A French couple, Manuela and Rodolphe Kamierzac, are passionate about beautiful outfits for all occasions – whether it’s weddings, parties, events or business suits, they have stood out in the fashion world in France for six years. One day, their curiosity turned to wedding fashion from Andorra. Naturally, they started looking for a shop, but to their great surprise, there was none to be found! Their Andorran friends explained that they had to go to Spain or France for wedding dresses.
Manuela and Rodolphe realised that there was a real need that they could meet. And so l’Atelier Blanc, a bridal and evening fashion boutique in Andorra, was born.
Interview: Irina Rybalchenko
History develops in a spiral, and at the next turn we find echoes of years gone by. What trends are we seeing today? Please tell us about the most interesting modern solutions, including modern design and materials in the 2024 collection.
Most weddings in 2024 herald one trend: individualisation. Couples are striving for originality and the unexpected. Trends reveal that there will be more civil weddings in 2024, featuring modular outfits with a top + skirt, top + trousers, and so on.
The wedding dress is about transparency, glamour, elegance and originality. But nowadays, our brides and grooms are breaking traditional norms. Civil ceremonies offer opportunities for more rituals: sand ceremony, candle ceremony, wine ceremony, etc.
A cape is the biggest trend of this year. It appeared in the collections of leading designers such as Elie Saab, Yolancris and Ines di Santo at BBFW 2023. Announced in 2023, they will be MUST-HAVE in 2024. Some capes are layered, while others are integrated into the dress. They can come in many different shapes: long sleeves running down from the neck to the wrists, a long minimalist cape with a transparent sheen…
The possibilities are endless, which allows room for creativity. What’s more, the cape serves as protection in case of unforeseen weather conditions, keeping the bride safe while offering a touch of magic and glamour.
The elegant princess dress never goes out of fashion and is still in high demand, especially for religious ceremonies. Classics and tradition are still in fashion.
Are coloured dresses in demand or does white remain an enduring classic?
White is the most popular colour, followed by ivory and cappuccino. Some of our brides fall in love at first sight with a dress with a touch of red or royal blue.
How can you help couples make their choice?
To advise our couples, we need to understand their expectations for their wedding. We need to understand what they want to emphasise based on where it’s going to take place and at what time.
We pay close attention to body type, skin colour and hair colour. Accessories are recommended after the choice of outfit, to determine whether it would be appropriately enhanced by a veil, tie, etc.
Let’s talk about budget. How much will a bride’s dress and a groom’s suit cost? The trend today is to save money, which is pointed out, for example, by wedding florists. Do you agree with this? Do you have any second hand dresses?
The average cost of a wedding dress or suit is around €1,000. Of course, you can buy dresses or suits from brand names such as Démétrios, Aire Barcelona, Rica Sposa, etc that will be more expensive and more original. We also consider modest budgets, and we have budget-friendly options such as second-hand or last year’s collections.
A few words about evening dresses. What to wear for Christmas? What are the fashion trends for the coming winter? What colours are in fashion?
The invariable and fascinating red colour represents the warm and festive atmosphere of Christmas. The little black dress confirms its status as a must-have evening and festive outfit with its natural elegance. Accessories include lots of pearls, sequins and feathers to create a sense of airiness.
Which brands do you work with and why?
We have chosen 6 brands for our boutique:
For ladies:
Démétrios: for its exquisite design, quality of lace and pearls;
Kaya nova: for its modernity, quality of fabrics, their lustre;
Lilly: primarily for its economy and quality;
Aire Barcelona: a must in the world of weddings;
IFC: impeccability in ready-to-wear in a wide range of models and fast delivery.
For gentlemen:
Stylers MTM: quality tailoring, an impressive selection of luxury fabrics from around the world;
IFC: impeccable ready-to-wear, a wide choice of models and fast delivery.
