From the financial district to Central Park West, Manhattan was buzzing during New York Bridal Fashion Week, held Oct 13 to 15, as designers previewed what brides would be wearing next year.
Nearly 300 designers showed their collections across five trade shows and several presentations and runways.
Starting off the week, Cinq debuted its new collection based on co-founder Madelyn Wysner’s own seven-dress wedding wardrobe at an afternoon-tea-inspired preview in SoHo.
Lihi Hod held the grand opening of its first US-based flagship store in Chelsea.
During Ricca Sposa’s 15th anniversary party, the brand unveiled its bridal pet accessories collaboration with Shaya Pets.
Renhue teamed up with celebrity chef Tara Thomas to host an intimate pre-bridal-week dinner with stylists and media professionals at Chez Ma Tante in Brooklyn.
The official first day began with Anne Barge’s presentation at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, a historic Gilded Age mansion.
The surprise finale dress at Galia Lahav’s runway show was a strapless, white and black polka-dot gown with cutouts at the hips. Milla Nova unveiled its new collection created with socialite Tamara Kalinic.
The week continued with Jaclyn Whyte’s debut of her capsule collection containing eight one-of-a-kind dresses for the brides who want something truly unique.
New designers presenting included Project Runway finalist Bi Pham, who unveiled his wedding and “celebration attire” collection, with inclusive designs created for the entire wedding party and guests.
Read more: A new way to say ‘I do’? Bridal swaps bring circular fashion to weddings
Marrow showed her 10-year-old brand for the first time at bridal week.
Making brand debuts were Paulette Cleghorn, who also designs for Yumi Katsura, and Amarel Couture by Dor Yaakov, a former designer for Kim Kassas.
The week wrapped up with an exclusive preview of Vivienne Westwood’s latest made-to-order wedding dresses.
As for the trends, next year’s brides can expect to see exaggerated hips, personalised accessories and vintage-inspired detailing, said Brigitte Stepputtis, design director for bridal at Vivienne Westwood.
Lots of lace, plus a mix of fabrics and textures
Lace abounded throughout every collection. Gowns at Sareh Nouri and Jenny Yoo featured lace mock turtlenecks, halter necks or removable toppers.
Strapless necklines had delicate eyelash lace trim at Verdin Bridal and Halfpenny London.
Full looks were crafted from intricate lace, such as in Elie Saab Bridal’s collection, which included a mermaid gown with a basque waist and a bell-sleeve bolero.
But Francesca Miranda went beyond the dress and presented a 1970s-inspired, sequined-lace bodysuit with a tie neck.
Designers also elevated their dress silhouettes with mixed fabrics and juxtaposed textures.
“Brides no longer have to choose between the clean-lined look of all satin or silk or rich lace,” designer Gustavo Verdin said. “They can have both.”
Verdin’s collection included a lace-bodice column dress with a silk mikado skirt.
Enaura presented an embroidered silk gown with lace insets down the skirt, while Floure showed a silk ball gown with a basket-weave-like bodice and ruched skirt embellished with large ruffled flowers.
Nicole + Felicia combined a beaded bodice with a feather skirt. And House of Gilles showed a lace sheath gown with a skirt of vertical chiffon tiers.
Sculptural hips, drop waists and vintage vibes
Plenty of attention was paid to hips with embellishments like architectural pleating at Floure and voluminous tufts at Tom Sebastien and Ines Di Santo.
Crinoline-framed skirts accentuated hips at Marrow and Heli Kalkstein. Sept and KYHA showed full skirts with dramatic pleats and draping. And Galia Lahav detailed the hips of a lace mermaid gown with oversize roses.
Low dropped waists extended well below the hips at Arava Polak, Amsale and Emilia Wickstead.
Several collections featured historical silhouettes, drawing inspiration from the opulence of the 18th-century French court, the romance of Victorian dressing and the glamour of the 1920s.
Some designers even revisited their own archives.
Monique Lhuillier looked to her most popular gowns from previous collections, as well as vintage influences that current brides are drawn to, the designer said.
The result was a collection that hinted at several decades: a 1990s-style silhouette with a 1920s twist, featuring a halter-neck lace gown with a tiered tulle skirt.
At Vivienne Westwood’s presentation, history was the focal point.
A 17th-century-inspired ball gown had a sculpted neckline and a dropped-basque-waist skirt, while an Elizabethan-inspired high-neck lace gown featured a duchesse satin corset.
Amarel Couture and Milla Nova also embraced the extravagance of the baroque and rococo periods, reimagining ornate detailing, basque waists and voluminous skirts for the modern bride.
Read more: Ask The Expert: A couturier’s guide to finding your dream wedding dress
Bridal hats, blusher and Juliet cap veils
Amid the clouds of tulle and sweeping veils, bridal hats offered a refreshing alternative to traditional headpieces.
At Vivienne Westwood, three vintage-inspired hats created by the fashion house’s milliner, Prudence Millinery, brought a playful touch.
Caroline Castigliano unveiled her bridal hat capsule collection with milliner Jane Taylor London, while Pnina Tornai paired a lace halter neck dress with a matching floppy, lace hat.
Sareh Nouri collaborated with designer Erin Rhyne on a 10-piece bridal accessories capsule that included blusher veils.
“The style is an answer to what I was seeing a lot of brides wanting,” Rhyne said. “It’s a callback to Audrey Hepburn.”
The romance continued at All Who Wander, Claire Pettibone and Elie Saab Bridal, where head-hugging Juliet cap veils lent a vintage-inspired finish to the looks. – ©2026 The New York Times Company
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
