Walking Down the Aisle and Off the Beaten Path

Perhaps your style is “edgy with a twist”, or you like to stay mainstream, but want a “twist on the trend”, or you are all for the elegant, couture look that stands out. WBM catches up with designers Jurjis Jarvis and Angelo Lambrou to find out what they can do for the bride who prizes beauty, sophistication and fashion when it comes to her wedding dress.

Jurjis Jarvis

While at a fashion show for which Jurjis was supplying costume jewelry, he had an epiphany to start designing clothes. Unversed in the art of sewing, Jurjis taught himself everything about designing. Over the last eighteen years Jurjis has designed a wide range of collections from bridal gowns, men’s and women’s evening wear, men’s jackets for labels like Pnazai to robes for the clergy. He was the first designer to introduce a clergy collection during Fashion Week! One of his draws to designing bridal gowns has been to make brides look more beautiful and add something new and exciting. As someone who does not like to blindly follow the trend, he prefers to add his own twist to the trend by experimenting with new fabrics and concepts. One of his recent creations is a wedding gown that can be turned into a cocktail dress by taking the bottom off. According to Jurjis, “the ideal wedding gown would have a taste of a beautiful evening gown that let’s the bride’s personality come through.” Speaking of Zang Toi, one of the earliest designers Jurjis looked up to, he says, “he [Toi] has a freedom of spirit I can relate to … he’s not just trying to follow the trend but trying to design clothes that are classy and beautiful.” The fact that these qualities are sought after by a large clientele is good news for Jurjis, who is driven by a vision to make clothes that are beautiful and not a by-product of an ephemeral trend.

Winner of three designer awards, Jurjis’ creations usually evoke guffaws and gasps from the audience at fashion shows. Jurjis’ clientele includes brides from all over the country. He describes his audience as, “anyone who wants fashion, … all races, any size and age.” Besides designing bridal gowns, Jurjis designs clothing for the entire bridal party. Immediate projects include preparing for the September Fashion Week, a fashion show in July showing his entire collection and launching a website for his bridal collection.

For more information on Jurjis Jarvis, please call 212-563-5985

Angelo Lambrou

Angelo’s vision for an outfit is one that strikes a balance between being unusual and wearable. He says, “It’s very easy to make clothes that look outrageous; I could make a gown that looks like a boat … but fashion is meant to be worn.” Indeed this polyglot designer (besides English he speaks Afrikaans, Greek, Tswana and French) knows how to blend cultural elements to create eye catching gowns. Among his most memorable creations are his gowns for Miss Botswana who went on to become Miss Universe in 1999.

Born to Cyprian/Greek parents in Zimbabwe, Angelo studied fashion design at Leggats Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa, and later at St. Martins in London, England. Following the success of his gowns at the 1999 Miss Universe Pageant, he visited New York and immediately decided to anchor his ship in the docks of this fashion capital. The following year he opened his atelier in Manhattan’s East Village. His peripatetic life is reflected in his collections, which are a favorite among the cosmopolitan crowd seeking an international sophisticated look.

Angelo caters to brides who favor an alternative and sophisticated look and those with a taste for the “timeless [and] edgy with a twist.” On a broader level he describes his niche as sculptural evening wear, which is comfortable, modern, laid back and romantic. One of his favorite fabrics is silk which gives a sensual fluidity to the gowns.

Angelo finds inspiration for his work in people—in talking to them and observing them. He begins the process of creating a custom outfit by getting to know his clients’ personalities and preferences. He feels that this is easily done once he attains a comfort level with his clients. In the relaxing ambience of his East Village atelier he and his staff make visitors feel welcome and at ease. Once he has a sense of what a client likes, he embarks on designing the dress with obsessive attention to detail and fitting. The end result is an elegant and finely crafted outfit with a distinctive contemporary look.

For more information on Angelo Lambrou, visit: www.angelolambrou.com