Fashion Students Showcase Bridal Designs at National Bridal Market Chicago

Bridal gowns created by �� fashion students through the Concept to Consumer capstone are displayed at National Bridal Market Chicago at THE MART.

Student-created bridal designs developed through Columbia’s Concept to Consumer capstone collaboration with Loulette Bride. Photos by Ella Sharba.

Columbia fashion students gain national industry exposure as designs created through a year-long collaboration with Loulette Bride are displayed at National Bridal Market Chicago.

A year-long classroom collaboration with a bridal fashion brand earned �� students a place at one of the industry’s leading trade shows.

Garments from three student-designed collections—“Sovereign Bloom,” “Old Hollywood,” and “Symphony”—were selected for display at , which took place August 16–18 at THE MART. The invitation gave Columbia’s emerging designers an opportunity to present their work to bridal designers, manufacturers, retailers, and boutique owners from across the country.

National Bridal Market Chicago invited Columbia to participate as part of the trade show’s 50th anniversary celebration, recognizing the quality of the students’ work.

From Classroom Collaboration to Industry Showcase

The garments grew out of Columbia’s year-long Concept to Consumer capstone, which brings fashion design and merchandising students together in cross-functional teams that mirror how products are developed within the industry.

Students partnered with Loulette Bride, a Brooklyn-based bridal studio specializing in custom, locally made wedding gowns. Working with company founder Marteal Mayer and Columbia faculty members Goli Young and Reyes Witt, students researched the bridal market before designing, developing, and constructing collections inspired by the brand. Loulette Bride’s commitment to the LGBTQ+ community made the collaboration especially meaningful to students.

The bridal category was new to many of the students and introduced them to the needs of a highly specific customer.

“There is a tremendous amount of thought, consideration, and care that goes into both the design and execution of a bridal garment,” says Witt, assistant professor of instruction in the School of Fashion. “Every detail matters, and the finished garment has to feel special and beautifully resolved.”

Mayer provided professional direction and feedback throughout the process, requiring students to revise and refine their garments. For many, it was their first experience designing for a client.

“The most valuable thing I learned was how to create a cohesive aesthetic that reflected both the production team’s vision and the brand’s,” says Jonathan Francis ’26, who studied project development in fashion design. “I also learned the importance of adapting quickly and working within a fast turnaround.”

For Leilani Vega ’26, a senior studying fashion design product development, the experience reinforced the importance of balancing her creativity with the client’s expectations.

“You learn to let go of your personal ideas and desires for the project and instead channel that creativity into creating something that is fully in line with the customer’s expectations,” Vega says. “Learning how to take feedback in a way that strengthens you and your skills as a developer is something I gained from this experience.”

“They learned to take it in stride and understand that the process isn’t about them as individual designers—it’s about the bride, the customer, and bringing the brand owner’s vision to life,” Witt says.

The resulting collections represent three distinct approaches to contemporary bridalwear. Each was developed collaboratively, with students contributing across the research, design, merchandising, development, and construction process.

Connecting Students With the Bridal Industry

National Bridal Market Chicago brings domestic and international designers together with retailers seeking the latest bridal gowns, accessories, and special-occasion collections. Having their work displayed in that environment allowed Columbia students to see how their designs fit within the broader marketplace while placing their work directly in front of industry professionals.

“Having the finished work displayed at National Bridal Market gave the project a professional endpoint that is difficult to replicate in a classroom,” Witt says. “Students weren’t simply presenting to faculty and classmates—their work was being shown in the same environment as established bridal brands and viewed by retailers and other industry professionals.”

For the student designers, the showcase completed the full product cycle, beginning with research and concept development and progressing through design, construction, and presentation before a national industry audience.

“Having ‘Sovereign Bloom’ displayed at National Bridal Market alongside established bridal brands and industry professionals felt like an absolute dream,” Vega says. Seeing her Ultra Gathered Pant at the trade show also gave her an opportunity to connect with professionals and gain an early introduction to the fashion industry.

“Seeing my work alongside established names in the bridal market showed how much the perspective of a younger generation of designers matters,” Francis says. “This opportunity helps propel us forward as the next generation of American designers.”

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