AW Fashion – drennaLUNA Jumps The Broom
Arlene Martin, the chief creative mind behind local design house drennaLUNA has lots to celebrate: an incredible decade of design and the launch of her bridal collection. AW Fashion shares more…
All Woman Fashion (AWF): drennaLUNA is close to celebrating its diamond anniversary. How do you plan to celebrate the big 10?
Arlene Martin (AM): I can hardly believe it has been 10 years! I intend to present a collection to my “drennaLUNA dolls” and supporters over these years to say thank you. I do want to push the creativity just a little bit while still remaining classic. What I celebrate most is that any look from that first collection could still be worn today.
AWF: Walk us through a day at the studio. Take us from sketch to reality. How does it all come together?
AM: The process with a bride begins with understanding what she wants – from the big vision to the small details – and how she wants to feel. The sketch is based on this process, and I then have to “engineer” the dress. I say this because the design requires a construction plan before we can agree on the details. I also usually prepare a sample as a part of the process – to make sure that the bride is comfortable in the design we have visualised. Once we start, the bride has a number of fittings as we create her unique dress.
AWF: What would you like readers to know about the drennaLUNA bridal collection?
AM: The drennaLUNA bridal collection is, much like the main label, about elegance, is timeless and while simple – meant to take your breath away. The focus, like all my pieces, is not the dress, but the bride, and that is why I have started bridal as a custom service. Each bride is different, wants a unique feeling and experience on her wedding day, and appreciates the guidance in creating something that incorporates all the considerations while still offering a relevant and beautiful dress.
AWF: What inspired the creation of these new pieces?
AM: The creation of the new pieces was primarily strategic and meant to show each woman that she can be the unique bride she desires to be. For this reason it included simple trousers and tops, midi length, trendy as well as classic full gowns. Whether the wedding is going to be a simple courthouse ceremony, by the beach, in a garden or hall, I wanted each type of bride to see that there are options and solutions for their looks – from traditional to different.
AWF: We’re seeing a lot of tulles. What are some of the other fabrics you’ve used to piece together the collection?
AM: I think I’m in a tulle season! I’ve always liked the softness of the fabric and the ways it may be used. So in this collection I had tulle capes, tulle over form-fitting silhouettes, and of course full tulle skirts. I also used lace and bridal satin for that traditional connection. Teaser: Look out for more capes…
AWF: You’ve hinted at bridal in previous collections. What’s different this time around?
AM: Before, I’ve presented either (a) traditional, or (b) being inspired by my country, ideal dresses for a destination wedding. This time, I wanted to present something perfect for any location in Jamaica, but that would be ideal for the Jamaican bride jetting off to another location. She’d be able to travel light to a city (one bride had the ease of travelling with her jumpsuit and cape for an Atlanta wedding) or exotic location offering a different landscape than ours. I wanted to open brides to creative options – and hence it was so varied in styles.
AWF: Do you believe the bridal collection will take drennaLUNA to the next level? If so, why?
AM: I feel as if each step takes me to another level, so this one definitely will. It will always have to push my creativity as I try to make each bride unique, and I also pay attention to every detail of her look with her and her team, so it really is a beautiful new challenge for me for this year.
