Known for not being one to shy away from an extravagant gown, we are quite pleased to announce that in the past week at Bridal Fashion Week in New York, Galia Lahav did not fail to disappoint us with her stunning designs. The Russian descendant was born into a family of seamstresses and began by teaching art classes to the local neighbourhood. Since opening her own shop selling her handmade lace appliques in 1985, her fashion brand was created and grew to become the haute couture powerhouse that it is today. Revered for the dresses' illusion backs, intricate details and full flowing skirts with soft, delicate, Italian lace, Galia Lahav has been a firm favourite in the fashion world for years now.
Her most recent bridal line, Les Reves Bohemiens, was unveiled during Bridal Fashion Week and it did not fail to live up to the reputation of its predecessors. With bright embellishment, delicate fabrics and bold statement silhouettes, her collection for spring 2016 is more extravagant than ever.
We loved her plunging necklines and intricate corsets, which featured on many of her slim fitted silhouettes. A particular favourite amongst this had to be the fully embroidered lace bodice with plunging neckline and full length sleeves. The dress then led into a silk figure-hugging skirt, which had a light layer of chiffon tulle draping over its waist and down to the floor. The combination of all these fabrics, from the delicate lace on the bodice to the elegant and sensual silk in the skirt, made for a very graceful bride with just the right amount of wildness and sensuousness thrown in.
Another design trait that Galia Lahav incorporated into this collection were her floor length shawls and draping veils. It’s no secret that we are huge fans of floor-length shawl accessories and all that they can do for a gown, so we were ecstatic to see that Galia Lahav had in fact incorporated them directly into her wedding dresses. The partnership between these stunning flowing shawls and her slim, plunging gowns made for a very refined ensemble, yet with the perfect edge of mischief. The cascading light shawls that draped off the back and over the shoulders gave these sultry extravagant gowns an air of freedom and frivolity. The gown that embodied this perfectly in our opinion was her pristine, white tailored dress with a plunging keyhole neckline. The dress itself had minimal embroidery or embellishment, bringing the focus entirely to its shape. The most striking thing about this gown was its flowing, draping shawl in a light transparent tulle with delicate embroidery. It ran over the arms and onto the floor, and its delicate design added a further sense of opulence to the overall gown.
Another style that Galia Lahav chose to incorporate was flowing organza skirts. Along with the sultry, figure-hugging gowns she is known for, she also gave us a sneak peek into her lighter, more girly side of design, which were A-line skirts and fitted corsets. Combined with the wild, flowing curls that every runway model donned, these dresses were the personification of wild, freeing romance. These dresses included sheer, transparent sleeves with a plunging illusion neckline, flowing skirts in an incandescent fabric with a glossy embroidered pattern. More of her other stunning princess gowns included the slightly blue-toned organza gown with a cascading tulle skirt and a detailed intricate corset to match. The skirt was lavish and romantic, while the embroidered corset had off-the-shoulder sleeves in trailing embroidery that gave the illusion of an enchanted, mystical gown that had come to life. After all, the designer admits that her entire inspiration for this collection was derived directly from romance, with subtle fairy-tale elements.
Having brought to life both the slim-fitted lavish gowns and also the full skirts with their dreamy silhouettes, Galia Lahav is truly a master of skill. Her designs range from refined, poised gowns to wild enchanting skirts, all of which boast expert detailing and embellishment. Whichever type of gown it is that you are looking for, if you want it to be glamourous, if you want it to be eye catching, if you want it to be a showstopper – then you want Galia Lahav.
- Roisin Curran
Image Credits: Photography by Bryan Bedder via Getty Images for Galia Lahav