To celebrate the launch of the 2019 Louvienne collection we travelled to the brand’s studio – where the magic happens! We caught up with Louvienne’s Designer, Tara Strobach to hear about her design process, what inspires her when creating new gowns, and even some advice for our future brides in the quest for the perfect dress. Check out our Q+A with the lace placement queen below and then click here to see the 2019 lookbook!
What or who was the inspiration behind Louvienne’s 2019 collection.
I like to pick a person or muse to start. This season, I felt drawn to Rooney Mara. She’s such a unique actress with an innate sense of style. She stays true to her love of clean and dramatic lines, but then sneaks in a bit of femininity in such an effortless way.
Describe the Louvienne bride.
The Louvienne bride is a woman that is confident in her own skin. She’s not looking to be overwhelmed, or overpowered by a wedding gown, but instead to be the best version of herself on such a meaningful day.
Do you have a favorite gown from the collection?
From the Spring 2019 collection, my favorite is Adrien. She embodies what I feel is the Louvienne bride. The skirt is simple and clean with a bit of seaming detail, while the top has a subdued sexiness to it and strategically placed lace, giving it a modern artistic touch.
What inspires you when you design?
A big dose of “M&M’s” – Music and Materials. I absolutely love a late night creative session blasting some music and creating a tornado of materials in my office. Playing with the layering of fabrics and lace is the best way to feel inspired and drive my mind into a new direction. It’s fun to drape and play with materials and think, “what do you want to be tonight.”
What aspect of the design process do you love most?
My absolute favorite part of designing bridal is lace placement and fabrication. When fabricating a gown, you have to imagine you’re an architect for a moment and build the dress from the ground up. Every single layer should have a purpose and meaning. Every piece of boning and interfacing should provide the right amount of support. Once you have an amazing base built, getting to go back over the gown and puzzle in hand-cut pieces of lace in an artistic composition is just the icing on the cake!
Do you have any wedding dress shopping advice for brides?
Take a deep breath and remember to be true to yourself. It’s so easy to get caught up in everyone else’s expectations and opinions, and feel overwhelmed by the surplus of imagery out there. However, close your eyes and imagine it’s just you and your significant other… focus on where you are and what you’re surrounded by. Stay true to yourself and you can never go wrong!
If you could go on a dream vacation, where would it be?
I would have unlimited funds and time for this, right?! My dream vacation would be to sail throughout the Mediterranean sea for a month. I’d start the trip in Santorini, Greece, moving west to Sicily and Sardinia. Then head on to Nice and Marseille, and end the trip in Barcelona. The best part of the trip would be docking in the smaller, lesser known towns and immersing myself in their culture.
