Liancarlo Dresses to Impress
Liancarlo Dresses to Impress W H I L E YO U C A N P I N YO U R W E D D I N G D R E S S I N S P I R AT I O N O N YO U R P I N T E R E S T B OA R D A L L YO U WA N T, A DV I C E F R O M A P R O C A N ' T B E M AT C H E D . FAT H E R O F L O C A L W E D D I N G P L A N N E R G E N I N A R A M I R E Z A N D B R I DA L G OW N D E S I G N E R C A R L O S R A M I R E Z S H A R E S A F E W I N S I D E R ' S T I P S . G E N F U L L E R | P H OT O G R A P H Y BY G I OVA N I L AU D E C I N A
Carlos Ramirez, designer at Liancarlo, has been designing gowns for more than 30 years. After working with brides all that time, one might think that his number one tip for choosing the perfect dress is to choose a silhouette that flatters your shape, or to leave your mother-in-law behind when you’re shopping. But you’d be surprised. Based in Miami, Ramirez attended the University of Miami Law School before giving up his full scholarship in 1981 and following his dream to what would become Liancarlo. Since his first bridal collection was released in 2001, his gowns have graced the covers of Bride & Groom, Brides and Inside Weddings. With his Spring 2013 collection debuting on the heels of a new website launch, Ramirez is keeping busy and keeping up with trends— though he advises not to follow them blindly. “Don’t base your dress on trends. You want people to remember how beautiful you were, not the dress. The dress is the supporting cast,” Ramirez says. His 2013 Spring Collec-
tion stays close to the body, hugging curves, while adding fullness at the hem and not the hip—very conscious of the bodies of modern women. “Women today work so hard on their figures and staying in shape, and you don’t want to lose that in a dress,” he says. Ramirez also uses a lot of hand-cut lace, placed as if it were embroidered, so the details can be seen but the work isn’t heavy. The first lace dress of the collection, titled Style 5820, was inspired by brides-to-be who requested a lace dress with more volume and movement. This dress is Ramirez’s favorite, and is made with corded Chantilly lace, cut in circular patterns to create a flowing movement like a ball gown. “Lace shows craftsmanship and texture,” he says. “A lot of girls feel that they are supposed to have a big satin dress, but that doesn’t always make sense.” For many years, lace gowns were styled like Grace Kelly’s, with long sleeves and high necklines, but bridal gowns have developed
into an expression of lifestyle and personality. They’ve also gotten sexier, more sensual, with a touch of modern romanticism. “Women today are able to respect tradition without being swallowed up in it, so you get that timelessness you want, but you aren’t in a costume at your own wedding,” he says. While Ramirez doesn’t design custom dresses, he does make modifications. His advice to brides-to-be: “Don’t get inundated with too many things from too many places. You need to remember the venue. That is the most important detail when thinking about what dress you should get. It needs to make sense with where you are getting married. That should be the determining factor, and then you look at the silhouette of the person.” If you think Liancarlo’s has the dress for you, don’t fret: you don’t have to get to Miami to try one on. check out liancarlo.com for a list of boutiques that carry the Spring Collection, or find Liancarlo’s designs in Savannah at Bleu Belle Bridal. f ebrua ry | m a rch 1 3
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Carlos Ramirez, designer at Liancarlo, has been designing gowns for more than 30 years. After working with brides all that time, one might think that his number one tip for choosing the perfect dress is to choose a silhouette that flatters your shape, or to leave your mother-in-law behind when you’re shopping. But you’d be surprised. Based in Miami, Ramirez attended the University of Miami Law School before giving up his full scholarship in 1981 and following his dream to what would become Liancarlo. Since his first bridal collection was released in 2001, his gowns have graced the covers of Bride & Groom, Brides and Inside Weddings. With his Spring 2013 collection debuting on the heels of a new website launch, Ramirez is keeping busy and keeping up with trends— though he advises not to follow them blindly. “Don’t base your dress on trends. You want people to remember how beautiful you were, not the dress. The dress is the supporting cast,” Ramirez says. His 2013 Spring Collec-
tion stays close to the body, hugging curves, while adding fullness at the hem and not the hip—very conscious of the bodies of modern women. “Women today work so hard on their figures and staying in shape, and you don’t want to lose that in a dress,” he says. Ramirez also uses a lot of hand-cut lace, placed as if it were embroidered, so the details can be seen but the work isn’t heavy. The first lace dress of the collection, titled Style 5820, was inspired by brides-to-be who requested a lace dress with more volume and movement. This dress is Ramirez’s favorite, and is made with corded Chantilly lace, cut in circular patterns to create a flowing movement like a ball gown. “Lace shows craftsmanship and texture,” he says. “A lot of girls feel that they are supposed to have a big satin dress, but that doesn’t always make sense.” For many years, lace gowns were styled like Grace Kelly’s, with long sleeves and high necklines, but bridal gowns have developed
into an expression of lifestyle and personality. They’ve also gotten sexier, more sensual, with a touch of modern romanticism. “Women today are able to respect tradition without being swallowed up in it, so you get that timelessness you want, but you aren’t in a costume at your own wedding,” he says. While Ramirez doesn’t design custom dresses, he does make modifications. His advice to brides-to-be: “Don’t get inundated with too many things from too many places. You need to remember the venue. That is the most important detail when thinking about what dress you should get. It needs to make sense with where you are getting married. That should be the determining factor, and then you look at the silhouette of the person.” If you think Liancarlo’s has the dress for you, don’t fret: you don’t have to get to Miami to try one on. check out liancarlo.com for a list of boutiques that carry the Spring Collection, or find Liancarlo’s designs in Savannah at Bleu Belle Bridal. f ebrua ry | m a rch 1 3
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