We are thrilled to bring you internationally renowned bridal dress designer Victoria KyriaKides.  Her Haute Couture Spring 2015 collection below is an ultra feminine expression of refinement and timeless beauty.  Here, Victoria shares with us her designing background, what inspires her, and where in the United States you can find her gorgeous creations.

How did you started designing bridal gowns and how long have you been designing?   I have been designing bridal and evening wear since the early 2000’s.  I had a successful ready to wear brand and friends started to ask me to design their bridal dresses. Designing bridal and evening wear evolved organically for me and the Victoria KyriaKides brand. I also grew up in an environment where I was fortunate to be immersed in beautiful, luxurious fabrics and tailored-made clothing. My father and mother traveled all over the world and had very contemporary taste and appreciation for fine things. They used to bring back the latest fabrics from fashionable cities, like Paris. London, Tokyo for my mother that had all of her clothing custom-made. As all of the clothing my mother wore was tailored, I grew up learning, understanding and appreciating Couture clothing. I used to take from my mother the left-over fabric and design creations for my dolls when very young. They were beautifully constructed miniature gowns! Growing up in this environment was the most critical part that led me to become a designer. This is a large part of why I love designing Haute Couture and why construction is extremely important to me. The construction of my dresses is of the utmost importance to the brand;  everything is created and sewn with exact precision from the inside layers to the outer part of the dress.

Please tell us about your creative process for designing gowns:  When I start sketching the new line, I always know what will be the aesthetic, I would like to give through it. Then, I travel to Paris and Milan, meeting my associates, from the finest silk and Lace Houses to show me their new ideas of fabrics, that would probably fit to my sketches. Getting back to my atelier, I start working on mannequins, using the French Haute Couture, technique of “Moullage”, meaning that, with my hands, like a sculptor, I build the whole dress, the draping, every cut and small detail, with hundreds of pins, on the mannequin. After that very creative, but time-consuming procedure, the new designs are ready for my tailors to “solve the puzzle” under the pins and make the first patterns. Next process is to match every small element that will identify the style of the new line, for example the thin metal fringes, the Swarovski beats, the feathers, etc.  Finally, each dress is finished by hand, with amazing care and craftsmanship.

Where do you find inspiration for your designs? I start working on a new collection always having in mind that I need to design something new, fresh;  something that will stand out and make the difference. Something that would make me feel unique if I were a bride! The inspiration comes from the need to create a new trend, as the bridal Lacy jumpsuit that I designed four seasons  ago and became a huge trend!  Also, the tuxedo suits with beautiful tulle and long trains from my current collection, “True Tux Love”.

What was the inspiration or theme for your 2015 bridal collection? “My fall 2015 collection is an ultra-feminine, ethereal expression of refined, fresh Couture.   My dream was to create an exquisite, timeless focal point for a woman to wear on that magical day.”  True. Tux. Love. was the idea behind my inspiration.  I wished to translate love in the art medium of fashion to offer an elegant collection of ultra-glamorous, impeccably tailored Couture gowns with gracefully entwined precious French laces, luxurious fabrics and sophisticated adornments. I designed every dress to have elements of transformation: Every bridal gown morphs into an evening gown in this collection. And I remained true to my signature design elements of:  Elegantly exposed backs, flawless fit & construction, and ultra-precise, methodical draping which sculpts the female body. A seductive, femininely structured ivory Cordone and Chantilly lace tux jacket is my newest trend, and is presented over gowns or paired with flawless trousers.

Victoria KyriaKides Haute Couture collections can be found worldwide. Here are the locations in the United States: Victoria KyriaKides New York atelier (350 West 43rd Street, Suite 34C, NY NY 10036), Ever After Miami in Miami, FL, Marina Morrison in San Francisco, CA, and M Bride in San Diego, CA

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We’ll be featuring Victoria KyriaKides Haute Couture Fall 2015 – 2016 Collection this coming Monday. Be sure to leave us a comment below and tell us what you love most about Victoria’s collection.

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