Last week, New York-based bridal and ready-to-wear designer Danielle Frankel Hirsch opened the doors of her first boutique in her hometown of Los Angeles, at 8475 Melrose Place.
“It has all the collections, there’s about 200 gowns there,” Frankel Hirsch told WWD of the space during a preview of her 10th collection.
Like her Garment District atelier, the store is decorated with locally sourced vintage furnishings and unique objects, natural materials and soft, pale hues to offer clients her signature intimate experience.
She added that through building the store, she was, “more exposed to materials, upholstery and furniture development, which you can really see through the collection.”
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This could be seen through the custom tassel belts, crafted by one of the boutique’s upholsterers, that was styled over a stellar new structured bustier covered in thousands of layered satin petals. The technique could also be seen via the hand-cut silk wool cascading petal embroideries that undulated down her new Octavia and Adeline gowns.
Frankel Hirsch noted the lineup, her largest collection to date, expanded further on separates.
“A lot of women want to feel like they have something really special. I feel that if we offer more separates, they have more opportunity to design within the collection and feel like she created her look with us with guidance from our stylists,” she explained.
Elsewhere, she worked with global artisans to craft new head-turning bridal and ready-to-wear moments, including a sculpted resin bodice infused with real flowers in collaboration with Marcin Rusak; hand-painted silk overlays (such as the bubbled Clemenine, as seen in the look book on Kristen McMenamy) and gowns by an artist from the South of France who Frankel Hirsch brought to her studio, and new clay floral jewelry through an ongoing collaboration with a Ukrainian artist.
Frankel Hirsch continued to experiment with couture techniques in new ways, adding more drama, a la the gestural illustrations by Erté. Each look was truly standout, spanning from the sculptural brown Lena tissue taffeta minidress with up-turned, flared hems and floral pigment printed and hand-painted pleated wool silk Savannah bustier to exaggerated bubble gowns and the soft tulle Cynthia minidress featuring a draped veil that looped down and connected to its fluid skirt. It reflected Frankel Hirsch’s ongoing commitment to offering her customers unique looks that continue to set her apart in the bridal and fashion industry.
