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Jenna Bush-Inspired Bridalwear Nicola Ruiz, 05.09.08, 1:00 PM ET
No doubt tomorrow will be a big day for Jenna Bush, one of President Bush's 26-year-old twin daughters. That's when she will wed Henry Hager at the family's 1,600-acre ranch in Crawford, Texas. But it's also likely to be a big day for Lela Rose, the New York-based designer who was commissioned to design the dresses for Bush's 14 members of the "house party." "That's 'Southern' for bridesmaids," says Rose, a Dallas native who plans on attending the 7:30 p.m. wedding--with pin cushion in hand. In Pictures: Jenna Bush-Inspired BridalwearIn 1996, Rose launched her first collection out of her Manhattan apartment; she got a major boost when the Bush sisters wore her designs to their father's 2001 inauguration. (It's also no coincidence that Rose's father and Bush were general managing partners of the Texas Rangers back in the late '80s.) Today, the Lela Rose ready-to-wear collection is sold in over 50 stores nationwide, including Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom (nyse: JWN - news - people ) as well as 15 international locations in countries such as Indonesia, Russia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. She launched her bridal gown collection, Lela Rose Wedding, in 2006; it is now carried in 22 stores.
"Having the girls wear our clothes has definitely helped put Lela Rose on the map and raise awareness of the collection," says Rose. "Dressing the girls for the inauguration was a huge event for us in terms of getting people to recognize our name and our company." Robert Burke, former fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman and founder of Robert Burke Associates, a New York-based luxury consulting firm, anticipates that following the wedding, a collection of Lela Rose bridesmaid dresses will be the next addition to her bridal collection. "This is exposure and advertising that you just can't buy," he says. "When Narciso Rodriguez designed the wedding dress for Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, it really established his name worldwide, and Jenna Bush could do the same for Rose."
Pretty Party While, to some, it may sound like a dizzying rainbow of colors, Los Angeles-based celebrity wedding designer Sasha Souza says it's the best option for a large wedding party. What do you think of Rose's designs? Weigh in. Add your thoughts in the Reader Comments section below. "Fourteen girls all in one color is too monotonous--it's a sea of orange or pink," says Souza, who has planned the weddings of actress Amy Acker, "Extra" host Dayna Devon and Andre Agassi. "You don't see this tonal range of colors too often, because most wedding parties aren't big enough to pull it off," says Souza, noting that the average number of bridesmaids is six. "I particularly like the fact that she selected a variety of different necklines, too--one-shoulder, V-neck, boatneck, etc.--because strapless bridesmaid dresses are so last-season." The tonal color trend is one that Sandra Usherov, director of sales for New York-based bridal designer Jenny Yoo says is taking off. "For a few years, brides have tried to individualize the bridesmaid dresses by adding a contrast waistband or a selection of lengths or necklines, but now they are introducing dresses in a range of colors," says Usherov. In fact, for Yoo's April 2007 wedding, she selected two shades of green in different styles for her four bridesmaids. For her own wedding gown, Jenna Bush has turned to Oscar de la Renta, a favorite of her mother, First Lady Laura Bush. In an interview that appeared in the May issue of Vogue, Bush revealed only that it's a simple and elegant design made with organza, a sheer fabric, with embroidery and matte beading. In Pictures: Jenna Bush-Inspired BridalwearHave a question? Ask our community of experts here.More On This Topic
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