Vera Wang Manila's Bridal Specialist Tells Us What's In And Out In The World Of Weddings

Kate Paras-Santiago

July 13, 2019, 05:33 PM

We are well on our way to the latter half of the year where a ton of seasons start pouring in: rainy season, bazaar season, ball season, BER months aka the Christmas season, and yes, wedding season! While a lot of couples opt to not have their weddings in the months where rain pours on the daily, surely a lot of them use these coming months to plan and eventually iron out details of their Big Day set to happen sometime in November to February of the next year.

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Here at Metro.Style, we are always on the lookout for unique, beautiful weddings, and we use a lot of real couples' wedding days as inspiration for what's to come. Keeping up with wedding trends is one of those things that we love to do, as there's nothing but fasciantion about celebrating a day of love.

To help guide us with the topic of wedding trends, we talked to the newly minted Bridal Specialist at Vera Wang Manila, seasoned fashion designer Michi Calica-Sotto!

Michi Calica-Sotto

Michi is no stranger to the wedding world, having had an impressive 30 years of bridal business experience prior to this latest stint with cult bridal brand Vera Wang. She graduated a scholar with a degree in Associate of Art at the Carolina Herrera Fashion Design and Merchandising, The Art Institute of Seattle; and joined prestigious fashion events such as the Jeunes Createurs de Mode in 1995, as well as the Air France Young Designer Competition in Paris wherein she won a Citation Award: Top 5 out of over 147 entries.

Michi Calica-Sotto with Valerie Zayco, Managing Partner at Vera Wang Manila

Michi has also dabbled in the retail business where she put up a local fashion boutique Bonne Bouche in Greenbelt 5. The seasoned designer has had stints in the academe as well, having served as the Dean of the Fashion Design and Merchandising Program at Career Academy Asia (CAA)?. There's no doubt Michi knows her stuff when it comes to bridal design, and it just makes sense for her to venture into and lend her knowledge to curious brides in the world of Vera Wang.

"All throughout my bridal design career, Vera Wang's designs always echoed in a good number of my work. I was inspired by her intricate play of illusion tulle, and the complexity of how she mixed different variants of lace. Thus making final outcome incredibly complex, yet dreamy", says Michi.

Gowns on display at the Vera Wang Manila boutique at 8 Rockwell

At most bridal boutiques, often two types of brides-to-be come: the one who is absolutely sure of what she wants, and one that doesn't even know where to begin. "In choosing a wedding gown, I always tell the bride-to-be to trust your gut. All we do is offer a ton of options to the bride", Michi quips. Her taste and expertise in bridal fashion is meant to guide and ultimately help the bride find a dress that doesn't just fit, but a dress that makes her feel like a million bucks.

Where the magic happens: the bridal consultation room at the Vera Wang boutique

We then had to ask Michi about what the top bridal wear trends are for the rest of the year, so listen up brides-to-be! Free-spirited brides and those planning a beach wedding would be delighted to find out that Boho is a huge trend this year, followed by The Cape, perfect for those unconventional ladies wanting to add a little something to their entrance. Minimalist gowns are still trendy, as clean lines and simple silhouettes truly make an impact without much effort. Adventurous brides can count on Feathers to amp up their look, and those into flowers would be happy to find out that Eternal Florals is still a trend to love.

Michi shared that on the other hand, a handful of trends are slowly going out of style, namely blush and gold, rustic themes, flower crowns, and digital invitations.

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On that special day, you will feel all sorts of emotions, you will be living your best life, and you will be doing it with the one you love. Make sure you do it in a dress that screams YOU, no matter what. Michi closes by sharing that "Vera Wang is big on freedom and individuality. We will see non-white, and yes, colored wedding dresses. Whether a bride is getting married on the beach or in a garden, they're in a bright color, but to see it really happening is kind of great."