Monique Lhuillier - Jeanne Beker

Whether it’s hitting the red carpet, or coming down the aisle, a Monique Lhuillier gown never fails to wow, oozing the kind of glamour and femininity that have become this L.A.-based designer’s signature style. The 40-year-old launched her first collection in 1996, and before long, started to attract a strong celebrity clientele. Having dressed the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Lopez, Taylor Swift, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Drew Barrymore and Emma Stone—just to name a few—Lhuillier’s become one of Hollywood’s biggest go-to designers for stars and brides intent on making memorable statements. Lhuillier was in Toronto recently to launch a new collection of china and Waterford crystal at Ashley’s. I caught up with her to talk about statement-making gowns, and the true meaning of glamour.

Jeanne Beker:

It’s wonderful to be known for bridal and red carpet glam in the same breath. Most people have trouble just keeping one image out there, but for you it’s really worked remarkably well.

Monique Lhuillier:

I always say for the bride, it’s like her red carpet moment—the same details, the fit. Perfecting the fit is so important. I feel a red carpet is like a wedding, and it’s like walking down an aisle, except it’s red underneath instead of probably petals. But the attention to details really counts.

We see so many fabulous bridal dresses around these days, but when you started your business you felt that there weren’t any great, original wedding dresses out there….

Absolutely! I got engaged 18 years ago, after graduating from fashion school. And I’ve been married 17 years now. I went looking for dresses and realized there was a niche I could fill in the wedding dress market. After our wedding, I immediately designed a small collection of 8 pieces, and we showed it to editors and stores. That was the beginning of my brand.

Growing up with such an international frame of reference obviously fared well for you. That was one of the keys to really turning you into the kind of international brand that you’ve become.

Yes, my mother is Pilipino. I grew up in the Philippines. My father is French and they lived a wonderful lifestyle. My mother loved to entertain and because my father was an ambassador at the time, we used to always have people over and I used to watch my mom get ready. I sat on the counter and watched what she was putting on and how she was transforming. I remember that vividly. I think early on, she was the biggest influence. She introduced me to fashion and it was a love story that never ended.

We’re so inundated with glamorous images these days. But what ultimately is glamorous to you?

I think that glamour is about confidence and really owning the look. It’s not about trends. It’s about really feeling great in what you’re wearing. I like classics but I always add a twist because I don’t like to think of my clothes as classic. There’s definitely a modernity to them and I also like people to realize there’s a feminine hand behind them. I always feel like a woman designing for a woman. I know what you want to accentuate and what you want to hide. That’s really the core behind the brand.

What would you say makes a great red carpet dress?

A red carpet dress that’s wonderful is usually one in colour and one that personifies the celebrity wearing it. If it’s the right cut for her, she carries it differently and she feels different in the gown. Most recently I did Jennifer Goodwin for the Met Gala in New York and we collaborated on that style. Originally that design was in black and the first rule of thumb is if you want to stand out, wear colour. So we decided tangerine-orange would be great on her skin tone. Throughout the night she kept telling me, “This gown fits me so perfectly! I feel so beautiful tonight! Thank you.” For me, that’s the biggest compliment because I feel like it’s about empowering women. If you feel great in your dress, you look even better!

It’s great when you have the opportunity of really working with the celebrity and collaborating, but I’m sure there are many times when you just see your gown surface on some red carpet somewhere on some celebrity. Is it always exhilarating or sometimes do you go “ouch!”?

Sometimes I go ouch! They always say the upside of dressing celebrities is all the exposure you get. But the downside is sometimes that you don’t have the control. You could start with a beautiful piece, but the way they accessorize it, or the makeup that they do, or the hair that they do when they create that look—well, sometimes your vision gets watered down. That’s the downside of dressing celebrities—not always having the control.

Just putting your bridal hat—or should I say bridal “veil” on for a minute: There are some impending high profile nuptials coming up. I don’t know if you fantasize about dressing these fabulous celebrities for their weddings. Did you ever try to make a pitch to dress them?

Sometimes, yes I have reached out to celebrities. Dressing them is wonderful because of the exposure you get and it showcases my work and I like to be part of creating something magical and beautiful, so I look forward to collaborating with them. Especially weddings because it’s so personal and really after all the fittings you really bond with the bride. I love the experience!

And the images are forever. And it’s the day they remember for the rest of their lives.

I’ve been fortunate that a lot of them do call me and say, “Can we work together?”. I have a big atelier in Los Angeles and we make every bridal gown in house. They’re really like works of art. I’m so proud of that because you don’t always see that on the outside, but on the inside of the garment it’s just as beautiful. I’m a big, big believer that the product needs to really stand out because you want to wear the best on that day.

Okay, let’s have some fun for a minute and fantasize: We just heard Miley Cyrus has announced her engagement. She’s a hip, young star that really gets a lot of attention on red carpets certainly. What would you do for someone like her?

I think Miley has a wonderful sense of style. I happen to like it when she’s more elegant and less out there, so I think for her wedding, if I had my magic wand and could do whatever, I’d put her in something made out of lace and probably a corset, very fitted with something fuller on the bottom. She has such a wonderful figure and tiny waist, I would accentuate that and keep it elegant but on the simple side. I think that when you’re young and you’re in love, that’s enough of a glow. You don’t need all the other things.

Okay, how about Angelina Jolie? That will definitely be the wedding of the century! What do you think?

I think Angelina has such great style and I would again go more simple on her, but not boring. It would be something draped and more sophisticated. I like it when she shows a little leg and I would also like to see her hair down and loose. Draped chiffon, that’s what I would see.

It’s really a question about making sure it’s the woman wearing the dress and not the dress wearing the woman.

I believe in that a 100%. I believe the woman should never be over-powered by the gown that she’s wearing. I always say try on a lot of different silhouettes and the right one will shine and you’ll own it. That’s my big advice for brides out there.