In the May/June issue of Bridal Buyer, we went down under to assess the hottest Australian bridal designers of the moment. Read on to discover even more Australian bridalwear brands and to stay ahead of the trends that are currently enchanting brides across the UK.

Wendy Makin Bridal Designs

This year marks 25 years in business for acclaimed Australian designer Wendy Makin. She sources beautiful laces and exquisite fabrics from around the world, allowing her to produce the highest quality wedding gowns. The multi-award-winning styles and impeccable customer service from the Wendy Makin Bridal Designs team is valued throughout Australia, New Zealand and the UK. As well as her Couture collection, Wendy also has the ‘French Collection’ which has a playful design approach and a straightforward philosophy, making it a popular choice with brides worldwide. wendymakin.com

Cathleen Jia

Australian wedding dress designer Cathleen Jia is known for her romantic, vintage-inspired bridal gowns that incorporate contemporary details for modern brides. If you cater for rebellious brides who love to break the rules, Cathleen’s creations are perfect for you – she believes in moving away from tradition to focus on a bride’s individual style. Her Bespoke, Made to Measure and Bridal Separates collections are hugely popular with Australian bides and are garnering her attention worldwide. cathleenjia.com.au

Nevenka

Bridal brand Nevenka was created in 2006 by Rosemary Masic following the sudden death of her mother, and was named in her honour. Based in Melbourne, Nevenka is a luxury Eastern European fashion house specialising in ready-to-wear and custom-made gowns. The making of each garment is supervised by Rosemary, who is all about the detail and will never compromise on quality. The bohemian chic dresses are inspired by family heirlooms, travels and her mother’s legacy, making each Nevenka piece easy to identify. nevenka.com.au

Karen Willis Holmes

Established in 2000, Karen Willis Holmes is one of the leading bridal brands to come from Australia. Following the success of her couture designs, she launched the Bespoke and Ready to Wear bridal collections in 2004 to cater to brides who wanted high-quality gowns with the ease and price of a ready-to-wear dress. The hands-on, personal approach, commitment to detail and gorgeous designs made from the highest quality fabrics makes the brand stand out as a market leader. karenwillisholmes.com

Lisa Gowing

Based in Sydney, Lisa Gowing has spent her entire career focused on the romantic art of bridal fashion. Her collection of high fashion wedding dresses in layered silks and French and Italian laces, launched in 1997, changed the whole face of bridal fashion in Australia. She is now celebrating 20 years of creating beautiful bridal gowns, and in the past two decades has experienced career highlights such as launching a ready-to-wear collection in 2004, and dressing celebrites such as Hugh Jackman’s wife, Deborah Lee Furness, Delta Goodrem, Georgie Gardner and Libby Trickett. lisagowing.com

Grace Loves Lace

Melbourne based bridal brand Grace Loves Lace had been causing a stir with those in the know for quite some time, before really exploding onto the world stage in 2017 when their ‘Hollie’ dress was crowned Most Pinned Wedding Dress by Pinterest. They opened their first European showroom in April 2017 after recognising that brides-to-be on the other side of the world loved their laid-back, untraditional designs. graceloveslace.com

Anna Campbell

Anna Campbell’s designs are inspired by vintage romance, created to suit the relaxed elegance of modern weddings. The typical Anna Campbell bride is bohemian, romantic and free-spirited, so she needs a wedding dress to match. Every gown is handmade in the Melbourne studio from delicate tulles, floating silk organza and intricately hand-beaded lace, and adorned with sparkling, hand-applied embellishments. Each gown is custom-made, and customised to suit each brides’ needs, shape and style. annacampbell.com.au

Suzanne Harward

Suzanne Harward is a pioneer of Australian bridal fashion. The designer has been creating couture wedding dresses in Australia since 1975. Designed and made in Melbourne, bridal gowns by Suzanne Harward are made using the finest fabrics which are sourced from around the globe. The designer is inspired by art, nature and the world around her – whether it’s a high fashion minimalist gown, or an intricately detailed design, you can expect the highest level of craftsmanship and quality when it comes to Suzanne Harward creations. suzanneharward.com

Interesting in Australian bridal fashion? Make sure you watch our video interview with Karen Willis Holmes.