A Galia Lahav bride wearing a look from the Spring 2024 collection evokes a sense of delight and surprise. This woman dons yards of chiffon in a ball gown or a spunky short dress and formal hat as she glides across the plaza. Smiles and happiness radiate from her aura. The style on her feels natural, and no matter the length of the wedding dress, she is authentic to her own stylish self.
Her story is “charmed,” and that’s the inspiration behind Galia Lahav’s GALA Spring 2024 collection of bridal gowns. Dubbed “Encanto,” meaning charm in Spanish, the collection exudes romance, fantasy, and feminine energy. Head designer Sharon Sever, explained that he was inspired by independent women who lean into their softer, more whimsical sides when developing the collection for GALA.
“There is a lot of femininity and romance in GALA, as you see with the flowy fabrics and easy going nature,” Sever says. “Encanto means charming and that’s exactly how I describe these. They are just charming.
The 13-piece collection features the iconic Galia Lahav body-celebrating silhouettes and corseted construction that define the brand, but with a different flair. There’s the Lola mini dress, with a voluminous, dynamic skirt and long sleeves with ruffled cuffs. It’s paired with a broad-brim hat, an elegant look with a playful spin worthy of a women’s walk down the aisle. Sever worked with the idea of two-in-one dresses, like the Hailey, a sexy, strapless bodysuit and flowy skirt that comes with a removable sheer, long-sleeve jacket and the Uma, a lace, A-line gown that can be worn both strapless and with sheer, lace-adorned sleeves. He put a twist on the elegance of a long-sleeve, deep V-neck mermaid gown by placing the sheer beading on the sides of the dress rather than the middle. Called the Leonie, it’s a sexier version of a go-to silhouette.
The motif, though, is a sense of enchantment and that’s shown through the many layers of texture on these looks: billowing chiffon on a train (a first for the line), floral appliques and beading covering the dresses, ostrich feather accents, and cathedral-length bridal veils that demand attention is given to the woman wearing the gown.
“This is a woman who is proud of who she is and what she chooses to wear,” Sever says of the GALA “Encanto” bride. “She has some fire in her blood.”
