Her responsibilities included collaborating with patternmakers and seamstresses, sourcing fabrics and trims, assisting with fittings, and sketching. (Her illustrations have been featured in fashion magazines and bridal boutiques worldwide.) Donna’s favorite memories are of when Monique would send her to the FIDM library. Studying books and collections of other famous designers gave her inspiration for executing Monique’s visions for celebrities and runways. “Monique would come in and say, ‘I’m thinking 1950s with an edge of floral,’ and we’d have to come up with all these sketches,” says Donna. “The biggest challenge would have to be changing the direction of a collection just weeks before Fashion Week.”
Donna’s 10 Rules for Brides 1. Figure out the theme and mood of your wedding first, and let those ideas guide you in planning. For instance, you don’t want to wear a satin ball gown and a tiara if “Woodland Romance” is your vision. Think of the event as a whole, from invitations to floral arrangements. 2. Not all whites are created equal. Make sure the shade of white you pick compliments your skin and hair color. The right white can even brighten your complexion. 3. If you’re planning to slim down before the big day, do it before you choose your gown and especially before your final fitting. Not all dresses you try on will look great at every weight, so the closer you are to your goal weight, the better
meet with Donna in her home made for a more comfortable collaboration, too. “Even though she comes from the world of high fashion, she made me feel completely at ease and welcome in her home studio,” says Gillian. “She was both thoughtful and honest with her suggestions. My gown was beautiful and, more importantly, I felt beautiful in my gown, which I know was one of Donna’s primary goals in her design process.”
your gown shopping and fittings will go. 4. Undergarments are the foundation of your bridal ensemble.
LEAVING A LEGACY
Since her days in fashion school, Donna has evolved as a bustier for your dress. As for the rest of your body, refer to rule five. designer and hopes to expand 5. Never underestimate the power of Spanx. her business. She’s already 6. Cleavage should be kept to a maximum of four inches. Only making dresses for mothers women with A and B cups should go for padding. of the bride and groom, and 7. If you feel like your strapless gown is too loose around your other special events, and has thought about doing a readybust, have it altered instead of having a wardrobe malfunction PICKING UP THE PACE to-wear collection for highwhile you’re rocking out to Michael Jackson on the dance floor. Even individual pieces someend department stores. 8. Don’t spend money on your veil. Make one yourself using times required quick, imaginative This would mean thinking tulle, a clear plastic comb, some trim, and hot glue. reworking, like that tea-stained about every woman instead of 9. If you’re wearing a floor-length gown, don’t wear shoes with more frock from 2008, adding a sense of one woman in particular, but than three-inch heels. Most gowns will cover your shoes anyway. frenzy to an already busy schedule. Donna believes her skill set 10. Go for a timeless style when choosing your gown. Have Donna remembers a much will translate, the same way someone else take a photo of you in your top five choices, calmer environment at Mon her simple sketches become Atelier, but it turns out the chabeautiful gowns. then picture yourself looking back on the photo in 25 years. os prepared her for her most ex“I’ve learned to magnify all You’ll want the dress to still look relevant and classy. citing job yet: being a mom. the wonderful things about Twin boys can be a handful. someone’s figure and diminish Even though she left her dream job to raise her now 6-year-olds, what they consider to be their flaws,” she says. “As I’ve gotten oldshe couldn’t quite put a pin in her fashion career. On bed rest, she er and worked with more and more people, there are certain ideas sewed children’s capes and sold them on Etsy. Two weeks out of for fashion I know to be true for most body types. I feel like I’m the delivery room, she was altering a dress for a friend. really good at telling you how you can look your best.” Donna soon realized how much she missed designing and conAs for her law career, Donna’s never looked back, but she and necting with other women. Deciding to start her own business Monique do catch up when they run into each other in L.A. from home was an innovative solution to balancing her personal “You know you’re doing good stuff as a lawyer, but what’s and professional aspirations. nice about creating is I can actually see what I made,” she “I loved working one-on-one with clients, so when I contem- says. “It’s a different reward when you make something with plated going back to work, I knew I didn’t want to go back full- your hands. It’s a very surreal feeling. Somehow, you become a time,” she says. “I still wanted to be able to have some time with fabric of people’s lives and a milestone that’s happening even my boys, and given that there aren’t many fashion houses in Phoe- though you’re on the outside. It speaks to legacy. It’s somenix, having my own custom atelier made a lot of sense.” thing that you’ve left.” Vancouver native Gillian Doman met Donna when planning her destination wedding in Scottsdale and says Donna helped take To learn more about Donna’s creative process or arrange a custom fitting, the stress out of a potentially stressful experience. Being able to go to DonnaBerryDesigns.com. Get fitted for a bra if you haven’t done so, and pick the best bra or
September 2014 | Paradise Valley Lifestyle
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