Article originally posted on the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/evey-rosenbloom/trend-alert-from-rainbow-brite-to-rainbow-brides-_b_6851998.html
As a wedding dress designer, and stylist, I’m seeing more and more brides looking for colorful dresses, rainbow shoes, even colorful veils. Perhaps the prevalence of multi color in our culture can be attributed to advances in marriage equality. I’ve found that this trend from rich brilliant shades to pastel tones is extending far beyond nuptials, to home furnishings, electronics, apparel, and very colorful hair and makeup.
The beloved Rainbow Brite character, shared her message of happiness and color with a generation of children through global consumer products franchise and an animated television program that ran throughout the 1980’s. Rainbow Brite is one of my biggest influences, responsible for my crazy love for color, adventure, and out of the box thinking. Market research studies have shown that the toys we play with as children, often influence who we become as adults. I am so excited to hear today that in late August 2015, Hallmark Gold Crown stores will feature a new collection of classic Rainbow Brite products, including a doll, plush and book, as well as Rainbow Brite character itty bittys, joining the popular line of 4-inch tall plush toys! I’ve even had a few brides tell me recently that they are planning Rainbow Brite themed weddings!
Last week at the Los Angeles International Textile Show, I had the privilege of meeting with Fran Sude, owner and Creative Director of the trend and color forecasting company Design Options Inc. Her company predicts high fashion trends and colors for the upcoming seasons through careful and thorough analysis of art and intelligence gathering.
When I asked her if she foresees that “rainbow” is an upcoming trend, she pulled out two very colorful charts predicting trends for Spring/Summer 2016, one of them was even titled “Rainbow Bright!” She told me that the rainbow trend is showing up in fashion as each color is connected to the next in a harmonious, expansive way. She explained that people are beginning to mix and match colors and that the trend is becoming a statement of individuality, providing us with a means to express ourselves and break out of our shells.
Rainbows symbolize new beginnings, happiness, celebration, promise, good fortune, connection, and balance. One of the most colorful moments in one’s life is their wedding, so why have we made it tradition since the 19th century, to have it void of color!?
For the last few years, runways have shown us that wedding dress designers from Vera Wang to Oscar de la Renta, Ian Stewart, Cristian Dior, and many more, are designing in color. With the resurgence of Rainbow Brite, and the upcoming rainbow trends, we are seeing more and more Rainbow Brides, as the multi-color palette is becoming an increasingly popular way to add a personal, meaningful, and beautiful touch to weddings.
My company teamed up with Cloak Photography, where art and photography intersect, to provide you with this kaleidoscope of rainbow wedding inspiration for couples who are looking to step outside the box. I love working with Cloak because their exceptional ability to capture the moment always makes me smile. Whether you are young at heart, playful, kitschy, retro loving, off- beat, rock n roll, alternative, traditional, over the top, green, glamorous, whimsical, bohemian, laid back, or artsy, here are 7 ways you can incorporate the rainbow in your wedding!
“Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier’s Ferris wheel is a can’t-miss spot for romance as USA Today names it one of “The Romantic Places for Couples in Los Angeles.”
1. Location location location!
Chose a location that will allow for a colorful canvas. Either a sandy beach, grassy park, or something already very colorful!
We LOVE Santa Monica as a wedding destination because it truly provides the best of all worlds, offering an ideal canvas for a colorful wedding. It’s where the city meets the sand, with no shortage of romance and no shortage of fun. Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel is a beautiful wedding venue, providing breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean, sandy beaches and the historic Santa Monica Pier. Experience the endless bike paths, the Pier’s iconic ride-filled amusement park, Pacific Park, that features the romantic Ferris wheel’s high-tech LED custom display of colors and patterns, carnival games, trapeze school, live music, arcade games, oceanfront food plaza, seaside shopping, as well as and the national historic carousel landmark, (perfect for weddings and private parties with a vintage soda-fountain located inside!) With these many backdrops available, you can really play with color and be yourself in this multi-colored, pet friendly, eco-mindful wonderland!
2. Décor!
The wedding coordinators at Rock N’ Events styled our rainbow shoot event design with an array of colorful details to reflect the spectrum of wedding styles from Carnival to Bohemian and 1920’s Vintage.
3. Props!
Artist, Heather Safran, assisted with the art direction, gathering colorful props, and developing story boards for this rainbow production!
4. Flowers!
Danish florist, Trine Dahl, owner of Blomst Los Angeles, created all the spectacular custom-made floral arrangements, bridal bouquets and boutonnieres!
5. Cakes, cookies and candies!!!
Add a delicious rainbow candy bar! Our candy bar was designed by Candybar Couture, while mouth watering eye-candy in the form of cakes, cookies, and homemade chocolates were designed by Lovesome!
6. Wear colorful attire!
Whether you want to wear a colorful dress, or tux, or just colorful accessories like shoes, bowties, suspenders, socks, jewelry and veils, from the traditional to the non-traditional, there are so many ways you can do this! I’ve seen lots of brides and grooms wear colorful converse with their fancy wedding clothes. (I actually did that myself at my own wedding a year ago!) I’ve even seen some couples have each of their groomsmen in a different color tie, or bridesmaids each in a different colored dress! We chose Friar Tux to outfit the men, because they offer an incredible assortment of color, shade, and pattern, with the largest selection of slim fit suits and tuxedos, for purchase and for rent, in Southern California with nationwide affiliates. My custom wedding dress design studio, Evey had so much fun making the colorful dresses, sparkle covered shoes and veils for our Rainbow Brides!
7. Add a splash of color to your hair or makeup!
Whether it’s a streak of color in your hair, or a vibrant shade of lipstick, or nail polish, have fun, and be yourself!
Our hair and makeup artists really helped bring this rainbow production to life. Salon Tru, the premier casually elegant salon located in the heart of downtown Santa Monica, sent an amazing crew of artists, specializing in color, balayage and avant-garde hairstyling to flawless makeup techniques, while celebrity hair and makeup artist Krystal X Kaos of Anything for Beauty, and Hollywood Makeup Artist Dee Castro, drove up from the South Bay to assist with this colorful production.
