Renata Espinosa
October 21st, 2010 @ 2:05 PM – New York

In a tightly edited collection of 11 new couture bridal gowns for the fall-winter 2011 season, Vera Wang managed to pack more new ideas and visual effects into a bridal collection than most designers do in a show with three times as many looks.

Wang presented the collection in her New York showroom on Wednesday, Oct. 20, arriving at a series of gowns guaranteed to turn the heads of wedding guests, enticing them to not only celebrate the bride’s entrance, but her exit, as well.

These were dresses that demanded to be seen from every angle, with each surface revealing something new as the models turned to from front to back, revealing sharply pleated trains that looked like origami ice sculptures or palm fronds, thick swipes of meringue-like organza fashioned into floral blossoms and grommet-detailed split corsets that open like a series of grand curtains.

Emphasizing extreme volumes and languid draping, each gown looked more ethereal than the next, starting with a strapless ball gown that fused yards and yards of shadow and chantilly lace into multi-tiered flounces suggestive of spun sugar. Elsewhere, the honeycomb precision of lace stood out in an exacting strapless mermaid gown with tiers of tulle trimmed with horsehair.

But the backs of the gowns were not the only element of significance in this collection. As with Wang’s spring 2011 ready-to-wear collection, the necklines were re-worked as a focal point, whether as an elaborate origami folded strapless bodice with a peplum flare, or as spidery webs of tulle that asymmetrically wrapped the shoulders like a delicate package. A one-shoulder gown curled into the shape of a newl post on an expensive banister at the top, sending straw-like tentacles shooting down the front only for them to fade away in the ether of a smooth, liquid hem. And traditional sweetheart necklines were draped into an asymmetrical stroke of organza.

Wang turned up the volume with the model’s hair, as well, in ‘60s beehive updos that also echoed her spring runway show’s ultra-teased hair. Here, however, they were wedding day-polished, accented with a slim black headband.

Extravagant, yet serene, Wang proved once again why she’s the reigning queen of bridal, designing gowns that take one of the most traditional of celebrations and turn it into an opportunity for exploring innovative new techniques.