When Danielle Frankel founded her label in 2017, she was engaged and working out of a rented space in New York’s Garment District that she describes as “a literal closet”. Now, when clients enter the bridal designer’s studio, they’re immersed in her world: spacious rooms lined with chartreuse carpets, walls hung with tapestries, plush seating. The designer wants it to feel like her living room.
The grown-up space reflects her brand’s trajectory. Almost 10 years on, the designer has evolved and refined her brand’s aesthetic, opened a two-floor atelier and office space in New York and a boutique in Los Angeles, and has dressed some of the biggest names in the fashion and entertainment industries, from Alexandra Daddario to Charli XCX. Her then-fiancé, Joshua Hirsch, is now her CEO.
“I was going through that phase of getting married, and now, nine years later, I see it through a different lens,” she says of the way that her designs have matured from sleek and silky blazers and gowns to the draped and tailored architectural shapes she’s become known for. “I’ve had so many more conversations with women and had the ability to take the years under my belt and really focus on client feedback and exploration in design.”
Her most recent collection, which she’s referred to as a “rebirth”, is a signifier of that growth. The gowns illustrate Frankel’s range, from feathered numbers to ruched peplums. When Frankel meets with her mills, she doesn’t even look at their bridal offerings. Instead, she gravitates toward materials from jersey to horsehair, chiffon to organza — with lots of hand-painting later on. “When we were designing and shooting this imagery and we updated our website, it felt like a huge leap from where we were even two years ago,” Frankel says. “Looking at the work side by side, we really feel that we’re transitioning in such a beautiful way.”
Danielle Frankel’s most recent collection marks a turning point, she says.
Photos: Courtesy of Danielle Frankel
Danielle Frankel came into the bridal market at the right time. Since the brand’s founding, the bridal industry has evolved — and ballooned — dramatically, as weddings in the Western world have shifted from single-day events to weekend-long affairs, replete not just with rehearsal dinners but also welcome drinks, recovery brunches, and oftentimes two to three outfit changes for the bride on her wedding night. This disruption in tradition mirrors the shift in desire toward more sleek, modern-looking designs. Alongside Frankel, brands like Wiederhoeft and Tanner Fletcher have gained traction for their refreshed approach to bridal, but, by and large, fashion girls uninterested in a trip to Kleinfeld are left to look to non-bridal brands if they want an ‘anti-bridal’ look. It’s why, almost a decade on, so many still turn to Danielle Frankel.
Her carefully curated aesthetic — distinctly recognizable in her studio, her LA boutique, and on Instagram — resonates with modern brides who want to come off as cool, not corny. “It’s not just about the gowns; it’s about the photography, it’s about the interiors,” Frankel says. “Everything in terms of our gowns is being designed within our world and our point of view and tastes.” It’s the reason, she believes, that Danielle Frankel has been able to capture the specific, fashion-forward audience that it has. “They want that from a brand that they are engaging with for their wedding gown.”
