Meet Jessica Ciarla, last year’s Golden Boot winner for “Best Bridal Designer,” and a featured designer during this year’s Austin Fashion Week. Jessica’s designs will take to the catwalks of Austin Music Hall at the hotly-antipated Austin Fashion Awards on Saturday, August 18. Get your tickets now!
Jessica Ciarla is not your typical bridal designer.
Her premier collection, CIARLAbride, includes modern classics that are intended to be mixed and matched for a unique complement to a bride’s personal style. CIARLAbride collections are created with a high-fashion vision, wherein a mood board is developed, swatches in prints and unique fabrics are chosen and a visionary collection is created to transform a poetic dream into reality.
Jessica’s work has been featured in such magazines as The Knot, Brides New York, and New York Weddings, and last year she was awarded the Golden Boot for “Best Bridal Designer.” We can’t wait to see her gowns on the runway at this year’s Austin Fashion Awards!
Q&A with Jessica Ciarla
Last year, you took home a Golden Boot for Best Bridal Designer. What have you been up to over the last year, and what’s on the horizon?
It’s been a very busy and exciting year for us! After Austin Fashion Week 2011, we took our yearly trip to New York for bridal market to promote our Spring 2012 collection. We received some great press and were able to make sales to new bridal boutiques across the country. Since then, we’ve moved locations from our 5th St, office to East Live Oak St., and the collection has toured across the country for various trunk shows. I also got married and am currently expecting a baby girl.
What is most exciting to you about participating in AFW and showing your work for the Austin community?
I love seeing the work from new talented designers and getting to meet people in the industry here in Austin. I’m always impressed with the set up during AFW and all of the press that comes out to various events. I’ve met so many great people who have become my friends through AFW. I love how excited everyone is about fashion in Austin. I’m hosting a party with Maria Orozova from the blog Fab Is The New Black and Estilo boutique on August 8th, and I am thrilled that people are as excited as we are to attend. I’m always impressed with how many local businesses donate their time and products to make these events spectacular.
What can we expect to see from you on the AFW runways?
I am launching my first Ready To Wear evening wear collection at the show! The label is called CIARLA and the pieces are really modern and upscale. I had so much fun designing this collection and playing with fabrications such as leather and metallic lame, which I normally don’t use in my bridal line. You can expect to see metallic gowns, two piece lace evening wear pieces, lace and silk jumpsuits, geometric cutouts, and hand painted prints. This is a really fashion-forward collection for us, and I can’t wait to see how the public and buyers receive it.
Ciarla designs are very unique and truly take the occasion out it’s norm with style that gives the bride an option to express herself. I look to follow her from now on and hope to be able to attend the show.