Claire Pettibone

Let's just say I'm a big fan of Claire Pettibone.

Ethereal, yet not without substance, and presence. Ethereal can be annoying to a fella, but Claire manages the sexy as well as the comfortable. She is as much a storyteller, as she is a designer. Born in New York, the self described "true romantic" has a penchant for the lovely lines without petticoats.

Elizabeth Messina

With clients like Cameron Diaz, Mad Men's Elizabeth Moss, and Rebecca Romijn, she first gained fame as a lingerie designer, and was in fact the first American lingerie designer selected and sponsored at Igedo Lingerie trade fair in Germany in 1997.

Rock and Roll Bride

"I think I was about four or five years old, when we went to a very elaborate wedding. My mom said we came home from that wedding and I was just completely blown away. From then on, I started drawing bridal gowns."

You can check out Claire at her trunk show Kleinfeld's this weekend. Don't forget to schedule an appointment.

Brides Opt For Sexy Gowns

The International Herald tribune reports that a growing number of brides are rejecting traditional ceremonial wedding gown motifs and choosing sexier styles that flaunt their curves this year. New designs, from houses such as Sarah Danielle in New York, and Monique Lhuiller of Hollywood feature gowns with an Empire bodice, with lace straps and provocative wispy skirts more common on nightgowns.

Another trend is for brides to wear shawls during the ceremony, then with a nod to the 'cutting loose' nature of the reception, removing them to reveal off the shoulder gowns and plunging necklines.



Mara Urshel, owner of Kleinfeld's in Manhattan acknowledged that, in recent months, there's been a spike in demand for 'negligee looks'. Millie Maritni Bratten, editor and chief of Brides magazine says "young women increasingly took to the red carpet for style ideas". Adding that "They diet, they work out. And when they marry , they want to be the celebrity of their own event"

St. Pucchi

Bride in toilet paper dress to tie the knot

NEW YORK—Here comes the bride, all dressed in white … two-ply, extra soft toilet paper.

Lovebirds Jennifer Cannon and Doy Nichols of Lexington, Ky., plan to get hitched today in a public restroom. She'll be wearing a gown fashioned from glue, tape and Charmin Ultra Soft and Ultra Strong toilet tissue.

The intricately detailed dress was designed by Hanah Kim, winner of the 2007 Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest, sponsored by Cheap-Chic-Weddings.com.

The wedding ceremony, to be attended by family and friends, will take place in Times Square at the Charmin Restrooms — temporary, free public restrooms, a company spokeswoman said yesterday.

Pnina Tornai at Kleinfeld's

Seventeen years ago, with no formal fashion training, designer Pnina Tornai abruptly decided to shut down her clothing boutique in Tel Aviv, hire a seamstress, a beader a and a patternmaker, and begin designing and producing wedding gowns. Today, she can hardly walk down the street in without being approached by adoring fans. "I can't walk down the street!" she says, " I wear sunglasses, but peeople rush up to hug me".
Known for provocative see through corsets, and glittery Swaroviske crystal detail, Pnina Tornai's wedding gowns range from the ethereal to the dramatic. "Acting and fashion design have a lot in common, Tornai says. "It's all about acting and drama". Her designs weren't always appreciated here in America however. "Her designs were kind of questionable," recalled Mara Urshel, a co-owner of Kleinfeld, of her first visit to the famed department store. "There were lots of sheers. I couldn't possibly think of a place where anyone would wear them except in the home." She decided however to showcase a lace corset model, which surprisingly "sold and sold and sold". Today she is the number one designer at Kleinfeld, and she is considering opening stores in London, Paris, and Los Angeles. "I don't want to grow too much" she says however, "I don't want to lose that persoal touch." You can check out Tornai's designs at Kleinfeld's (by appointment) located at 110 West 20th Street New York, NY, 10011.