West didn’t initially plan to wear a designer wedding gown.
Stefano Santucci
“I was like, ‘I’m wearing my wedding dress for a few hours. I’m just gonna get something that’s relatively inexpensive,'” West said of her initial approach to her wedding dress.
But a conversation with her dad and stepmom after she booked the venue changed her mind.
“They were like, ‘You’ve just signed for this beautiful venue. You can’t wear a $100 dress,'” West told BI.
There was only one brand West wanted to invest in if she was going to get a designer dress: Alonuko. Headed by London-based designer Gbemi Okunlola, the brand specializes in illusion wedding gowns for Black women, using a sheer tulle that matches brides’ skin tones.
“I’m someone who loves customized, meaningful pieces, and I think that’s what Gbemi does really well,” West said.
As Okunlola previously told BI, she created her one-of-a-kind, skin-matching tulle fabric after seeing a lack of diversity in the bridal market.
“It’s not just about having a brown option; it’s about having a brown option, a beige option, a dark-brown option,” she said. “No matter what color skin you are, you should feel like the dress is for you.”
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
