SmartGlamour's Expanded Wedding Collection Is For All Genders

On April 12, inclusive clothing brand SmartGlamour debuted a redux of its 2016 Bridal and Special Occasion collections. This time, the expanded Wedding + Special Occasion collection is specifically includes and celebrates people of all genders.

"Not everyone who shops for a wedding day or vow renewal is a bride," SmartGlamour founder, designer, and one-woman production team tells Bustle in an email. She decided to move away from bride-centered language and design after the response to her 2016 Bridal collection.

"After the [Bridal] shoot, when I began to update the website and write up releases, I was confronted with how often I used the word Bridal last year and how gendered that word and the wedding industry can be," she says. "So I decided to swap it out for wedding in all places possible."

She adds, "When I got married in 2015, I hated how bride-centered everything was. It was a celebration of two people, not my birthday. So I cannot even begin to imagine what that binary, heteronormativity feels like to LGTBQ+ folks. I'll never fully understand and I don't need to — but what I can do is make space for everyone, keep pushing SmartGlamour's inclusivity, and continue to learn and grow."

All the models in the Wedding + Special Occasion shoot are engaged, and Dunn explains she solicited advice from nonbinary couple Skylar and Sebastian (pictured above) about the type of clothes they'd prefer to wear.

"Once I cast Skylar and Sebastian, I wanted to ensure they were both comfortable and happy with the items they'd be modeling," she tells Bustle. "I'm aware that clothing and presentation can make a huge impact (both positively and negatively) on trans and nonbinary folks so I made sure to ask them what they preferred before I began designing for them. I already had in my mind that I wanted to add a wedding jumpsuit and a fabulous pair of pants so it worked out perfectly!"

SmartGlamour has always been an inclusive brand on multiple levels; Dunn ethically hand-sews each piece herself and can make them in literally any size, with customizations for people's unique bodies. She also regularly works with models of color and transgender models, and says her January #AllMeansAll campaign installment, which featured trans and femme models, "really helped trans, femme, and nonbinary folks feel more comfortable with SmartGlamour."

As for how the pieces differ from those previously released, along with including more nonbinary options, Dunn says, "We focused on a slightly lower price point, slightly more relaxed and casual styles, and a few more fun prints compared to last year's debut collection."

Pieces in the expanded collection range from $65 to $130, "keeping gorgeous quality clothing accessible to tons of wedding party participants and guests alike," she explains.

And for SmartGlamour fans who aren't prepping to tie the knot, don't worry — Dunn says there's plenty of exciting things coming down the pipeline, including upcoming #AllMeansAll campaign installments, additions to the brand's loungewear and intimates collections, and summer pop-up shops in New York City.

For now, you can shop the full Wedding + Special Occasion collection on SmartGlamour's website.