Wedding dress designer Dennis Basso might have gotten his start in the fur business, but the Fashion Institute of Technology graduate’s first love was wedding dresses. At the age of 7 the designer, who launched his own luxury fur brand in 1983, drew his first sketch of a woman wearing a wedding dress. A wedding dress that he gave a price tag of $500,000.
“As a child it must have seemed like the epitome of fashion because it has so many components,” Basso told NJ.com when asked what inspired him to draw a wedding dress. “I really always loved fashion, and fashion was always very important to me,” said Basso, who also has a collection of affordable faux fur coats and other ready-to-wear fashions on QVC. “I always wanted to be a designer.”
In 2011 Basso’s designs were realized when he launched his first bridal line. His dresses aren’t in the $500,000 range, but the collections–which can only be found at Kleinfeld’s in New York City–are still quite luxurious. Gabrielle Union was one of the most recent celebrity’s to wear a Dennis Basso wedding dress at her wedding to basketball star Dwayne Wade.
Price Range for the Designer: $2,000-10,000+
Where to Buy: Visit the Kleinfeld website for more information
What We Like About Them: Dennis Basso’s latest collection was inspired by a “classic bride with European taste, she is front and center in the design of these gowns.” I love how classic his wedding dresses are while still being, as Basso puts it, “alluring without being too seductive.” His wedding dresses all make statements, yet they maintain a completely demure and timeless look. While most of his dresses carry a higher price tag, each of his wedding dress designs are definitely red-carpet worthy.
View our favorite Dennis Basso wedding dresses in the gallery below.