Modern brides nowadays are not only searching for their dream wedding dresses, but also something unique and meaningful. If more brides are looking for organic catering and recycled stationary, why not consider an eco-friendly, sustainable dress?
We are so excited to introduce to you a creative eco wedding dress designer, Patty Nayel. Patty and her studio, Pure Magnolia, is here to help eco brides find their ideal dresses! We asked Patty to share some of her designs and stories with Praise, because we know these will take your wedding inspiration up to a new level. Enjoy!
Praise: Why eco wedding dresses? Tell us how your ideas and business started!
Patty: Pure Magnolia started off as a school project in the 4th year of my Bachelors degree in Fashion Design. Pure Magnolia came about because I was getting married at the time, and I found it very hard to find a dress as fun and fashion forward as I wanted, but also sustainable. This prompted me to explore the market, and I found that the only eco options at the time really were more about being eco (and frumpy) than looking like a great wedding dress. As my ideas evolved, so did my company.
Praise: What are your favorite dresses and tell us the stories behind these designs.
Patty: One of my most popular dresses is the Polka Dot Dress. This dress was honestly a fluke. I had picked up some polka dot mesh fabric many years before because I thought it was kinda cute, but I had no idea as to what to do with it. Last year I was playing around with the ideas of some short dresses and I pulled out the fabric. The dress came together pretty quickly, over the course of 2 days it was almost finished. I had a bride coming in for a short dress, so I put the sample out with our other dresses. The second she walked in she fell in love with it, bought it and was super happy 3 months later when she was married in it. That was the fastest I ever had a sample sell! Who knew polka dots would be so popular!
Another style that is close to my heart is my bubble dress. This is actually the dress I got married in! The bubble dress was the dress I walked down the aisle in, had our first kiss and said our vows in. It is special not just because of the memories, but because it was one of the 1st eco fabrics I found ( it is made of Wild Peace silk that is raised and hand woven in small villages in Northern India) for the collection. I can still remember it being delivered with a roll of hemp/silk to my house!
Praise: What do you enjoy most about your career in the wedding industry?
Patty: I love working with brides, and I love making their planning just a little easier and greener. There is not much that we can’t do, and I love it when a bride askes for something that most places would say no to, but since we make the dresses ourselves I can always say YES. We have a very laid back and easy-going approach to weddings, there is very little pressure, and we like to keep our studio stress free (at least when the brides are around)!
Praise: Share some of your secret dreams or wild thoughts!
Patty: I find that my favorite part of working with wedding dresses is when a bride comes in with her mom’s dress to be re-made. Some of the stories are just so amazing, and I am so happy to be a part of the next chapter of the story! I hope one day I will be able to remake some of my own dresses for the next generation of brides (thats quite a long time away, but who knows)!
You can view more of Patty’s collection online and visit her studio in North Vancouver. See the site for more details! Thanks Patty!
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