A bride's best friend

Brides rely on her to dazzle on their big day. Reem Acra, who designs for Angelina Jolie, Beyoncé and Catherine Zeta-Jones, says now Dubai can expect a lot more of her

The Beirut-born New York-based bridal wear designer Reem Acra's visit to Dubai could have been pitched as honeymoon-perfect, except for a tiny missing detail: Lou Lou, her travel companion and natural arm extension a cute white Maltese was not a part of her entourage.

"I didn't know that we could travel with pets. But next time, I will surely bring her down to Dubai. Our goodbye was very painful. It took us more than an hour to say farewell," says Acra, glancing wistfully at the vacant spot on her arm.

On a visit to Dubai to touch base with her loyal fan base and to unveil Saks Fifth Avenue's bridal event in Dubai, the celebrated designer, whose creations have been worn by A-list stars including Angelina Jolie, Beyoncé and Catherine Zeta-Jones as they walked down the aisle or trod the red carpet, did not dwell on it for long.

"I have so many fans in Dubai. I am actually thinking about moving closer to home, so you can expect a lot more of me in Dubai," says Acra. Her collection is a constant fixture in luxury retail outlets such as Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Harvey Nichols.

Often called a bride's best friend, Acra whose name has become synonymous with sophisticated and sleek-yet-sexy trousseaus defines her sartorial skills as God-given. "It does not take me more than two minutes to sketch a creation for my client. If it's a couture fitting, then all I need to do is to study their personality and the rest is easy. In fact, in a matter of a few hours, I have designed as many as 50 dresses for my brides," says Acra artlessly.

Stress free

Her tryst with the fashion world has a similar fairytale tone. Acra's trek from being a teenager in Beirut to being a fashion icon seems remarkably stress free. She was discovered by a fashion editor who helped her to put together her first fashion show for few days later. Then she shuttled off to New York to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology to pursue her calling.

"The journey may look easy, as I always concentrate on the good things in life. But, one day, I want to write a book about my passage. It was actually tough being a woman designer in New York. But it will all be in the book."

Surprisingly, Acra is also one of the few bridal designers who rarely have to deal with brides turning into volatile bridezillas. "When a client comes to me for a fitting, they know they are dealing with an expert. And when I decide what looks best on them, they rarely disagree. They leave it completely in my hands," she adds.

Case in point: Acra was one of the few designers who was in the loop about the Hollywood heavyweight Angelina Jolie's second pregnancy.

"I am in touch with her [Angelina] all the time. And when she asked me to design a dress keeping her growing belly in mind, I took it up immediately. There were no fittings, but it was a challenge to design a dress imagining her probable size. And the best part was, it fit perfectly well. No trials and no tucks…" says Acra triumphantly.

Visibly-cagey about speaking about her clout-filled celebrity clients, Acra admits that another feather in her proverbial veil was when Christina Applegate chose her one-shouldered icy blue Jacquard gown for this year's Emmy Awards.

"I felt great when she picked my gown and I knew that the event was very important for her, since she was coming out for the first time after her medical issue. I knew it was a big deal for her and I created a dress that made her feel good."
Celebrity or no celebrity, Acra believes in spinning her dreamy designs with her signature flair. "At the end of the day, I create dresses that make a woman feel really good from within. To me, beauty is all about being subtle, regal and elegant."

Styling tips for this bridal season

If you have the designer Reem Acra on board to create your bridal trousseau, then you can skip this portion without a second thought. But if you are not as lucky, then these tips will help you make the most important day of your life disaster-proof.

-Go by your instincts. If you are not comfortable wearing a dress, then discard it pronto.
- Don't experiment a lot on your special day.
- Keep your personality in mind before choosing your wedding gown.
-Wear what you feel good in and don't follow trends. If a ball gown doesn't look good on you, then don't wear it just because some others are wearing it.
-Be yourself and be honest: Either you like a dress or you don't. Don't be convinced otherwise

P.S: Leave all these tips at the door if you are stepping into Acra's atelier. If you are the chosen few to be under her wing, she will surely come up with a winner.