issue 01 septermber 2013
Our very first Magazine- Ever!
Designer Interview: Who is Jenny Lee?
Real Weddings, Birth of Our Favorite Gown Exclusive Updates, Studio Sneak Peek and More!
Jenny Lee
bridal
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announcements jenny lee designer biography JL journey - dress 1308 progress no. 1 sketching jenny lee bride no. 1 katie and patrick jenny lee bride no. 2 christi and matt jenny lee bride no. 3 hayley and joe JL studiogram list of vendors
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JL Announcements
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We are excited to announce that our Fall 2014 show will take place at Waldorf Astoria Towers, NYC on October 12! If you are a buyer or part of a publication interested in attending the show, please RSVP at rsvp@jennyleebridal.com or call us at 323.934.0879.
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Have you checked out our new blog yet? If not, you’re seriously missing out on all the juicy details on Jenny Lee and exclusive peek into the studio. Go to jennyleebridal.blog.com and see what we’ve been up to lately!
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Listen up, L.A. brides: Jenny is opening up her showroom to public! Located in the heart of West Hollywood, Jenny’s design studio is wet to turn into a showroom on Saturdyas to accommodate all of you fashionable brides. So call us and make an appointment now!
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Jenny Lee studio is super busy getting ready for our Fall 2014 collection! Think Sophie Marceau, peonies, lots of drama‌ Stay tuned to find out more!
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interview
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Jenny Lee Sitting in her sun-strewn, corporate office meets studio in Los Angeles, Jenny Lee has every reason to be thrilled. Since opening her first retail shop fifteen years ago, her reputation as a sought-after bridal designer has made her a household name among savvy, sophisticated brides. The daughter of a style conscious mother in South Korea, Jenny led what would be considered an enviable childhood. She vividly remembers trips to a local tailor who would custommake her mother’s wardrobe. At five years old, she began attending weekly fittings of her own and during each visit, her mother would order a little extra material, encouraging her daughter’s creative experimentation and influencing her later foray into the design world as a young woman in America.
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fter one year as a student at Seoul National University, Jenny felt the need to expand her creative horizons. Innately driven and independent, she knew she wanted to focus her talent on fashion design and possessed a clear idea of how to do it; she would move to the United States and attend the prestigious Parsons School of Design in New York City. There she gained the knowledge to create her own line and open a business, which she successfully did fresh out of school. While at Parsons, Jenny felt she was also being taught that in order to be noticed, her designs had to be different and shocking to be fit for runway shows, which seemed inappropriate for real life. Her own design philosophy developed into just the opposite as seen in her understated, wearable and elegant gowns. Asked about her style, she accredits the influence of three classic designers who truly express feminine beauty: Valentino’s couture work and his draping skills, Giorgio Armani’s sculpting of dresses and Christian Dior’s emphasis on the woman’s femininity by enhancing her waist and hips. When it comes to designing her wedding gowns, Jenny’s creative process begins with constructing the design in her mind. She then akes great care in picking the most luxurious fabrics from Italy and France. This is a crucial step for Jenny who draws inspiration from the amazing textiles she finds around the world, including the vintage fabrics she often incorporates into her evening collection. Her next step is to design directly on the form for a 3D version of the dress, followed by making and cutting the pattern. Special attention is given tot eh silhouette as she constructs the gown from the inside out using what she calls “a beautiful fabric formula.” The patterns are then re-cut in her unwavering mission to make the traditoinal, yet often unflattering, color white slimming and feminine.
Throughout this process, Jenny knows that each bride comes in with volumes of her own research before purchasing a gown. With magazine clippings, website printouts, and opinions from all of her closest friends, she brings her ideas to the bridal store where a knowledgeable sales staff can offer a professional opinion and ensure she finds the perfect dress that is timeless and flattering. Jenny emphasizes the importance of each bride knowing her best feature and how to accentuate it so that she can choose a silhouette that will frame her body, not cover her up. “The bride should wear the dress and not the dress wear the 11 bride,” she explains.
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ith this focus integrated with her extreme attention to detail, exceptional tailoring techniques and use of gorgeous fabrics, her designs garner praise from all across the wedding industry. “Her gowns are meticulously crafted and beautifully executed and appeal to a modern and fashion-forward bride and her fit is absolutely amazing and equal to haute couture from Paris,” claims Mark Ingram of Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier in New York City. “Brides call me from around the world seeking out her dresses.” One of her ever popular designs is the corseted gown with ruched, illusion sleeves and full, silk taffeta skirt from an early collection which has come to be known as the “Jenny Lee Dress.” As the gown that put her on the bridal map, it epitomizes her timeless, romantic and universally flattering design philosophy.
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rom her earliest collections in her first boutique to the national launch of her brand in 2002, Jenny Lee continues to evolve and grow in prominence. In 2007, she was named the “Hottest Wedding Gown Designer” on the In Style Wedding Special on ABC. In 2009 her flagship boutique Jenny Lee Couture Bridal and Evening Wear at Crystal Cove Promenade in Newport Beach opened its doors, featuring her celebrated wedding gowns along with her evening collection which has also gained notoriety amongst women searching for an elegant look for special events. Jenny loves meeting customers and her devotion to detail and eye for beauty is infused into each interaction. She draws from a continuous well of inspiration in each of their unique journeys that have brought them through her door. 12
JL Journey #1: This gown is the most popular design at Jenny Lee Bridal – you can see over seven brides wearing it in our Real Brides Pinterest board – and thus seemed like a perfect choice for our very first “journey” feature. Every design starts with a great sketch. After getting inspirations from various sources – music, video, books and photos – Jenny begins her sketch process. Most preliminary sketches are done in plain pencil. Later on, when Jenny is satisfied with every detail of the sketch, she uses colored pencils to breathe life into the sketch. jen n y l e e | se p te m b e r 2 0 13
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Dress 1308: Sketch
For this particular sketch, Jenny invented organza flower details and applied them to the skirt. This unique feature is what makes this dress 1308 brides’ all-time favorite. Once the sketch is ready, Jenny begins designing patterns for the dress. Stay tuned for next week’s update on pattern-making!
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katie & patrick Katie is our first Jenny Lee bride who wore our 1102 gown from Spring 2011 collection. Katie and Patrick’s wedding took place in the midst of beautiful sceneries in Yates Family Vineyard, located in Napa Valley, California. Katie’s dress (#1102) features a sweetheart neckline, ruched top and a pick-up skirt. She added her personal twist by tying a sash around the waist. For a fun-loving, dynamic bride like Katie, the dress was a perfect fit.
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Jenny Lee Bridal Katie says, “I love the dress and really enjoyed wearing it. It was so comfortable and moved so well on the dance floor. I ended up sleeping in the dress!�
For more information on the dress, visit www.jennyleebridal.com. You can see more of Katie and Patrick’s wedding photos at: https://www.truephotographyweddings.com/event/katie-patrick Photo credits: True Photography Weddings Dress: Jenny Lee Bridal
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The dress was a perfect complement to the ivory-and-gold themed wedding. Christi is our second Jenny Lee bride who looked absolutely stunning in our all-time favorite, Dress 1101. Set in the lavish San Diego hotel Grand Del Mar, the wedding was the epitome of luxury – gold chandeliers, marble floors, fourtier wedding cake – but no detail shined brighter than the bride herself.
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You may recognize Christi’s dress from our JL Journey feature. Her dress 1101 is our brides’ favorite, with its unique organza flowers and figure-hugging bodice. For more information on the dress, visit www.jennyleebridal. com
Christi & Matt Photo credits : true photography weddings
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Hayley & joe At Jenny Lee Bridal, we are always amazed by the bride’s ability to transform a dress according to her personal style. As the brides’ all-time favorite, dress 1308 has been worn by many, many brides – but this bride in particular wears it in a way that it resonates her fun-loving, energetic personality. Meet our thrid Jenny Lee Bride, Hayley. Hayley and Joe tied the knot on February 19, 2011 in Seattle. Although it must have been a freezing day, Hayley looks absolutely radiant with a smile as bright as the sun. The ceremony took place in University Presbyterian Church where Hayley’s parents were married. Seeing a tradition carried on always brings out of us a little “aww.” Following the ceremony, Hayley and Joe hosted their 400+ guests at the Fairmont Hotel with a lavish Spanish ballroom. For a fun-loving bride like Hayley, the organza flower details in the skirt were perfect – they add a lively touch to the dress.
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jenny lee bridal jenny lee bride #3 Wedding Photography: Kate Price Photography Ceremony: University Presbyterian Church Seattle in Seattle, Washington Reception: The Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle, Washington Event Planning, Floral Design: Steven Moore Designs Wedding Cinematography: Mew Films / Wedding Invitations: Dolce Designs Studio Wedding Dress: Jenny Lee Bridal / Shoes: Vera Wang Lavender
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Studiogram... O
ur WeHo office continues to get pretttier fountains are installed, showroom is painted and more things to come! Only two weeks left! #jennylee #construction #newshowroom #weho
Patterns &fabrics waiting for their turn! #studio #design #patternmaking #jennylee #bridal
Studiogram #1: another busy busy day at the studio. #studiogram #jennylee #bridal #design #studio
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Mrs. Choi, Jenny’s mom, made this beautiful hairpiece today. Talent seriously runs in this family... #studiogram #hairpiece #wedding #accessories #jennylee
Gown-making in the works! Little Beyonce takes her naps in the studio. #studiogram #jennylee #wedding #beyoncethedog #dogsofinstagram
Lace shopping day #lace #shopping #fabrics #jennylee
Pretty samples in our showroom. They look even prettier with the new lights on! #jennylee #wedding #dresses #showroom jen n y l e e | se p te m b e r 2 0 13
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ven do rs
New York : Kl ein fel d 110 West 20t h St . New York, NY 10011 64 6-633-4 300 Minnesot a : L’ At el ier C out ure 219 N. 2nd St . #4 04 Minneapol is, MN 554 01 651-602-94 92 Seat t l e : Marc el l a’ s 14 17 4 t h Ave. Suit e 200 Seat t l e, WA 98101 206-264 -0700 San Fran c isc o : Marina Marrison 30 Maiden Lane San Fran c isc o, CA 94 108 4 15-984 -9360 New York: Mark Ing ram At el ier 110 East 55t h St . 8t h Fl oor New York, NY 10022 212-319-6778 P en nsyl vania : The Wedding Shoppe 503 W. Lan c ast er Ave. Suit e 1 1 0 Wayn e, PA 19087 610-293-1299 Al abama : Whit e Room 3161 Cahaba H eig ht s Rd. #101 Birming ham, AL 3524 3 205-620-3905 Can ada : Whit e Toront o 19 Hazelton Ave. Toront o, ON M5R 2E1 4 16-84 9-9196
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Oreg on : Divine Desig ns Bridal 5 12 NW 17t h Ave. #B Port l an d, OR 97209 5 03-827-0667
Ma ssa c huse tts : C r istina ’s 1 Ma in St. Andove r, MA 01810 978- 470- 3956
Ne w Yor k: B e rgdor f Goodma n 2 We st 58st. Ne w Yor k, NY 10019 212- 872- 8957 Atla nta : Joa n Pillow Atla nta 99 We st Pa c e s Fe r r y Rd. Atla nta , GA 30305- 1350 404- 841- 6202 Ke lly’s Close t 1649 Mc le ndon Ave NE Atla nta , GA 30307 404- 377- 9923
Houston : Joa n Pillow Hou s to n 4001 We sthe ime r Rd . Suite 100, 2nd F lo o r Houston, Te xa s 7 7 0 2 7 713- 622- 1122
Wa shington DC : C a r ine ’s Br ida l Ate lie r 1726 Wisc onsin Ave . NW 2nd Floor Wa shington D.C. 20007 202- 965- 8883 F lor ida : B oc a Ra ton Br ida l 3591 Nor th Fe de r a l Highwa y B oc a Ra ton, FL 33431 (5 61) 447- 6541
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Ohio : B ig Roc k Little Rooste r 654 North High St. C olumbus, Ohio 43215 614- 754- 8116
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