See LA Designer Maria Korovilas' Romantic Debut Bridal Collection

Fashion and textile designer Maria Korovilas—known for her expert fabrications, eye-popping embroidery, and romantic silhouettes—just launched her first-ever bridal line, and let us tell you, it is dreamy. Stemming from the many requests to create custom wedding gowns, the new collection is romantic and anything but traditional-looking.

Besides the fact that bridal design is the perfect space to play with unique fabrications and embellishments—and that bridal boutique buyers were regularly approaching Korovilas for her ready-to-wear designs—she wanted to capitalize on brides' growing desire to wear something unique down the aisle. "I have done a lot of custom bridal work outside of the ready-to-wear collection and felt there was a demand for unique gowns," the designer explains. "I wanted to create a special line and a streamlined way for women who like my aesthetic to shop for these gowns."

"The line is nontraditional," Korovilas added. "I think one of the biggest differences is that our customer doesn't want a 'bridal' look—she wants to look gorgeous in a gown where she feels like herself."

Not wanting a "bridal" look for her own wedding last year was another reason that drove Korovilas to begin designing for other brides' big day. "When I got engaged in 2015 and started looking for gowns, I couldn't find any styles I liked under $20,000," she says. "I realized I would end up making everything myself, from my own gown to all of the bridesmaids'." "The inspiration behind the textile development really came from this nostalgic and glamourous 1920s estate we chose as our wedding venue in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles. It was filled with antiques and wonderment and has an amazing historical background, so I played off of that for the palette and details."

Equally bohemian and opulent, details like gold starbursts and daisies decorate the free-spirited silhouettes.

"The aesthetic definitely speaks to a certain 'bohemian bourgeoisie' direction, but it does so in a very unique and luxe way that isn't currently offered in the market," the designer says. "These gowns are designed from a very process-oriented viewpoint and are especially accessible for all of the handwork and attention to detail that goes into each piece."

Korovilas has some sage advice for brides in search of their ideal wedding style. "A gown should make you feel like you, not like you're playing a part for a day or swimming in fabric. A gown has so much to do with how the bride feels about herself, and she should feel special and meaningful the day she gets married." Duly noted!

See the entire debut Maria Korovilas Spring 2017 collection ahead.