Our Interview with Jessica of Ciarla

Jessica Ciarla knows exactly what the fashion forward bride wants for her special day. The Ciarla collection consists of modern dresses that are not only to be worn glamorously on the wedding day but for many fabulous events after. Jessica’s fresh designs allow for the bride to choose from various colors that will coordinate flawlessly with her dream vision. But Jessica’s designs don’t just offer a great color options, but an amazing array of silhouettes for all your bridesmaid’s figures. We couldn’t wait to catch up with Jessica and ask her some questions…

BB: What do you think has been the most important factor in the success of your business?

J: My first sale to Bella Bridesmaid was a very important factor in expanding my brand to the national market. I really love working with the storeowners and have been able to visit Bella Bridesmaid's all over the country for seasonal trunk shows. It's incredibly important to hear customer’s comments about the new collections and to get feedback from the Bella sales associates. I truly appreciate working with each and every owner from Bella's across the country and consider this to be a major factor in the success of my brand expansion on a national basis.

BB: When designing for women, specifically bridesmaids, what are your inspirations?

J: I come from a Ready To Wear background so I don't think about the typical bridesmaid when I design a collection. I concentrate on making beautiful, fashion-forward party dresses that can be worn again and again. The customized options and extensive color card that I provide allow the bride and bridesmaid to make each dress their own and to combine pieces from all of my collections to make a cohesive bridal party with a very unique approach.

BB: Was there a specific event or person in your life that led you to begin designing bridesmaid dresses?

J: While living in New York I designed a collection of high-end party dresses that I sold to specialty boutiques across the country. A customer inquired if I could make one of my dresses with five different necklines for her bridal party. This is how the classic collection was born. These bridesmaids’ dresses were featured in Brides Magazine and I received a huge response from brides across the country asking how they could order these unique bridesmaid dresses. I knew right then that brides and their bridesmaids were starving for unique bridesmaid dresses and decided to concentrate on expanding my brand to include a bridesmaid and bridal collection with designs that could be worn again after the affair.

BB: If you could give any famous woman a makeover, who would she be and how would you style her?

J: Britney Spears. I would love to make her over and give her a sophisticated grown up style with a fashion forward edge. She never seems to get it right either with fit or styling and I would love to help her learn how to put red carpet looks together. I really admired how Nicole Richie transformed her look and now is considered a fashion icon and I would love to do the same for Britney.

BB: What high school trends are you embarrassed to admit you followed?

J: Matching off the shoulder midriff tops and matching shorts from Wet Seal. I worked at Wet Seal my junior year of high school and spent all my money on clothes. For some reason I thought everything should match perfectly from the accessories, clothes down to the shoes. I see pictures of myself from those days and cringe!

BB: If you weren't a designer, what career path would you have chosen?

J: I dabbled in Fashion PR and loved organizing fashion shows and pitching ideas to fashion editors. I think I would be a fulltime fashion publicist if I weren’t a designer.

BB: What is your favorite dress in your collection?

J: The Tear Drop and the Antoinette are two of my favorite dresses in the collection. I'm also working on a very chic, chantilly lace wedding gown that I will wear to my wedding. If it turns out well I may add it to the 2013 collection!

Tear Drop dress

BB: Advice for certain styles for different body shapes?

J: I always advise a very busty woman to pick a dress with some sort of strap and to stay away from strapless dresses. Someone who has larger hips and mid section looks great in a fitted bodice and loose circle skirt like a Marilyn Monroe style dress that flatters the bust line and minimizes the hips. Most importantly, pick a dress that makes you feel good about yourself and that will exude confidence and make you look even more beautiful.

BB: What are you carrying in your purse?

J: Tom Ford lipstick in cherry lush, iPhone, Mac makeup compact, Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses and Tylenol

Thank you, Jessica!