The biggest designers and manufacturers in bridal fashion headed to the UK capital for Europe’s first bridal trade event of the year, Bridal Week London 2022. Following a jam-packed three days, here’s our pick of all the best looks direct from the Frow.
Bridal Week London 2022 saw brands and retailers came together in London for the first time since 2019; an example of the global bridal industry’s resilience over the past two years.
Being one of the top fashion capitals of the world, visitors were able to sit alongside the runway and be amongst the first to view some of the latest collections from world-renowned brands and designers.
Maggie Sottero Designs, Morilee, Ronald Joyce, and Savin London each hosted private Fashion Shows, showcasing their stunning designs and allowing retailers to get a better look at the gowns up close and personal.
The Bridal Week London preview shows were also a hit with retailers as nine brands hit the catwalk. These included Bibiana Cabello, Dando London, Ellis Bridals, Evie Young, Kate Fearnley, Lily London, Madi Lane, Seren Moda, and Shikoba Bride.
Trends From the Runway at Bridal Week London 2022
Sleeves
One of the biggest trends from this year’s runway was its variety of statement sleeves. Ellis, Seren Moda and Morilee were just some of the brands featuring an array of stunning sleeve options with their gowns.
This is an incredibly popular trend at the moment, providing stunning shape, volume, texture and drama, and giving brides multiple options for how they choose to create their wedding day look.
Taking inspiration from Regency fashion, Ellis Bridals’ structured puff sleeve featured delicate beaded embellishment and balanced out the gown’s deep V-neckline. The bishop balloon sleeve also made an appearance on this year’s runway, where Morilee’s sheer sleeves added an ethereal and whimsical touch to their A-line dress. Seren Moda’s dropped lace sleeves were a romantic addition to the classic mermaid style, that softly draped from the bodice to highlight the decolletage.
Bohemian
The catwalk also played host to some bohemian-inspired gowns. Kate Fearnley’s use of tasselled sleeves and lace made this simple and sleek silhouette a stand-out design on this year’s runway.
This Shikoba Bride gown embodied the relaxed and whimsical bohemian bride, adding layers of crocheted lace, fringing and scalloped trim. Bibiana Cabello contemporary silhouette with a relaxed, floating skirt was injected with a boho-twist of ruffle cuff sleeves and broderie anglaise style seams.
Colour
Shaking up the traditional white colour palette of bridal gowns, pops of colour also made an appearance this year. Each of White Gallery’s SAVIN London and It Was All A Dream gowns were tied together with a stunning exploration of floral colours, and each finished with hand-painted colour detail.
Ronald Joyce graced the runway with a blue, sweetheart-neckline ballgown, adorned with bright pink floral embellishment and matching sheer cape. Maggie Sottero’s satin scarlet ballgown, complete with ruched bodice and delicate straps, caught every eye and made a bold statement on this year’s runway.
High-leg Splits
It was hard to miss the high-leg splits making their appearance on this year’s runway, as Dando London, Maggie Sottero and SAVIN London each chose to add this flirty element to some of their more traditional silhouettes.
Paired with a fitted lace bodice, the slit in Maggie Sottero’s gown complemented its elegant femininity. SAVIN London showcased a stunning satin gown, complete with one shoulder floral applique and high split, making for a dress that feels demure with a hint of sexy. Dando London brought a slinky, spaghetti strap gown adorned with head to toe embellishment, that certainly wowed the crowd with a super thigh-high slit.
Structured Bodices & Corsetry
Exposed corsetry has made a big comeback on the catwalk this year, adding a vintage and couture quality to traditional bridal designs. Seren Moda, Bibiana Cabello and Madi Lane are just some of the brands who highlighted visible bodice structure.
Bibiana Cabello’s high-necked gown mimicked a bustier with well-placed, intricate crochet applique, Seren Moda’s romantic fishtail silhouette was complimented by a deep, angular neckline and exposed corsetry, and Madi Lane’s contemporary sweetheart gown was complete with structured corset lines to cinch the waist.
