Punk Rock Bride

Stephanie Ward, with her willowy appearance and easy smile, does not exactly fit the image you might conjure of the founder and designer of Punk Rock Bride.  But her approach to the bridal industry and her design philosophy will convince you.   Ward interprets punk as a means of “personal expression” for people seeking styles and experiences that are “not traditional.”  The Punk Rock Bride designer opened shop in DC in 2006, in 2008 she produced her first collection, and now in 2010, Ward continues to deliver edgy bridal attire to the non-princess brides of the DC area.  She recently discussed the Punk Rock Bride and unveiled (forgive the pun) her Spring 2010 collection for On Tap in her NE alley studio.  

Ward, a Rhode Island School of Design graduate, got her start while still in school, working at a local costume store.  She served as an apprentice at the design house of Robert Scott and David Brooks and was a freelance designer for Sigrid Olsen.  Ward then set out on her own, building her own business, first in Georgetown and, as of October, on Capitol Hill.

We will put it out there: it is no secret that other power cities in the U.S. (ahem, New York, L.A.) look down on the District for its supposed lack of sophistication and utterly boring clothes.  But it is just that “vanilla” reputation, that compelled Ward to choose the District to start her business.  Ward says she is filling a “void” for local brides.  Fair enough, but why start a bridal salon for the non-traditional bride in the shadow of the Capitol- the home of power suits and sensible shoes?  Ward said her salon, tucked in an alley near Union Station, sits just blocks from a place that employs thousands of single people “of the marrying age.”  Odds are, some of those singles will become brides; this is prime real estate, walking distance from her target market.  

So how does «punk rock» translate into wedding dresses?  Ward’s styles are not red or leather, but pretty and feminine in shades of ivory and white.  That said, Ward’s designs and fabric for her dresses create a different tone from dresses in the mainstream bridal industry.  Ward’s styles evoke the ethereal femininity of a bride walking down the aisle in a garden, field or seaside.  The flowing structure of the designs lend themselves to a breezy afternoon.  The designer said many of her brides are having the non-traditional, but increasingly popular destination wedding.  Punk Rock Bride dresses, with their lack of crinoline and tulle, are perfect for the bride who needs a dress that can fit in a suitcase and fly hundreds of miles all before being worn on the big day. 

Ward said her collections forgo any pretentious themes, rather finding cohesion through distinct features.  She carries around her sketchbook “everywhere” so she can immediately jot down all the ideas that come spewing out as she takes a walk or sits at a cafe.  Describing herself as a “perfectionist,” Ward said she constantly reworks her designs until she can safely say she would wear any of her dresses herself. This season she incorporates unique fabrics into each dress and she explored making corsets in several of her pieces.  Ward said in Spring 2010, five dresses use 10 different fabrics. One piece from the 2010 collection has a bodice made of fabric from India with delicate silver embroidery. Another features gentle ruffles on the sleeves.

  One stand out piece, the “Jenny” dress, in the Spring 2010 collection speaks to the bride in search of an understated, chic and fun dress.  The floor length A-line gown, made of a refined, shimmery, wool/silk blend, is a deep ivory with a bit more structure than the other more airy gowns.  The unexpected and novel features of this dress, though, are the pockets.  Pockets: so convenient for lip gloss, tissues or to tuck away that something blue.  Envision the jaunty image of a bride in all her glowing beauty, hands in her pockets as she laughs with her new husband. As Ward said, there “are not enough pockets in this world.”  Brides everywhere would have to agree. 

Gowns range from $2,400 to $3,600, all fittings and alterations included.  Ward’s salon is open by appointment only, but she works around her clients’ schedules, not the other way around. 

Punk Rock Bride is located at 320 3rd St. NE, DC ; 202-506-3126; www.PunkRockBride.com

[googleMap name="Punk Rock Bride" description="Punk Rock Bride" width="770" height="250"]320 3rd St. NE, Washington, DC[/googleMap]