Many of you know the name Diann Valentine from her numerous celebrity weddings and events, WeTV’s show “I Do Over” or if you’ve pinned her inspirational design photos all over Pinterest.
We had the pleasure of getting the 411 on her new line of Signature Bridal Cuffs and we are totally in love with what we believe to be the new trend in bridal fashion.
When did you come up with the concept of the bridal cuff and what steps did you take to make it happen?
I designed the first cuff in 2007 for Basketball Wives star, Jennifer Williams. After we settled on a custom blush pink Ines Di Santo Gown, I just kept thinking that the dress was far too pretty to allow a bouquet to cover it up. She trusted me when I told her I had something different in mind, we played with many ideas of how to give her a floral accessory she wouldn’t have to hold in front of her. I created floral backpacks, a fan bracelet & fedora, but none of them felt right. I found a studded napkin ring at Swarovski and we used that to design her cascading accessory of crystals with live cataleya orchids. Needless to say she loved it and after her wedding, I would always present to my brides the bouquet they (thought) they wanted & a custom cuff the morning of their wedding and the bridal cuff won hands down every time. Two years ago I realized this concept would change the industry and how women adorned flowers, so I started developing the first line of Valentine Cuffs and launched them this past October at Bridal Market.
What is the Valentine Cuff?
The Valentine Cuff is a hands-free floral accessory that allows a woman to accent her look with flowers without holding an enormous & cumbersome bouquet. It is the first floral accessory that honors the couture wedding gown because I understand that brides-to-be spend thousands of dollars on these couture works of art and the bouquet should NOT be the main focus of the wedding day look.
Is it designed just for brides or can it be worn with evening attire?
We sell just as many cuffs to women for black tie events as we do for weddings. We have also seen a huge popularity with teenage girls for proms. Younger girls tend to be more fearless and want to embrace something fresh and new faster than brides who may have a hard time stepping outside of tradition.
Is the Valentine Cuff designed with a certain bride in mind or is it for any type of bride?
They are designed for all women in love, but I think our customers are more fashion-forward, modern, independent women that tend to have a strong sense of self. I’ve seen brides wear them with both traditional & modern wedding gowns, but its more about the woman rather than how it is styled.
What piece of advice would you offer brides looking for “THE DRESS”?
Throw tradition out the window! Whatever style you have in mind of what you should look like may not be the best style for you. Decide on the color and style that looks best on you that will make you glow. That may be a pure princess gown, but what I know for sure is that when women are given many options as are on the rainbow and can try them on and see how colors work with their skin, they will almost always not choose white.
What is your favorite trend right now?
Lighting! I’ve been studying the work of some amazing artists and designers and I’m fascinated with what they have been able to do by simply reinventing an atmosphere using lighting. It is the design element of the future but I like many things in the bridal industry, I’m sure it will take a few years to really catch on.
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