for more than 100 years. When legendary designer and fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld stepped in as lead designer in 1983, his goal was to push the boundaries of design. By 1990, his dream was coming true.
At this time, many supermodels were becoming household names, so Lagerfeld started pulling them into his couture show finales. One model in particular, Claudia Schiffer, took center stage in many of his shows. For the fall 1991 Chanel Couture show, Schiffer walked the runway in priest-like garb that doubled as a high-end wedding gown. The spring 1994 collection brought a lot of ‘90s trends to the runway but with a modern twist: a voluminous skirt, sheer fabric, long sleeves, and a headpiece to top it all off.
#6: The House of Bianchi
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Courtesy: pinterest.com, preownedweddingdresses.com
Designer Phyllis Bianchi started her company in the 1970s, not knowing it would become a premier wedding dress house over the next 30 years. Bridal shops all over the country sold Bianchi gowns until 2001, when the business suddenly closed its doors.
The company reached peak popularity in the ‘80s and ‘90s, creating amazing gowns like the ones shown above. True to ‘90s trends, the gowns were full of high necklines, full skirts, sleeves, and details like bows, rosettes and lace.
#5: Versace
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Courtesy: theguardian.com, blog.overthemoon.com
In 1978, designer Gianni Versace brought Italian luxury to the world. His couture designs, made in Milan, caught the attention of the fashion world and celebrities. His first collection debuted in 1989, and he added a few luxe bridal designs throughout the ‘90s.
Model Kate Moss closed Versace’s 1996 fashion show with a glam zip-front mini dress and encrusted headband. A year later, Naomi Campbell stunned in another mini dress with a stunning veil and headband combo.
#4: Priscilla of Boston
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Courtesy: pinterest.com, nearlynewlywed.com
Priscilla Kidder took the bridal world by storm in the 1940s. She rose to fame in the ‘50s, after designing the bridesmaid dresses for Grace Kelly’s wedding. For the next four decades, Kidder continued to wow brides everywhere and was considered internationally renowned by 1993.
Her gowns boasted regal elegance with puff sleeves, lace detailing and sweetheart necklines. The pale pink dress on the left was featured in the 1990 July/August edition of Bridal Guide and named “A fantasy dress of sheer delight”. Today, many brides seeking a vintage gown look for the Priscilla of Boston label.
#3: Alfred Angelo
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Courtesy: pinterest.com, pinterest.com
Alfred Angelo was one of the biggest bridal manufacturers and retailers in the business. The Philadelphia-based company, founded by Alfred and his wife Edythe Piccione, opened in the mid 1930s. The brand was famous for their bridal gowns but also designed dresses for bridesmaids, mothers of the bride, and flower girls, as well as wedding accessories.
By the ‘90s, Alfred Angelo was a global success. The Dream Maker spring 1992 collection, designed by Alfred and Edythe’s daughter Michele, featured puff sleeves, sheer necklines, headpieces, and long trains. By the late ‘90s, the designs were still princess-like but with fewer details. We adore the satin and lace gown on the right from the 1998 collection.
#2: Eve of Milady
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Courtesy: pinterest.com, preownedweddingdresses.com
Using the finest fabrics in the world, Argentina-based designer Eve Muscio has crafted dreamy gowns for more than 40 years. Her bridal gowns feature stunning embroidery and lace, full of elegance and romance. ‘90s brides were in love with her fairytale gowns, boasting rosette details, puff sleeves, sweetheart necklines and voluminous skirts.
#1: Amsale
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Courtesy: preownedweddingdresses.com, Brightside.me
Simple, clean, and architectural are just some of the ways to describe an Amsale Aberra wedding gown. She started her company in 1985, right out of her NYC loft apartment. In 1991, she caught her big break and sold a collection full of classic gowns with a modern twist to Kleinfeld. From then on, brides were always falling in love with her trendy designs featuring sheer long sleeves, full skirts, and off-the-shoulder necklines.
One of our favorite looks was in the 1999 rom-com Runaway Bride. Aberra designed a romantic ball gown for Julia Roberts featuring intricate lace and an off-the-shoulder and scallop-edged sweetheart neckline. The iconic dress made us swoon in the ‘90s, just as much as it does today.
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