Above: Terese Rose designs include wedding gowns, lingerie, and remakes of vintage treasures. Photograph courtesy of Terese Rose/Jenna Lee
ALBUQUERQUE BRIDAL DESIGNER Terese Romero ignores trends, reworks vintage dresses into modern beauties, and thinks more brides should wear black. Aware of the massive toll the fashion industry takes on the planet, she avoids waste by turning leftover material into delicate lingerie.
What advice would you give to brides as they look for their dresses?
I would say just to take a deep breath and remember that this day is about you and your partner. What do you want to wear when you say “I do” to the love of your life?
How do you rework a vintage dress?
I don’t do this very often, and I have to look at each style separately to determine if it’s the type of work I can do. Reworking a design can be more difficult than creating something from scratch. However, I do find the challenge to be creative and rewarding.
What are some bridal trends you’ve been loving?
I try not to pay attention to trends, because I want my brides to have a unique sense of personal style and their dress to reflect their personality. But this year I’ve had a lot of requests for capes and cloaks, and that’s one trend I am a huge fan of.
Tell us about the lingerie you make.
Designing wedding dresses requires a lot of fabric, and a lot of remnant fabric is left behind. The garment industry is one of the highest causes of environmental pollution. So I save the remnant fabric—beautiful remnant silks and laces—to make various lingerie pieces and keep from tossing tons of fabrics into the trash.
Book an appointment to visit the Terese Rose atelier or keep up with her work via her Instagram.