With the celebration of her 25th anniversary in the bridal biz last year, designer Rita Vinieris—whose couture Rivini range and Alyne collection combine worldly charm and masterful romanticism—also rolled out an inaugural collection of veils, giving the accessory she’s long enjoyed designing “just for fun” an official room in her fashion house. The first full collection contains 25 stunning pieces, each with a distinct personality. There’s the uberchic Joni, a tulle confection with a wavy perimeter of beaded shimmer lace; the intricate Echo, featuring floral lace embellishments hand-appliqued in an organic pattern; and the modern and minimalist horsehair-trimmed Dawnelle, among others. Here, the designer lifts the veil on her inspiration, aesthetic and advice for brides. Bella Bianca Bridal Couture, 875 N. Rush St., 2nd Floor, Chicago, bellabianca.com; ritavinieris.com/veils
PHOTO COURTESY OF RITA VINIERIS
Do your gowns and veils share a similar aesthetic? Absolutely—the veils are an extension of the bridal collections. They evoke a timeless aesthetic; they have a sense of sublime luxury. They are handcrafted from the laces I use in each collection. … I draw out little sections of [the lace] yardage that I want to create appliques with, and my team meticulously cuts around the edges. Then the fun begins when I apply them onto the actual veil.
The Olivia is an intricate style made from ivory tulle and lace. PHOTO COURTESY OF RITA VINIERIS
Most of the veils in the collection are cathedral length with blushers. What made you go with this style? There’s just something really cool and dramatic [about a blusher]; the pictures you can capture while you have this really delicate veil in front of your face are quite spectacular. What I love about the cathedral length is it extends the train. So you can have a dress that just has a [slight] train, but the veil creates that extra drama.
Do you have any tips for brides when it comes to selecting a veil? I encourage brides to go to one of our [retailers] and actually try the veil on and see it in real life. That experience in itself is wonderful, and to be able to see how it moves makes all the difference. You get a sense of how it walks with you and where the detail hits. If your dress has detail right at the back waistline or hip area, you don’t want a veil that also has detail in that area; you would want detail that runs a bit lower. That’s why wearing them, trying them on, is really beneficial.
The Ashton veil features embroidered shimmer lace on ivory tulle PHOTO COURTESY OF RITA VINIERIS
Did the pandemic affect your design philosophy at all? The focus is always to make a beautiful dress that would make a woman feel incredible—but now it is more about what kind of weddings are they going to be having, and in that sense what are they going to want [to wear]? One thing I was hoping and wishing is that, regardless of the size of wedding, brides still purchase a dress that is special for their day. If a bride felt she wanted to wear a ballgown on her wedding day because that’s what she’s about, I really want her to wear a ballgown.
The Dawnelle veil is made from tulle and horsehair, and Vinieris loves it with a minimalist sheath dress for a chic, modern aesthetic. PHOTO COURTESY OF RITA VINIERIS
Photography by:
