Maybe he got down on one knee, maybe the waiter delivered the ring atop your dessert or maybe he simply asked you at home, while the two of you were sitting on the couch, eating ice cream and watching TV like you do most nights. Whatever the scenario, it doesn’t really matter because at that moment, you’re blissfully happy.
But the next day — BAM! — it hits you. You have to find the perfect wedding dress! You want a dress that makes you look special and different from other brides you’ve seen. And you want it to flatter your form, so you start frantically flipping through bridal magazines, thinking to yourself, “This one will make my butt look big. This other one will make me fall. The back of this one looks a lot like the other two. And this one is too expensive. I mean, how many people can really afford Vera Wang?”
Breathe. It’s your special day, and you really shouldn’t get upset about the dress. You want it to look different and be special? Piece of, well, cake. Arkansas has several talented fashion designers who can custom-make your wedding dress just the way you want it. And the three designers we spoke with even spilled some design ideas that are sure to turn heads on the runway — er, aisle.
Korto Momolu-Briggs: Simply Sophisticated
With her Project Runway second-place finish, Korto (pronounced Cut-toe) has catapulted into one of the most popular designers in the country. And one of the great things for Arkansas brides is that she lives in Little Rock and has some time to design custom-made wedding dresses.
Before starting a dress, Korto sits down with a bride to get a feel for the bride’s style — what she hates as well as what she likes in a wedding dress. After drawing up two or three sketches that give the bride a variety of designs to choose from, Korto chats with the bride again to see which ideas are good for her. “You’re getting something for your body and shape that will be yours. Really, you get married to your dress before you marry your husband,” she said.
And Korto does what she can to help the bride feel special. While working to include the bride’s personal style, Korto will make suggestions about what’s flatter-ing for an individual’s body type. Charging anywhere from $800-$8,000, not including materials, a dress will take her a couple of weeks to finish, although both price and time frame really depend on how much detail work the bride wants done.
“[Women buy a custom dress] to feel special on their day. It’s the one day that is all yours. The one day to start that off is to have a custom-made wedding dress. It just makes the fairy tale complete.”
For info: KortoMomolu.com
Nicole Daniel: Classically Modern
The first time Nicole Daniel made a wedding dress, she was a wreck. “I get nervous if you ask me to paint something on a T-shirt, but to make something for [someone’s] wedding is really stressful,” she said. But she assures that every bride’s reaction to one of her dresses has been nothing but excitement, much to her relief.
Nicole definitely has her finger on the pulse of fashion. She manages the popular west Little Rock boutique, Scarlet, is developing her own fashion line, Jett Daniel, and designs and makes wedding dresses in her spare time. She usually charges $1,000-$1,500, not including materials, to custom make a dress, which takes a couple of months to finish.
Priding herself on customer service, Nicole will go to the bride’s house, or the bride can come to Scarlet for her fittings. Nicole can also help pick accessories like shoes and jewelry for the bride, since that’s what she does anyway as her day job. She believes that every bride wants to be unique, and she supports that idea with her designs.
“It’s your day, and you do so much planning to make your wedding really special. I think if it’s in the same price range, why not get [a dress] that no one else has?” said Nicole.
For info: JettDaniel08@yahoo.com
Lakey Goff: Stylishly Vintage
Lakey credits her grandmother, a beautician, as her inspiration for design. “My grandmother was very sophisticated in her own way and had an innate sense of style. She taught me about Chanel No. 5, red lipstick, pearls, expensive leather, and Italian shoes and handbags,” Lakey said.
You might call Lakey a “re-designer,” as she only reconstructs dresses. Her technique is perfect for women who want to use pieces of their mother’s dress. “Your mother wore it, and you imagine her at that age going through the same thing. Then you get to go through the same experience except now it’s the way that fits you and it’s your style, so you’re not just wearing a costume.”
When designing a wedding dress, Lakey tends to choose a theme for her design. Anywhere from old-school Hollywood to a flapper design, Lakey adds a unique vision to the dresses she creates. She also attempts to capture the personality of her clients. Whether it’s hearing their favorite song or seeing a picture of them in an old dress that they thought looked good on them, she tries to create designs that fit both the bride and her own design style.
Since her work is hand-sewn and she searches for the right materials (maybe even something from an estate sale), a dress can take her at least three months and five fittings to complete. She charges anywhere from $1,500-$2,000, with a 15 percent deposit upfront so she can buy materials for the dress.
For info: LakeyKristian.com