Dramatic Wedding Gowns Inspired by Flowers

In our brave new world, breaking molds and redefining traditions has become the norm. Not even the ubiquitous wedding gown — often a bland vision of femininity — can escape the winds of change.

Danielle Hirsch is one of the designers shaking up a somewhat static bridal scene. She made a name for herself as a bridal designer, gaining experience at Vera Wang before founding her own label, Danielle Frankel, that sought to create “a new perspective of what it means to be a woman getting married.” In 2019, she was the first-ever bridal designer nominated for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. Now, Hirsch is bridging the gap between the whitewashed world of weddings and the unlimited possibilities of ready-to-wear with a new collection.

Reinventing the fashion wheel, Danielle Frankel is not. But in the context of the usual bridal gowns, Hirsch brings a really fresh point of view … quite literally. Finding inspiration in a timeless source of beauty, Danielle Frankel’s fall-winter 2021 collection was “a response to studying the texture and language of flowers,” Hirsch told the Cut. “Dissecting the architecture of flowers to evoke the silhouettes and structure of the collection was a fresh approach for me. We commissioned floral artwork this season that we’ve applied in many different ways to the garments and on our collaborative Manolo Blahnik shoes.”

The collection marks the first time the brand has introduced color, and the dresses themselves really do emulate flowers: Silk and satin are draped over shoulders and waists to mimic bulbous tulips and roses, delicately cut lace dangles from ears like dainty daises, and pearl accessories punctuate the forms like pistils. Hirsch and a small team make it all by hand in her midtown atelier. “We continue to speak to new women and the moments they will always remember,” she said.

Below, see part of the Danielle Frankel fall-winter 2021 collection, and shop it all here.