Kitri’s First Bridal Collection Is Ideal For The Modern, Multi-Event Wedding

Once upon a time, a wedding began when the congregation stood to catch a first glimpse of the bride as she made her entrance, and ended with guests waving the happy couple off on their honeymoon later that same night. A far cry from modern nuptials, which often include pre-wedding dinners or post-wedding brunches that extend the celebrations well beyond a single day – and certainly a single outfit. It was this shift that Haeni Kim, the founder of direct-to-consumer womenswear brand Kitri, had in mind when she set about creating its first bridal collection, revealed exclusively on Vogue.

“Our collection was designed precisely with the many different types of events surrounding the wedding in mind – the engagement party, the hen do, the registration, the dinner before, the day of the wedding, the party the day after,” she says. “It’s the best time of your life surrounded by friends and family, and you really want to look good and feel good.” Which brings us to another salient point: the price. News that the collection – which includes understated wrap dresses, jacquard jumpsuits and a form-fitting lace midi dress Monica Bellucci would approve of – starts from £195 will be music to the ears of brides-to-be eager to emulate Priyanka Chopra (whose Indian wedding to Nick Jonas lasted a week and spanned three cities), but without a similar budget to play with.

“I think the offer out there is extremely limited for brides who are looking for something special without breaking the bank, so we set out to change that,” the designer explains. “What I felt was missing in particular, was designs that were more playful and modern for brides that weren’t looking for ‘the gown’ but still wanted to feel special, rather than classically minimal or overtly sexy,” adds Kim, who cites Bianca Jagger as a bridal muse (hence those jumpsuits).

Elsewhere on Kitri’s bridal moodboard, Audrey Hepburn, “and a bit of Wallis Simpson” – the “classic names” as Kim puts it. It shows in a collection that will appeal to unfussy brides-to-be looking for something contemporary yet timeless, and certainly to existing Kitri devotees – the first release includes bridal interpretations of some of the brand’s best-loved silhouettes to date. “I love the idea that you don’t have to wear something that feels wildly out of your style only because it’s your wedding,” Kim says. “I feel it’s more modern for brides to keep their sense of style throughout the whole process, and not succumb to the traditional expectations of weddings.” Kitri’s bridal capsule collection starts from £195 and is available from 19th January at Kitristudio.com.