Exclusive Interview with Kelly Faetanini: Past Priscilla of Boston Designer Debuts Her Namesake Bridal Line

As New York City women we're lucky to have a bevy of choices when it comes to fashion. As New York City brides, those choices can get overwhelming.
Kelly Faetanini is well aware of this: she too envisioned her wedding as a girl and is now preparing to walk down the aisle with her fiance in May. However, when Kelly was looking for her dress she didn't scour the internet or tear out pages in magazines, instead she hit the drawing board...
Kelly began designing wedding gowns with Priscilla of Boston at the young age of 23, today she is creating bridal designs through her own brand Kelly Faetanini. We loved seeing Kelly at New York's bustling Bridal Market and had a chance to chat and check out some of her designs. Enjoy our sneak peek below:

Merci: We loved meeting you at bridal market, but some of our readers may not have been so lucky. Could you tell them a bit about yourself and how you got into the business of wedding gown design?
Kelly: I've never had a love for anything more in my life {besides my fiance} than the wedding industry. It's just in my blood. I eat, drink and sleep wedding dresses. After designing the Jewel of Priscilla of Boston collection for four years, I knew it was time to venture off on my own path. I've always known that I would have a line under my name and I am enjoying every moment of realizing my dream. There is nothing more special to me than making brides feel special and beautiful on their wedding day. Each day I am inspired by romance and femininity, which I try to reflect in every aspect of my designs and my business.

Merci: Why bridal?
Kelly: As a bride myself {I'm getting married in May!}, I was lucky enough to have an exclusive insider view to what's missing in the market. I enjoyed the process of designing my own wedding gown and truly making the gown "my own." It occurred to me, why can't every bride have the luxury of making a gown uniquely hers? At the same time, I know the feeling of an overwhelmed bride with too many choices. So it was apparent to me that a customizable collection had to be made with suggested customizations.

Merci: What sparked your interest in the field?
Kelly: I always knew I was going to be a designer. I always made clothes for my dolls as a child and made my own clothing in high school. While attending fashion school at age 19, the wedding industry was introduced to me and I fell madly in love. From there on out everything in my life revolved around designing wedding gowns.

Merci: What keeps you inspired?
Kelly: The most amazing thing to me about a wedding is the amount of love and magic shared between two people on their wedding day. There is so much excitement and joy that comes from the day and being able to be a part of such intimacy is just indescribable. Being a part of the dress and knowing how beautiful and amazing the bride feels in her gown is such a priceless feeling.

Merci: Where does your inspiration stem from?
Kelly: Inspiration really comes from a bit of everything. Real brides, architecture, art, jewelry, paintings and anything beautiful. I love taking an abstract concept and transforming it into a beautiful timeless wedding gown. I love the challenge and the outcome is always something truly unique and fresh.

Merci: What about the Kelly Faetanini the brand?
Kelly: The company was established in New York City in January and we are currently located in the garment district of New York City. The gowns will initially be sold across the US and Canada in select bridal retail salons and we plan on expanding globally soon. The debuting collection will be revealed April 13th and images will soon be available for viewing on our website {www.kellyfaetanini.com}.

Merci: Why should brides choose a Kelly Faetanini design?
Kelly: As a bride myself, I intimately know what matters to the bride. I've been able to design an amazing collection of gowns that allow the bride the luxury of choosing available variations of gowns. I believe the variations will allow a bride to select the gown she dreamed of without the stress and hassle of sacrificing certain desired features. My gowns are an amazing product with a wonderful added value that's not widely available.

Merci: We're sad to wrap it up! Any final thoughts?
Kelly: I was born to design and the inspiration to create is innately instilled in me. My combination of creativity, practicality, attention to detail and business acumen has helped me develop competitive designs that allow a wide range of brides to look and feel beautiful. My skills were uniquely cultivated because I started designing my own collection at such a young age {23 years old} at one of the countries most prominent design houses {Priscilla of Boston}. To top it off, who knows a bride best, than a bride herself?

For more information or to purchase a Kelly Faetanini design visit www.kellyfaetanini.com. {Don't forget to check out the latest Kelly Faetanini happenings by following Kelly on Twitter or adding her on Facebook}.