When Dilara Findikoglu was seven years old, her older sister got married, and it left a profound impression on her, so much so that a similar dress was made for her, in a soft shade of pink. “Seeing her become almost princess-like, looking like my Barbies coming to life, was so enchanting for me,” she recalls. Now a buzzy London-based designer, the Central Saint Martins graduate is known for her mix of historical references and hard-edged rockstar glamour—all Gothic corsetry, Victorian jackets, and shredded lace. A decade into her career, Findikoglu is launching an 8-piece capsule of bridal garments adapted from her ready-to-wear line, taking existing signatures and rendering them in softer colors, a continuation of the custom bridal garments she’s made in the past. “Every bride wants to feel special on her wedding day,” she says, “but my community wants to be dreamlike. The people who have come to me are the ones who wanted to look romantic in an unconventional way.”
“I really believe that the power of my clothes is to bring out the uniqueness in someone,” she adds. “That’s exactly why they became Dilara Brides: to reveal the most unique version of who they already are.”
Photo: Pavel Golik
The bridal capsule translates her signature elements—coy ruffles, body-hugging corsets, gauzy, millefeuille layers, and unfinished fabrics—into paler hues, with a decidedly antique cast. “I’m not someone who uses optical white very much,” she says. “I like it a bit dirty and aged. So we’ve used lots of different shades of ivory, champagne, and touches of black throughout.” She also offers a gray-blue taffeta, inspired by the colors Marie Antoinette preferred while at the Petit Trianon, and a baby pink, which she calls “the cutest color in the world.” It’s a callback to that sister-of-the-bride dress she wore as a little girl.
This is less of a formalized “launch” than Findikoglu simply evolving an existing aspect of her business. She has already dressed the photographer Harley Weir in a lean corseted gown for her nuptials, and fellow bride Allyson Shiffman, an editor at Vogue Scandinavia, in a dramatic skirt with an unfinished hem and crushed bow details. She imagines they can be worn on the walk down the aisle, by bridesmaids, or at a bachelorette party. Prices range from £1500 – £3000 and can be purchased exclusively on her website.
Tellingly, Findikoglu’s own relationship with the idea of marriage is complex. “Growing up in a conservative family, I was made to believe that for women to be free, they had to get married and then ask permission from their husbands to do certain things,” she says. “That made me run as fast as I could from the idea of marriage. At the same time, I’ve daydreamed about love and romance ever since I was a kid. I’m a hopeless romantic, so I do believe in eternal love. Whether it’s through marriage or with a piece of grass as a ring, I would like to somehow find a way to keep that love eternal.”