Entertainment

Designer ‘amused’ as non-traditional mother of the bride dress becomes viral hit

Social media users have been enjoying the designer’s unconventional creation.
Social media users have been enjoying the designer’s unconventional creation. Social media users have been enjoying the designer’s unconventional creation.

Most wedding guests try to avoid upstaging the bride on her big day, but one designer is ignoring tradition – with a black “mother of the bride” dress complete with feathers and sequins.

Dressmaker Tonena, based in Burgas, Bulgaria, says she has developed a unique and recognisable style during 25 years of dressmaking.

Her eye-catching mother of the bride dress is modelled on Etsy, where Tonena sells her creations, alongside more conventional creations, including wedding dresses and evening gowns.

Twitter user Rave Sashayed spotted the dresses and shared them online, writing: “The pure awe I experienced when I saw this was labelled a ‘mother of the bride’ dress.”

The black floor-length gown, on sale for £1,893.97, which features a feathered hem and embellished mesh panels, has attracted thousands of likes and comments.

Tonena said: “I never tried any of my gowns to become a hit on social media. My main goal as a dressmaker is to make my customers happy and 100% satisfied for their big day.

“So the whole situation really amuses me!”

The gown’s description on Etsy says the backless dress can be “made closed if you’re aiming for a more conservative look”.

Tonena said she loves creating dresses with a “daring and sassy look” but recognises it may not be to everyone’s taste: “This gown represents my idea and vision for the modern and confident mother of the bride/groom.

“Of course, I realise it’s not the classical mother of the bride or groom dress, but nowadays there’re plenty of women who would love to see themselves in such a creation.”

On Twitter, Janet Gottschalk pointed out that the creation could cause a stir, writing: “This dress alone is a three-season drama on Netflix. I’d watch.”

Another wrote: “Yes, I’m the mother of the bride. Yes, her father died under mysterious circumstances. Yes, I will date rich, younger men.”

Author @gaileyfrey shared the post and followed it up with a thread, writing: “Before you ask, yes there WILL be multiple wig changes and yes I will shout ‘Don’t you TOUCH my DIAMONDS, they’re on LOAN from GEORGIO.’

“The great thing about this dress is, you can wear it again to literally any christening to which you weren’t invited.”

Following thousands of retweets and likes, the author of the original post said she hoped the designer made money from the outfit, writing: “It’s What She Deserves.”