Christopher Esber Unveils a 20-Piece Bridal Collection

Brides were already wearing Christopher Esber before he launched his bridal collection. Through his Instagram tagged photos, Esber caught glimpses of women wearing his ready-to-wear white dresses on their big day. Now, he’s unveiling his first full bridal collection.

Esber is the mastermind behind the sultry designs loved by the celebrity set (Zendaya, Emily Ratajkowski, Dua Lipa, Margot Robbie, Hailey Bieber and more). The prestigious Andam Fashion Award-winning designer is making a foray into the bridal world on his own terms.

“It just made sense. We work with traditional materials like lace and we’re always trying to put our spin on things. It was the customer that was giving me the signal,” the Sydney designer tells Broadsheet. Prior to this launch, Esber designed wedding gowns for a handful – “I can probably count them on two hands” – of lucky loved ones. After creating custom bridal dresses for close friends, a cousin and even a former school teacher, Esber began to unravel the intricate decision-making processes that surround a bride’s outfit.

In 2023, he created a seven-piece bridal capsule collection, exclusive to Net-A-Porter. He designed to a tighter brief then, driven by the luxury fashion platform’s research and wants. This second collection is his “true vision of bridal,” one that he says he’s put more of himself into.

“I definitely took a bit away from every dress I’ve done in the past for close friends,” Esber says. He’s crafted for women who are “frivolous” and others who are more “discerning”. American actress Chloe Sevigny was also on his mood board. “I definitely see a lot of people just wanting a bit more of a chill, low-key wedding with an interesting dress,” he says.

Esber’s nuptial collection hits the sweet spot between dressing a bride for “who she is every day” and “who she wants to be for that special day”. To do so, he tapped into what’s become his label’s signature touch: a pared-back approach to glamour, but with a twist. It’s an Australian approach to dressing – we like things undone, laid-back and effortless.

The 20-piece collection is vast. Esber plays with silk tulle, corseted, transparent torsos and sculptural wire. There’s a mini dress cut from traditional lace, and a see-through feathered number. There’s a tailored blazer with a tulle bow at its back, and a black Chantilly lace dress. Woven into the pieces, there’s a harmony between the new and old. “I played with opposing ideas, [like] tradition with modernity … There’s different ages in there; there’s a youthful girl, but there’s also an older woman.”

Esber’s favourite piece is the Floating Lace mini dress, a backless, asymmetrical dress made from Chantilly lace and paired with a connected veil. “For me, that’s the perfect combination of tradition with youth and modernity, and it also just feels like the most Christopher Esber piece,” he says.

The idea of disrobing is core to Esber’s ready-to-wear designs and it’s carried into his bridal pieces. How does he balance the conservatism that comes with wedding culture with his label’s sensual disposition? “I think just giving people the option to add or subtract. [We’re] a brand that focuses on the body and skin, but [with bridal], it was more done through transparency in the laces and transparent corsets.”

While wedding dresses are traditionally only worn for one day, Esber wants brides to rewear his gowns. “The whole idea of buying a piece and wearing it once I’ve always found kind of strange, whether it’s a dress you’re wearing to a party or even a wedding dress,” he says. “If you’ve got this piece that’s really sentimental and it’s something that you obviously love, you should be able to wear it again. I really wanted the pieces to kind of have this ability to morph into something you can wear, maybe for an anniversary or even to a party.”

Despite being worn by A-list stars, Esber regularly insists that he’s most inspired by the women in his life and the women he sees on the street. This bridal collection is no exception. “Being able to think of a bride in many different ways has been my goal, whether she’s wearing a suit, a short dress, a long gown or a black dress. She’s the type of woman that is getting married today.”

Christopher Esber’s bridal collection is now available online and in-person at The Strand Arcade.