Designer Victoria Richard’s love for bridal gowns was sparked at a young age. “Growing up with a sister with special needs, you very innately try to figure out how to connect—and for us, it was through bridal design and magazines. It was how we played,” shares Victoria. “We still design wedding dresses almost every time I see her.” While Victoria went on to become a professional ballerina—training as a student at the American Ballet Theater and Boston Ballet summer intensive programs—she found her way back to fashion when she received an internship at Ralph Lauren. After developing her skills further at Parsons School of Design, she embarked on a career as a designer at brands including Ralph Lauren, Marchesa, and Thom Browne. “I think what drives me and brings me joy is dressing people for life’s special moments,” she says.
Initially, Victoria didn’t intend to dress herself for her wedding day to marry her partner Nick D’Adamo. “I tried on over 100 dresses before I decided to design my own,” she admits. “It was hard to take myself from behind the scenes and be the subject.” What truly kicked off her design journey was an idea for her veil. “I have always been in love with antique wedding veils with hand lace work that told a story of the couple’s families, past, and future. These veils were considered heirlooms,” Victoria says. “I’ve known I wanted something that really spoke to my journey and could be passed down.”
Victoria’s vision was to craft a veil that could represent her family, as well as the story she has forged with Nick. “As soon as I met Nick, it’s been adventure and travel. We love hiking, being in nature, and exploring new things,” she says. “Every single stitch represents a hike we’ve been on with a very specific flower.” Some of these florals include the Sticky Monkey-Flower, which symbolizes strength, resilience, and thriving in rocky, difficult places; the Calystegia Soldanella, a vine that gently wraps around what it loves; and the Camellia, a flower of longing and admiration.
To honor her father, the shape of the veil was inspired by a Victorian necklace he gave her and she included a bird of paradise to symbolize his spirit. The designer also had her mother choose a prayer, which she had woven to surround the veil. Designing the sketch alone took Victoria eight months. Once weavers completed the piece by hand in India, over 200 hours total had been put into creating the bride’s veil.
As her veil design was coming into place, Victoria began to picture the dress that would go with it more clearly. “I really wanted something that wasn’t overwhelming and felt like a clean palette for the veil to be seen—but I didn’t want it to be underwhelming, either,” she says. The designer also wanted to craft a dress that would embrace her body and its shape. “I’m hippy, and I didn’t want something that suppressed that,” she says. “I designed a corset and caging within the corset that actually showed it off even more. It was a tongue-in-cheek moment—this is my body and I want to celebrate it.”
This corset was actually the base for two dresses for her wedding—a drop-waisted strapless ball gown and a tulle dress with movement perfect for dancing. To help her construct the pieces, Victoria teamed up with atelier patternmaker Mei Zou. “She is an incredible genius and craftsman and her team…I could just go on for days,” says the designer. “I showed her my sketches and told her how I wanted to feel. What Mei was able to make with that was just incredible.” One unique feature of the ball gown was the outer layer was constructed to have no side seams. “All the pieces are cut on a bias, which takes an incredible amount of craftsmanship in fabric work and sewing,” she notes.
Victoria had a very special location for her final gown fitting with Mei: the practice studios of American Ballet Theater. She decided to surprise her mom—who was unaware she was making her own dress—and told her to come to New York to shop for a dress with her. Since she wasn’t going to reveal her gown in a bridal salon, Victoria wanted to find a place she felt happy and comfortable in. A ballet studio was the perfect fit. “A lot of my summers were spent going between the studios and halls at that building,” she says. Her mother was confused as she arrived at the building and went up the elevator surrounded by dancers. “She walked in, saw the dress, and immediately it was water works,” says Victoria. “It was probably one of the best days of my life.”
When her wedding day arrived, Victoria had three of the most important women in her life and career help her get dressed. One was her mentor at Ralph Lauren, another was her design director at Marchesa, and the third was her close friend who helped Victoria get her first internship in fashion. The bride remembers how special it was to have them spend 40 minutes helping lace her into the gown. “My mom put on my veil and a lot of tears were shed,” says Victoria. As a final personalized touch, the designer dressed all 10 of her bridesmaids in custom gowns she created as well.
Since creating her own garments for her wedding, Victoria has officially pivoted to design her own bridal collection and veils. “My gowns, veil, and bridesmaids dresses are the first pieces of my collection, which I essentially debuted at my wedding,” she explains. “Since the wedding, I have been working with brides and their parties privately, and by the end of the year, I will officially launch my 10-piece collection of gowns, veils, and selection of bridesmaids’ dresses.” Victoria shares incorporating the embroidery she used on her own veil into the collection. “That s how I m considering it an heirloom,” she says. “I’m hoping it lives on through my clients; my future brides.”
