How did your love for bridal designing start? Who would you say was your biggest influence growing up?
My Parents were definitely my biggest inspiration! I can’t deny that growing up in a family that has already paved the way for a bridal luxury career was a major contributor to finding and pursuing my passion in life. I can’t be more grateful to having had the chance to discover this exciting world at a young age and have role models to learn from.
How did Esposa come about? How has it evolved since its inception?
Esposa was born out of a passion for ambition and a love for the business. As brides were informed of this little magical place, many approached it with high hopes of finding the perfect bridal dress that they dreamed of. Esposa offers the “out of the world” wedding experience that each bride should feel, it offers the sparkles, the shoes, the luxury brands along with the professional ambiance.
Esposa has evolved from one shop in Beirut to a chain of boutiques in Lebanon, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It has proven to be a reference in bridal luxury for women hoping to find the perfect fit for their wedding day. In 2016, Esposa turned into Esposa Group. This change falls in line with our strategy to restructure our brands and offer our clientele a more targeted and specialized experience.
Because we want to cater for all women’s styles and tastes, we divided the brands into Esposa and Esposa Prive, offering our clients the chance to choose between two different experiences; the one that answers best their needs and desires.
Our vision is to make Esposa the ultimate inspiration and destination for women’s best moments.
It is a very competitive world out there. How do you make sure that Esposa stands apart from the rest?
There is no doubt that these are challenging times for the fashion world. Competition has never been higher, especially with the rise of digital marketing, not to mention the rise of talents worldwide. Leading the growth and expansion of Esposa internationally has definitely been challenging but when passion is big enough, no room is left for fatigue or second thought. Nothing can stand in the way of your motivation to accomplish your goals and realize the dreams you’ve always had for yourself.
Moreover, every business has its experience through the years and this is how success is achieved through learning. Therefore, what makes Esposa stand out is that it has been there for 30 years and became a legacy since then. Every bride that enters Esposa is professionally consulted from head to toe with the right wedding dress, the proper stilettos and the perfect attire. From our many satisfied brides, successful matches and our exceptional royal treatment, Esposa gained a place amongst luxury brands that offered to cater to sophisticated brides.
Every designer has a creative process. What is yours and how does it move course from a concept to reality?
Every creation process starts naturally with brainstorming, which lasts for weeks inside our atelier. During this phase, we elaborate mood boards about the fabrics, the cuts, and the overall feel of the collection. The second phase witnesses the concretization of these boards into rounds of sketches from which we keep only our favorite. This is when execution starts in our atelier, bringing exquisite designs into life through the great craftsmanship of our workers.
How many hours of work goes into making an Esposa Couture creation? Which creations are you are most proud of?
Because every hand-made piece is unique, each one has its own requirements in terms of number of workers and time of creation. However, on average, we can consider a time of 2 full months for the creation of an Esposacouture dress.
As for the creations I am mostly proud of, it’s very hard for me to choose, especially the 2017-2018 collection, because each and every piece is to die for! Esposacouture weaves women’s biggest dreams to create exclusive statement dresses that are unique to every bride. The atelier translates years of expertise in the bridal fashion market coupled with a deep understanding of what brides desire, resulting in bespoke creations distinguished by skilled mastery.
Do you design keeping a particular woman in mind? Who is the Esposacouture bride?
She is definitely not any other bride. The Esposacouture bride is a couture queen by excellence; she is fashion-savvy, she knows what she wants and loves to stand out. She wants to be unique and she’s not ready to compromise on any detail to make her desires come true. She wants a tailor-made dress because she knows that her dream dress simply cannot be found anywhere.
What do you think are the most important things a bride should consider when they’re choosing their gown? Is there a style that’s flattering for everyone?
The most important tip is to help her choose the right dress for her shape, personality, character and wedding theme or venue. But mainly I make sure she is happy with her choice because this is her wedding day and she should be happy yet comfortable with her herself. As for the style that’s flattering for everyone its Princess gowns, definitely! The Spring-Summer bride deserves to look no less than royalty on her big day! Esposacouture collection makes sure of that by resorting to heavy beadings and long trains, luxurious fabrics and impressive cuts, and volumes of unrivaled elegance. The dresses present different cleavage options to suit all shapes and bodies.
What styles and trends do you think we’ll be seeing more of in the coming seasons and years?
There are many trends that make the SS18 collection this year! From a non-white wedding dress, to the off-the shoulder cuts, sexy plunges, oversized bows and long trains, veils and capes! Those classic elements made a dramatic statement this year, designed again for the bold bride.
SHORT TAKES
Your favourite designer? Dior
Your fashion muse? Kate Moss
Your favourite material to work with? Gazar
The perfect wedding dress would be? One with a Ballgown cut
If you had to the chance to design for one celebrity (dead or alive) …? Grace of Monaco