Eco-couture wedding dresses that make a true fashion statement

  Eco-couture gowns from the Hello Africa collection, with 
  beadwork by Zulu artisans who are given fair trade wages.

Are you hoping to say your I do’s in a dress that’s as environmentally conscious as you are?

Choosing an eco-friendly wedding dress doesn’t mean you have to throw style and fashion out the door.

Adele Wechsler’s distinctive Eco-Couture collection is both earth-friendly and stunning.

What makes a gown eco-couture?

Wechsler’s line is made of certified organic hemp, silks and vegetable dyes, and is chemical-free. She also makes a conscientious effort to incorporate remnant, or leftover, fabric into organic design elements, like flowers and stems, to cut down on material waste. Other noteworthy efforts include her use of fair trade labor for her beading, which is done in South Africa. Her gowns are also individually cut by hand, in the couture-style, and not mass produced.

Wechsler, a native of South Africa who now calls Toronto home, has been designing couture wedding gowns and special occasion wear for the last 18 years.

But her Eco-Couture line, which launched in 2007, gives her special pride. “My brides are modern and conscious of the world around them,” says Wechsler. “Her wedding day is especially important, because she can connect to her roots, share her joy and give back.”

 Adele Wechsler designs "gowns for
 the bride who cares about the world"

Small steps to a better world

After dozens of collections under her belt, Wechsler says she felt a pull to do something more meaningful. “A few seasons ago I decided there must be something more important. I wanted to connect with brides on a different level. I wanted to put in a little bit more thought and consciousness to what I did. I think if everyone takes small steps, the world would be a better place. So I began with a collection that had a humanitarian element.”

So in 2006, Wechsler launched her Hello Africa collection and began working with Zulu artisans, giving them fair trade wages to produce the exquisite beading that adorns the gowns.

The next season was “an evolution to design for the bride who cares about the world,” says Wechsler. She says she wasn’t aware of many other designers doing anything similar at the time and calls herself a pioneer designer of green wedding dresses. She began researching earth-friendly fabrics she could use, but says it was fairly limiting. However, that doesn’t seem to have constrained Wechsler’s ability to continue to fashion graceful and alluring wedding gowns.
 

  Misty wedding gown from the Eco-Couture collection

Wechsler’s favorite dresses — and the most popular — in the Eco-Couture collection are Misty and Sunray.

She describes the Misty gown as, “The mood. The idea of the fabric being dressed in a way that’s almost windswept. Like a misty day. Like a cloud of organza.”

As for the Sunray dress, Wechsler says, “I love that it’s clean. It’s really modern and fresh and the ruffled border makes it a little bit romantic.”

Advice straight from the designer

Whatever your personal tastes are, Wechsler’s advice to brides looking for that perfect wedding dress is “to realize it’s not just about the dress. You want it to say something about who you are — the character and style and silhouette. You don’t want to be overpowered by a poof of fabric. You want the dress to be you. If everyone is oohing and aahing about the dress, and doesn’t say that you look stunning, then it’s more about the dress than you.”

“Your personality must come thru. If you can find a dress that flatters you in the best way, but also makes a statement in the best way of who you are, that’s what people will remember most and what you will remember the most.”

A movement, not a trend

Wechsler, who says she’s proud to be a pioneer in green wedding gowns, acknowledges that she is seeing more designers today releasing green collections, and believes this will only grow. “I think the bride really does care and incorporates it into everything she does. This is not a trend. This is a movement here to stay.”