10 QUESTIONS WITH DESIGNER ANTONIO RIVA OF ANTONIO RIVA MILANO
Designer Antonio Riva
1. How did you get your start designing wedding dresses?
I have always been fascinated by research and by shapes and aesthetics study. My training has been all about the fulfillment of what I am today. I developed my passion since I was a child. Since then I was attracted to women’s dresses and feminine shapes and I enjoyed drawing wedding dresses. My architecture studies allowed me to give life to creations marked with perfectly balanced lines and shapes, and it is in the universe of haute couture that I give my best.
2. Describe the overall aesthetic of your brand.
My style is very personal and aims to exalt every woman’s femininity with elegance and sobriety. My dresses are the result of a personal journey, and are characterized by perfectly balanced lines and shapes, that give my creations a strong three-dimensionality.
3. What is your design process?
Behind every dress there is a long study and a lot of work. I usually start from an initial creative idea and then I work hard to transform it into a prototype. It is a work in progress, that involves many people starting from the style office, to draping and tailoring. During these “steps”, from the prototype realization phase to the final approval, several changes are made to make the dress perfect.
4. What was the inspiration for the current Collection?
Étoile means : femininity, lightness, grace together with strength, rigor, determination. The Collection has been inspired by the apparent contrast that blend in perfect harmony and form.
5. Describe the type of bride that chooses an Antonia Riva Milano wedding dress.
Our brides have a sophisticated and refined idea of elegance and prefer a dress characterized by clean lines but with a strong impact.
6. What type of venue does your bride prefer?
My brides prefer a religious wedding in church but I also have a lot of requests for civil weddings.
7. What percentage of your brides wear color on their wedding day?
On the national market my brides prefer white or ivory dresses. Antonio Riva Milano also works a lot with the Japanese market and generally with Asiatic countries where brides think more about dresses in colour because of the different meaning of “white dress” in their culture.
The colour dresses are preferred by Asian women, because the wedding dress meaning is something different for them.
8. What other products do you design and offer?
In addition to wedding dresses, we design and manufacture formal and evening dresses. Furthermore, we recently launched our e-commerce channel starting from the creation of a lingerie collection and accessories (shoes, beauty, & bags) and we will gradually expand more and more.
9. At what point during the wedding does the bride change into her Antonio Riva Sneakers (so fun!) ?
Our sneakers, that are called Second Shoes, have been designed for brides who want to wear something different during the party. I wish to point out that this is not an exclusive product for brides; in fact, we decided to manufacture them in a lot of colours that can be combined with an everyday outfit.
10. What do you love about what you do?
Everything! I love making dresses that make every woman feel special, it is the best way I can express myself and my emotions.
