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AMY MICHELSON BRIDAL

The story of Amy Michelson, the golden girl of the bridal fashion industry.

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I had the pleasure of interviewing Amy Michelson, an award winning fashion designer who has never forgotten her roots. Her charm, spiritual inspiration, intuitiveness generosity and love of humanity are all part of her success story.

Prelude to interview
It all started out for a small town girl in Wyckoff, New Jersey, born to a Quaker family, when she was inspired by a trip to the Hampton’s with her family. It was here that Amy discovered the world of fashion and thus her dream of being a fashion designer began.

Amy Michelson transferred from Bard College, where she studied painting, to Parson’s school of Design in New York. Ambitious and talented she started her first business at the young age of twenty-two, designing a 1950’s style dress with circles of ribbon and tight bodice. It was a huge success, suddenly overnight it was being sold at Bergdorf Goodman, Saks and Neiman Marcus. Amy’s styles were suddenly being featured in Harper Bazaar and Vogue magazine. The stress of success at a young age left her longing for change and as quick as she entered the fashion industry she exited to pursue an acting career. With very little experience, other than some drama courses in school, she left fashion for acting on an inspiration that becoming an actor was her calling. Amy put her heart and soul into her new career and again, she was successful starring in Falcon Crest for a year as well as re-occurring roles on China Beach and Head of the Class. As time passed, her ideals changed and the movie industry lost its appeal. Coincidently, it was also a time when Holly Harp was looking for a design assistant. Through a friend’s introduction with Ms. Harp, Amy made a natural transition back into the fashion industry.

Q: How did you get started designing wedding gowns?
A: While working at Holly Harp in 1996, a fashion assistant who was getting married asked if I would help her find a wedding dress. She wanted a wedding gown that was simple and elegant, not like the traditional style that was available in the wedding industry at that time. We looked all over but couldn’t find anything. We ended up buying a white vintage bias-cut gown and remaking it. When the gown was completed it was gorgeous. A light-bulb went off in my head and I thought why not create a line of classic glamorous wedding gowns influenced by the timeless styles of stars like Greta Garbo or Carol Lombard. In 1997, I created a bias cut wedding gown collection and went to New York.

Q: What is your favourite fabric to work with when creating your wedding gowns?
A:  My favourite fabric to work with is silk Charmeuse cut on a bias because it drapes so nicely over the body.  It creates clean lines that flow softly over the curves of a woman.

Q: What type of woman wears your dresses?
A:  The type of woman that wears my dresses is glamorous, creative, self confident and elegant with a Hollywood sense of style. The gowns I create make a woman feel sexy and beautiful like a Hollywood movie star on her wedding day. I create a sexy gown a bride walks down the aisle in and her future husband thinks WOW but on the same note, elegant enough that Grandma is not falling off her chair.


Q: What recommendations do you have for a bride picking a dress for her wedding?
A:   When looking for a bridal gown for your wedding, I recommend that you don’t take too many people with you. Bring your mom or a girlfriend who knows your style. The bride should not ignore her own personal emotional reaction to a dress. You have to trust yourself and know that you will have the, “this is the dress” feeling.  If the dress is right, you will fall in love with yourself in it.


Q:  How has your work in the entertainment field influenced your design of wedding gowns?
A:  My entertainment background has a big influence on my wedding designs! I am very comfortable with glamour and celebrities. I really absorbed all the glamour of Hollywood and it comes out in my designs. My entertainment background is not the only influences for my designs, I am very intuitive and I read the market well.

Q:  What new trends can we expect for the upcoming wedding season from Amy Michelson Bridal Collection?
A: You can expect more BLING this season.  Jewellery will be bigger and chunkier and gowns will have a lot more texture. You will see lace and satin fabric combinations with special embellishments for the upcoming season.

Q:  What do you consider to be the core values of your company? Has time and experience changed these?
A:  The core values of my company are very solid. I believe in a spiritual and holistic approach to life and beauty.  “Body, Style and Spirit” creates the whole woman. I believe in empowering women inside and out. There is also a philanthropic element in my business that is very much apart of whom I am with my charity “LOVE IS A CURE.”

Colleen Oreskovic
Stylist/Fashion Contributor
[email protected]
The Ring Bearer.ca

Amy Michelson's 2008 Collection
AMORE
GODIVA
GRACE
LACE-UP
PEACHES AND CREAM 
SUGAR 
WEDGEWOOD
WHITE CHOCOLATE
WRAPSODY 

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