Bye, bye boho: Bridal trends spotted at European Bridal Week

For years, boho dominated bridalwear, but now it's making way for city chic. Satin and mikado fabrics, refined modern classics, and Hollywood glamour are increasingly coming to the forefront.

While Rembo Atelier has long focused on the boho aesthetic in bridal, the Belgian brand is now stepping away from it. “Even though brides are still getting married in that style, they don't want to call it boho anymore. It's become a forbidden word,” said Chiara de Vlieger of MRFG Group (the parent company of Rembo Atelier, Marylise, and Carta Branca), at European Bridal Week. The brand has even adjusted its logo accordingly.

At Ellis, there was also talk of moving away from boho by Sonja Jonkers, who said: “Boho is passé; it's city chic now.” Accordingly, the booth features a plethora of more minimalist gowns. “Every three to four years, something changes in bridal fashion,” said Mia Lavi, founder of her eponymous brand.

Modern, minimalist: City chic

Anyone who has been paying attention lately has seen the rise of more minimalist styles in bridalwear. This means that designs feature minimal embellishment and follow clean lines. However, this doesn't mean that there are no voluminous silhouettes. We heard from Mia Lavi, new Dutch brand Azuree Bridal, Belgian brand Marylise, British brand Ellis, German label Weise, and manufacturer Loré that minimalist styles are trending.

Basque waist: Dropped waist with V-shape

A dropped waist with a V-shape and sometimes exaggerated hip volume is reminiscent of bygone eras. Think Marie Antoinette or the British Tudors. These styles, often featuring a corset and full skirt, could be seen at brands like Justin Alexander, Weise, and Diane Legrand.

The end of traditional lace?

To be clear: During European Bridal Week, every bridalwear brand FashionUnited asked said that the bestseller in their collection was a gown with a lace bodice, illusion detailing and a flowy skirt, where the lace extends slightly over the waist.

Yet, it was also clear that brands were tiring of this style. “Lace came into the spotlight completely because of the royal wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William,” explained Kelvin Gibbs of Romantica of Devon. “But there are only so many types of lace you can use and shapes you can give it.” As a result, there's a lot of lace now with added 3D embellishments like flowers or pearls.

What was noticeable was the use of a modern interpretation of "lace" – large floral prints are appearing in many collections. While these were often just prominent in a few styles and experiments by the designers, the fabrics could be seen at Vivian Wonder, Lilly, and Azuree, among others.

Here to stay: Visible corsetry

The hype has transitioned into a trend. While most wedding dresses have a corset for structure, it's no longer being hidden as it was before. The boning is clearly visible, and designers are even playing with sheer fabrics to make the boning truly stand out.

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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