I love that designer Douglas Hannant's bridal collections are created with the eye of a ready-to-wear designer. What I see in his collection is his true aesthetic, unmarred and un-dulled by the bridal industry. His style and viewpoint for this bridal collection is consistent with and easily recognized in his newest Spring, 2010 rtw collection, where you'll see a stunning navy and white floral-patterned variation of the one-shouldered gown in this collection and a breathlessly pretty floral variation of the first dress pictured below, which is my favorite (and my favorite of that Spring 2010 rtw collection).I see this collection in three parts, which includes the first three dresses pictured (my favorites), the last four dresses pictured and finally, the five dresses pictured in between. What I like most about this collection and the first three dresses pictured, is the use of the bustle, borrowed from the Age of Innocence era. I think the bustle gives these dresses an air of sophisticated historic reference and the exquisite, texturized detailing seen in the second two dresses gives them added back-view interest and glamour.The second part of this collection (the last four dresses pictured) definitely has a fantasy, fairy princess-y element and there's lots of tulle and full ballgown skirting to go around, not to mention a varied use of texture that includes lace, embroidery, floral appliques and a shimmering fringe-like detail. The interesting aspect of these dresses is the slightly high placement of the waist, which isn't quite a natural or true waist, that lends the silhouette a striking originality. One dress goes one step further with a hippy skirt that could be loosely translated as Elizabethan-looking. I saw the whisperings of this waistline aesthetic in Hannant's Fall 2009 rtw collection, albeit in a much more toned-down way. It disappeared altogether from his Resort and Spring 2010 rtw collections, only to re-appear more fully and fantastically developed in bridal.What about those five in-between dresses, you ask? Hmmmm...They're pretty... but for my part, I would rather have seen the further development of the two standout aesthetics of the collection. I'd love to see more variations of the one-shouldered looks or more bustles or more of that lovely textured detailing. But that's just me. I think those are the ones that today's modern sophisticate will want.Look for more reviews of Fall 2010 collections next week. Y'all have a great weekend!~Brooke ThomasCreative Director, Weddings Unveiled
