A Versatile Wedding Dress Is A Goal For Nadia Manjarrez

Many people don’t want to settle for a simple bridal gown. If you are continuing the celebrations, you might also want a fun and casual reception outfit. A bride wants options for her big day. Nadia Manjarrez is here to help. Nadia Manjarrez Studio Bridal, the designer who just launched her Fall 2022 collection under her name. The core of her philosophy is that a bride’s wedding day look should seamlessly move her from the ceremony to the reception.

Every dress is unique, but one dress, for instance, has a long fringe train. The look can be purchased as it is or you can choose to modify it to your preferences. Manjarrez tells us that you can remove the train and cut out any unnecessary details. You can customize your gown. “I felt there was a need for it, especially in 2020, when wedding plans were shifting and you needed a dress that could be worn for different occasions.” The bride-to-be has the option to buy one look and use it multiple times during her wedding weekend.

The Teya Dress with a Removable Train

Manjarrez will tell you how she created her own bridal brand. She worked for labels such as Badgley Mischka and Bibhu Mohapatra in New York City over the past decade. In January 2020, her family brought her home to Mexico. Six friends asked her to make their wedding gowns. This was the beginning of her fledgling brand.

“Having my own brand was always the ultimate goal.” She shares that she didn’t know where to begin. “I lost my father to COVID recently, and that is why I decided that this year is the year to accomplish everything because life is too short.”

However, it took a lot of dexterity to get there. After they submitted their requests, the global shut down put an end to her friends’ orders for wedding dresses. Manjarrez and her seamstress began to make face masks that they would donate to doctors and hospitals. The masks were later purchased by doctors, who helped Manjarrez’s business to stay afloat financially. After production had started a year later she assembled seven women — an all-women team from Monterrey, Mexico — in order to get the collection off the ground.

The first ever bridal collection features 14 looks, including a mixture of wedding dresses and gowns as well as a top-and-bottom pairing. Kintsugi is a Japanese art that repairs porcelain with metal. It’s often gold or silver. This was the inspiration for the lineup. Broken pieces are considered more beautiful because they have been broken. Manjarrez was a widow and had just lost her father. She also witnessed her mother lose the love of her heart. Manjarrez created the Yaya Gown, an Italian crepe gown with a dramatic, poppy-beaded train. (The poppies are her mom’s favorite flower and symbolize regeneration.)

For a complete look, you will need to spend between $3,000 and $5,000. Manjarrez can also create your custom-made outfit.

The collection was flexible because pieces had to be able to be altered. Even if you remove a detail, it still has to look great. Construction and fabrication were key components of the design process. Manjarrez says that the team debated what materials and techniques were best to use in order for a dress to be transformed. Hidden zippers are a key tool for adding or removing additional pieces, such as sleeves and trains. Manjarrez, who studied fashion design and textile design, revealed that many pieces of the collection are made from silk. She also included intricate beading and organza details and French lace.

The Esther Dress with Detachable Sleeves and Train

“It feels like we worked for six months on this collection, and the dresses didn’t look like dresses up until the last few weeks. It’s too much.” She says, “I feel like our team has been able accomplish everything because they come from such diverse backgrounds and each bring something to it.” Manjarrez said that the looks in her debut collection are named after members of her team or those who were close to her.

The 12-member team now includes all women. Manjarrez’s ethos as a designer involves creating local jobs in Mexico and encouraging a shared fashion knowledge among the community. All pieces are made in Mexico, while fabrics are imported from Europe, India, Taiwan, and elsewhere.

“The Mexican fashion industry is still young and growing.” She shares that there’s so many things she learned in New York City from working in ateliers. These lessons could be easily applied to Mexico. “I want to be in a position to give experiences to girls who have studied fashion schools in Mexico, whether it’s as an internship or work. There are many skilled seamstresses in Mexico, and I want them all to experience working for a fashion company.”

Manjarrez’s agile crew is made up of women from all walks of life and with different skills. Some of the women are seamstresses, while others were either at-home or in restaurants before joining the team. “I owned a taco truck, and I did my own clothing repairs. We shut down the taco truck due to the pandemic. I needed an income to support my home so I joined the team,” shared Lupita Jaimes-Sedano, one Manjarrez’s seamstresses.

Yuridiana Barraza Verduzco is responsible for packaging. She says that she started looking after Nadia’s nephew but was unable to do so due to the pandemic. “Nadia offered me help in the small details such as cutting elastics for her face masks. It was always positive at the studio. It’s easy to feel the positive energy.”

Although this positive, educational environment may seem too idealistic to be embraced by cynics and a utopian workplace, it is not without its challenges. Manjarrez stated that everyone had different levels of training and it took some time to get to the same place. To make everyone feel valued and heard, communication and feedback are essential.

Manjarrez believes that her launch of her brand in her home country is a sign she has made a complete circle. Manjarrez is now able to share the knowledge she has gained from years spent abroad in fashion and give it back to her local community. Because she understands how unpredictable life can be, she plans to help brides-tobe overcome any potential obstacles on their big day with her nameake label.