The bride wore Frederick

Each year, there comes a time when brides and grooms troop to churches, cathedrals, the judge’s office to say the big “I do.”

A wedding is the bride’s time to shine. Unless she’s Lindsay Lohan, this will probably be one of the few times in her life when all eyes will be on her. And what better way to show off her natural beauty than with the right dress?

Frederick Peralta, one of the country’s most iconic names in fashion, has made a career out of making this special day even more special.  His feminine designs and silhouettes have been gracing the aisle for the past 25 years. The reason why brides love Frederick Peralta is because of his beautiful designs, attention to detail, and his ability to make anyone feel like a supermodel and a queen.

“When I design something for a show or for clients, I make sure that I really, really love it,” Frederick says. “My clothes undergo a fitting on a model before being fitted on the client.” 

The designer makes it a habit to have a model stand in front of the mirror wearing his creation while he applies the finishing touches.  This is why his designs, whether they be simple or elaborate, are always flawless. “I (am always) the judge (of) my work,” Frederick says.

Frederick Peralta never sticks to one design mode. His gowns can be minimalist and feminine one minute or elaborately-detailed and modern the next. One thing’s for sure, they’re all art pieces that people talk about. “I hate boring clothes,” the designer says, adding that when he’s designing,  “I let my creative juices flow. It’s my clients who want to wear something close to art on their special day.”

Take for example, the simple shift dress which, under Frederick’s capable hands, becomes an ultra-romantic, intricately embroidered wedding gown that simply takes the breath away. Such a gown would be enhanced by natural surroundings, say a beach wedding or one held amidst the breathtaking view in Tagaytay.

Then there is the tiered dress that Frederick says is his interpretation of a Spanish wedding gown. Its simple top is balanced by its rich skirt, calling to mind private yet emotional “I do’s” exchanged on windy heaths or scenic cliffs whose silence is punctuated by the crash of the ocean waves from below. According to Frederick, this gown would be perfect for an open-air or garden wedding.    

Those who want a bit of Old World romance will instantly warm up to Frederick’s medieval-inspired wedding gown, an intricate masterpiece done in heavy Belgian lace and tulle with ruffled pitted organza and a fischu collar, complemented by lovely pearl buttons at the back. Though it draws from a different era, the gown carries a modern silhouette. It’s the kind of gown whose wearer begs to be swept off her feet and carried over the threshold, the kind of gown so refined that it has to be worn in a wedding ceremony celebrated in a place that befits its timeless elegance — like a solemn, historic cathedral.

Last but not the least is one that Frederick describes as an “ultramodern gown with a classic lace silhouette and an opera cape.” Done in French lace and Mikado silk, the gown’s cape doubles as a train for an effect that is both classic and modern. The gown’s simplicity fits well with a low key wedding, such as one done in a chapel.

“I have a different approach to each of my wedding gowns.” Frederick says. “They are all intricate. I use French and tulle lace, Mikado silk, embroidery, and of course, beadwork as well as other materials.”

Frederick says that his objective when designing a wedding gown — or any article of clothing, for that matter — is to give the wearer something truly memorable, something that goes beyond getting one’s money’s worth. “I put my artistry into my designs because a wedding is a special occasion where everyone is looking forward to seeing the model of the day — the bride in her beautiful wedding gown.”

Women who flock to Frederick Peralta are those who love the act of dressing up, as well as all the flair and glamour that goes with it.  “Women who love drama. Women like Carrie Bradshaw. These are the characters of the women I usually dress up,” Frederick says. “I love dressing women who are brave enough to explore. I always make sure that the gown itself is a conversational piece so they are never disappointed.”

Frederick emphasizes that a wedding gown is not about the designer, but about the bride who wears it. “I am the medium for the bride-to-be’s desires to materialize,” he says. “I always make them feel like their wedding is their special day and they have to feel and look good, and that they have to play the role of either a queen or a princess.”

Such a declaration from one of the country’s top designers is enough to make even the most practical bride-to-be swoon. After all, what woman doesn’t want to be the most beautiful woman in the world, especially on her wedding day? With gowns as playful, imaginative and feminine as Frederick’s, any bride’s dream wedding can come true.

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For more info, contact Frederick Peralta at 521-3463.