Disney Preps to Dress Princess Brides: Is This ‘Happily Ever After’?
And naturally, there's been a singular upswell of excitement from the press, engaged couples, and those few bridal shops blessed by the magic wand that grants them distribution. The general reaction so far (to the idea — not the gowns)? Mixed.
"I would have thought that because many young women are waiting until their late 20s and early 30s to marry, that would put them long past the delusional princess stage," says a media critic in the Vancouver Sun. "I'm guessing they'll be kind of tacky," says a bride on a popular Disney forum, who wistfully adds, "maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised."
Some wedding planners are a little more optimistic. "It's a good way to for brides to put their theme over the top — stand out from all the other Disney weddings happening that year," says Shayna Box of Posh Celebrations.
"Disney's been a favorite destination wedding/honeymoon spot for years. I wouldn't be surprised if there was huge demand for the character gowns," says Mattie Johnson of Look No Further Events.
Couture or Costume?
Part of the resistance is the vision of thirty-something brides gliding down the aisle in bouffant Quinceañera style dresses, maybe with a Mickey logo here and there. Even the Wall Street Journal contributes briefly to this scare, describing the product line as a princess look, "complete with billowing gowns and crystal tiaras."
Not so, not so, says the PR rep for Kirstie Kelly, the designer tipped for this giant commission, who's said, "They will be high-fashion and very modern. We are modernizing the princess concept." And the details leaked by the WSJ back her up, with sketches showing sultry mermaid silhouettes, dropped backs and plenty of bare shoulders.
Kirstie Kelly: From Footlights to Floodlights
Amy-Jo Tatum, fashion journalist, former fabrics buyer and longtime custom gown designer, has followed Kelly's work for years. She, too, believes the designs that flow from the "House of Kelly" are far more likely to be couture-friendly than cringeworthy.
"Kelly's a beautiful designer," she says, "And I think this is a good step for her and Disney both." When she first came on the scene, says Tatum, Kelly immediately struck her as innovative.
"I'd put her in with greats like Vera Wang."
Vera Wang, with her punk-princess designs and torn fabrics? "Well, Kelly's innovations were a little different," says Tatum, recalling sumptuous fabrics and clean lines. "One of the first I remember was a debutante-type strapless A-line, but underneath was what looked like two layers of pleated organza ruffles ... gorgeous.
"She also did an evening gown that had a nostalgic feel: asymmetrical torso flowing into a full skirt — a really beautiful version of a mermaid.
"I don't think she has a princessy look in general, but I do see a very romantic designer."
Odd Couple or Match Made in Heaven?
Which brings up the obvious question: with Disney looking to one designer or label to launch an enormous fleet of princess gowns, why Kelly? After all, up until now, Kelly — though well-known in the fashion world — hasn't exactly been a household name. And if you were a mega-corporation appealing to princess brides, wouldn't you pick someone who'd already carved out that niche for themselves?
"It's true, I wouldn't necessarily see Disney type gowns with Kelly," says Tatum. "You'd naturally think of labels like St. Pucchi or Lazaro, which I see more as princess gowns. They're huge — enormous ballgowns, exactly the type you think of when you hear 'Cinderella.'
And she'd connect the dots right away, she says, if Disney had gone with almost any of the British designers. Elizabeth Emanuel, for example, who became a household name when Princess Di wore her magnificent gown down the aisle. "It's not American designers all limit themselves to the debutante dress ... but on the whole, they're not as costumey as the British."
The conclusion? These gowns are likely to lean more toward sleek modern lines and couture echoes than princess costumes after all — just as Kelly's spokeswoman says.
"She'll just keep doing what she's doing," says Tatum. "She'll stick to her creative process — her own version that she takes away from the Jasmines and Ariels. If someone said to me, 'do Cinderella,' it would be my take on what Cinderella would do."
With Great Opportunity Comes Strange Pitfalls
There might be only one glitch here for Kelly, says Tatum, which befell super-designer Elizabeth Emanuel not long after her House of Windsor triumph. "If this takes, her gowns might be remembered by name — the Cinderella gown, the Snow White gown.
"It's an interesting position. Because Emanuel is working at this amazing level — she's done many beautiful things since Di's dress — but she's really remembered for almost none of them, outside of fashion circles or British designer circles."
(Of course, Emanuel lost the rights to her own name in a complicated business sale, which didn't help at all. Helpful note to Kelly: keep control of your name.)
"I just hope she'll keep up her ready-to-wear line," says Tatum, adding, "this really is good both for Disney and Kelly.
"Not many designers get this opportunity. And not many conglomerates have a chance to work with someone that talented."
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I think you guys are kind of missing the point- it’s more of a concept- kind of an artsy point of view.
If you have a bit of imagination you can see the tie in, and what fun would it be if it were exact?
Grow up.
I was very disappointed in these gowns! I expected to see nothing short of amazing gowns and all I saw was just okay. I don’t really see the Disney Princess connection either. What a let down.
/:D These dresses were totally disappointing. I did not see any Disney inspiration at all. Although some of the dresses could be called nice, mostly they looked tacky and cheap…but I’m sure they are actually a small fortune. [-(
I liked the jasmin dress and the snow white as well. However, I certainly didn’t see the true Disney tie-in. With the standards Disnesy usually holds for itself, it definitely looks like they’ve lowered them this time. These dresses aren’t anything you couldn’t find in any other bridal shop. When I think of a Disney Princess I imagine an enchanted beauty….something I definitely don’t see in any of these dresses. Likely, poor brides out there will be overcharged for a David’s Bridal knockoff.
dude you guys total messed this up none of them are even closely related to the real disney princess’s you guys are oh my god.. just totally making people over pay on stuff thats not even real!
The Ariel and Jasmine dresses were the only ones where I could see any inspiration from the characters. My daughter’s favorite movie ever is Sleeping Beauty, and instead of the lovely portrait neckline and graceful sleeves, there was a tank top. A full skirt was the only connection, and you can get that from any line. The designer needs to go back to her drawing board.
Love the new dresses. Who cares if they are Disney inspired. If you love the look….. My favorites were Belle & Cinderella. I can see these more on a younger bride, however, they were all beautiful and could make you feel like a princess.
The dresses are beautiful.
i totally loved the Belle & Jasmine dresses!!! I have 2 agree with Jovan, the Jasmine dress does look sexier.:”> But i just CANNOT decide b-tween either 1 for my wedding in September!!!
I will certainly not be wearing any those dresses. They aren’t nearly the same class as the other bridal gowns so therefore i just call them plain old dresses. Of course I’ve already decided on a gown made by the Australian designer Maggie Sottero, so if you’ve ever seen her work you’d see why I could never settle for something so drab.
I think they are beautiful! However, I don’t think I would ever wear a “Disney” dress…. “what are you wearing?’, “Ummmm……… Disney.”, “Disney? are you 12?” Especially on my wedding day, I want to be sophisticated and mature. My suggestion to Disney is to market the dresses under a different name, a sub entity owned by Disney…. something more mature sounding.
I really thought that the Jasmine dress and the Belle dress were pretty representative of their character’s, but if I saw all the others without their character labels, I would just think of all the other gowns I’ve seen in magazines. And I heard they will cost between $1,100-$3000!!! One can find a much more unique gown for that. 8-|
I really like the Jasmine dress. It’s a little sexier than a “regular” empire waist gown. :”>
I’m too impressed about the overall line for my special day.
8-|
:-w
I don’t know. I understand that they’re “inspired” by the characters, and I really see that in the sketches. However, the completed dresses are pretty bland. They look just like hundreds of dresses I’ve seen before. I just expected a little more creative license with the gowns.
I agree that I was disappointed to see the less than elegant gowns. The Belle and Cinderella gowns are my favorites but prob. wouldnt wear them in my wedding. Well maybe next time. I expected a more princessy look for these gowns and they have been contemporized. :D>-