Welcome Prea James Bridal
We are excited to welcome our latest new designer Prea James. At Zo & Willow we have been following her path for quite some time and we are more than proud to announce that we are exclusively stocking some of her Classics . Prea James is an Australian bridal designer, designing gowns for the relaxed modern bride who wants something fashionable and unique for her wedding day. We are welcoming four of her beautiful and elegant dresses to Berlin!
Who She is
The young designer can already look back at a remarkable path in the fashion industry. After studying fashion design and working with Karen Willis Holmes, her label began when she started creating wedding gowns for friends who wanted something fashionable but more relaxed than the traditional dress. She always wanted to found her own fashion label but initially never expected to end up designing bridal wear. Luckily - for all of our fashion forward brides - she did. Prea James was founded in 2012, when Prea started creating Couture wedding gowns for brides in Sydney under the label Prea James Couture. The label has now evolved into a made-to-order label called Prea James Bridal.
All of her dresses are individually hand cut and sewn with real attention to detail. “I am always here to answer my bride’s questions, whether they ordered from my studio or a stockist – it is such an important purchase and I want to make sure each and every Prea James bride has the best experience possible” she claims. At Zo & Willow we share this aspiration for our brides experience when it comes to finding their perfect wedding dress. When asked what she loves most about what she does, the designer’s passion is evident. “I honestly love every single part of it!” she shares. “From meeting the brides, to creating the gowns, receiving my brides’ wedding photos on email (that’s actually so exciting), putting together styling ideas to inspire my brides, creating amazing photoshoots, making spreadsheets late at night, it’s my dream, so I love it.”
Why Zo & Willow loves her
At Zo & Willow, we strive to fulfill the desire of many fashion-conscious brides to go beyond the ordinary and traditional. As the demand for modern, minimalistic and casual wedding gowns with yet luxurious fabrics increases, Prea James Bridal makes the perfect addition to our Zo & Willow collection. Her aesthetic is understated elegance. Prea has a keen eye for unfaltering fit and hand finishes that add that special touch to each gown.
Her collection is filled with flattering cuts and designs which are modern, yet have a timeless quality about them. There is a mix of minimalist silk gowns and also some lace pieces, but in the less traditional sense. Prea shares, “Generally I am inspired by art, architecture, nature and style icons, past and present. I often work with fabrics to create the designs, as I like to see how they fall best to then decide how I want to use them.”
Prioritizing purity and elegance, with her designs she aims at assuring comfort all day long by carefully selecting high quality natural fabrics. “Prea James offers elegant and refined creations, often with transformative details: a flattering tie waist, a subtle pleat, a daring notch, a tie that redefines basic sleeves” as Vogue describes her collection.
Who is the Prea James bride?
A Prea James woman is modern, loves design, quality and has an eco-consciousness. She is quietly confident, knows her own style and makes her own trends. She is effortlessly chic. Brides who love Prea James design know the value of natural and high quality fabrics like silk and handcrafted lace. “I feel today’s modern woman wants to be sexy in an understated way that isn’t so in-your-face obvious and I try to cater to that. Subtle details that give that feminine touch” the designer explains. A Zo & Willow bride will love our newest addition to the collection as it will line in with our minimalistic, cool and edgy standard.
Welcoming five of her beautiful Classics at Zo & Willow
The Arlia Dress
With spaghetti straps and a soft drape cross over front bodice paired with a draped skirt and side split, inspired by our Couture bride Ghoncheh’s wedding dress. The extra low back is complimented by the looped cross over detail of the spaghetti straps. Arlia is the epitome of relaxed elegance - perfect for weddings in the warmer months. Think balmy nights, fairy lights, velvet lounges and extravagant floral arrangements.
The Cara Gown
The Cara Gown is made from a luxurious heavy weight 100% silk satin. The top of the dress features a modern high neckline, with a deep V back and a fitted short sleeve. The twist front is created using a Japanese form of pattern making. The top attaches to the skirt along the back waist to give the look of a top and skirt with the practicality of dress. The skirt sits high on the waist and the cutout at front reveals only a slither of skin. The centre front seam and a split that starts from just above the knee. There is little extra flare in the skirt that gives a beautiful flowing silhouette and leads to a 30cm train. The beautiful lustre of the silk satin gives this relaxed wedding gown a luxury feel and look.
The Mira Dress
Sexy yet sophisticated is what comes to mind when you look at the Mira gown. In a classic matte silk with heavy silk satin lining, this modern and fashion forward silhouette features a slight scoop bodice with a bias cut cowl drape over the bust. The wider straps are ultra modern and comfortable. While the Mira gown features a cowl neck design, it also has a waist seam, which gives a more flattering shape for different body sizes. The skirt has a side split and added flare at the hem that gives beautiful movement. The back is slightly lowered and so quite open, but high enough there is some support.
The Tyler Gown
The Tyler gown is a tailored slimline gown in a heavy but fluid satin. The bodice is double fused to give its smooth and structured look. With her cross over bodice detail, spaghetti straps and a beautiful bias-cut skirt, the Tyler gown is a modern twist on the slip dress. Tyler can be styled with our sheer organza Clementine jacket as shown in the gallery for a more modest look.
The Cecile Blouse and Ava Skirt
As you might know, Zo & Willow has always been into tow piece wedding dress options. Thus, we are excited to add this timeless addition to our mix and match wedding dress options.
A wrap style silk satin blouse with bishop sleeves and a flare cuff. The Cecile blouse is feminine, flattering, elegant and sexy. Wrap style blouses are flattering on both a small or larger bust, but with the silk satin fabric and sleeves keep the design modern and directed to our fashion conscious brides. Combine her with the Ava Skirt or over a slip style gown if you are wanting to add some modesty or warmth to your bridal look.
The Ava skirt is the skirt from our popular Cara gown. Prea James has had a lot of requests from her brides who love the fabric and cut of Cara but perhaps wanted to mix and match. Styled here with our Cecile blouse, this combination of pieces in our heavy weight silk satin is pure perfection. The split is cut away slightly, which shows off a little more leg. This can be made straight so the split is a little less obvious.
Prea James Bridal - Real Brides
Working in the bridal industry, we all strive for the same outcome: A joyful bride telling us about her perfect day. Seeing her in her dream dress, styled in her very own favor and individualistic way warms our hearts and makes us remember why we work in this field. Meet some of the most beautiful brides in Prea James Bridal, now retailed at Zo & Willow.
Alexandra wears her Cara gown. Captured by Tess Follett
Laura wears the Tyler gown. Captured by Elise Hassey
Katrin in the Arlia gown. Captured by Petra Fiedler Photography
Abby wears the Mira gown. Captured by Anna Kidman Weddings