Designer Minds: An Interview With Ines Di Santo

One thing you can’t live without when you begin the design process?

To start, we identify the inspiration and theme for the collection. We then carefully go through the fabrics and beading. I get inspired by the materials and this is where my creative process for the dresses begin. As I am a couturier, I then pin the dress to the a mannequin to see if I like it first, and if I do, I proceed in creating the pattern which I then put on a model, it must first come to life on a woman, a body because that is where it will live. Countless steps before the sewing truly begins… To me, the most important thing is all the details.

Can you tell us about the inspiration behind ‘SS24 Collection’?

This season we are celebrating my 54th collection and I think every bride should feel like a flower in full bloom, beautiful and perfectly unique. It is a meticulous and delicate composition of hand-painted floral details, dimensional beading, and fabric manipulation techniques, all aimed towards celebrating the love that lived in full bloom. We have voluminous skirts, hand-painted accents, ornate beading, color, and texture in this new collection. This is the culmination of all the previous collections I have designed, but with a modern twist… the past brought into the future.

If your style were a song/music genre, what would it be?

I can never be restricted to one genre of music… I am inspired by all: opera, jazz, pop, electronic, as well as loving international music. Music feeds my soul.

Do you have a particular piece that you favour the most?

It’s very hard for me to choose a favorite as all my creations are incredibly unique and special to me…but if I were to choose… my signature blue gowns hold a special place in my heart and in this SS24 collection, I believe Symphony is one of my favorites. I love everything about it, the color, the textures and the flowers.

How do you make the final decision on the colour palette?

We always look for colors that match the inspiration for the season. For the SS24 collection, it was easy to pick a color palette that featured the various color tones of florals, but there is a constant in each of my collections… an Ines Di Santo blue is always featured.

 What has changed as your designs have evolved?

I believe we are always evolving as humans and as artists and that reflects in my collections. I love creating colorful dresses and it’s something I have always done, but now brides are more open to them which in turn is letting me explore that more in my dresses. For example, my jewel box collection is my way of playing outside the box and rules of bridal colors and styles.. It’s a way to create something theatrical and can lend itself to a bride who is looking to celebrate and go all out for her wedding look.

Can you describe the Ines Di Santo bride in three words? What do they all have in common?

The Ines Di Santo bride is stylish, fashion-forward, and feminine. They’re all beautiful inside and out.

❤️

Photo Credit:

Ines Di Santo