What have I learned about brides in Mexico?

Before returning from Paris to Mexico, I was offered a job there to make wedding dresses. At that moment I remember thinking: "No, I don't do that, I want to do other things."

When I started Débh Herrera's independent project, I actually began with party dresses, and the first collection I launched featured casual pieces. One day, a bride came to me with a big emergency. She had ordered her dress, and she was completely unhappy with it. When I saw the style she initially wanted and what she had, it was clear to me that everything was wrong.

Neither the correct base fabric nor the embroidery had been selected, and to achieve the silhouette, the cut was far from ideal. Then I realized that thanks to my training and experience in France, the things that seemed obvious to me were not really evident to everyone. I explained to the bride how we could achieve it, the extra investment, of course, and then I had to calm her down a lot during each fitting, not only by demonstrating the change in the dress but also by helping her visualize how we would meet the deadlines and advising her on everything that would complement the look according to her face and body type.

It was a much more complicated and detailed job than what I had been doing, but the challenge definitely captivated me. I practically didn't earn anything financially because I didn't know how to charge for my work, but I realized not only that I could do it very well but also that I enjoyed it.

All women are demanding when we hire any service to look more beautiful, but when it comes to the wedding dress, the demands go through the roof. In Mexico, perhaps more than in other countries, a "bride to be" doesn't just need to be sold an outfit; she needs advice to make better choices, to be helped in creating a plan to achieve a goal. I perceive that here, culturally and socially, the wedding carries much more weight.

Moreover, they say we love to adorn ourselves with everything, even the molcajete (a traditional Mexican mortar and pestle). We don't have as much of a culture of aesthetics; we are used to mixing everything that comes our way with what we already have without asking ourselves much if it goes well. But at the same time, we consume images of European models wearing haute couture pieces. I would say that this contrast causes an unconscious insecurity among Mexican brides.

In France, I helped a friend develop her bridal brand; when working on the same thing in Mexico, I first encountered different body proportions. Our legs and torso are not as long; most of us are shorter and curvier. The volumes and styles we see in images from abroad definitely need to be adapted to what looks good on us. On the other hand, in terms of style, Latinas always have at least one sensual detail.

Sometimes we've done surveys, and then I talk a lot with my clients. When a bride looks for her dress in Mexico, unfortunately, she starts with foreign brands. Our bridal industry is still small, and there's a tendency to think there will be poor quality or lack of originality. But the reality is that there is a lot of talent in our country; you just have to look for well-prepared designers with a proposal, people with a great sense of aesthetics who know how to guide dressmakers and seamstresses.

Finally, one of the things I've loved most about designing wedding dresses in Mexico is all the sentimental value we can put into a garment. It's beautiful to see our work make a person's eyes and smile shine so much and make them feel so complete.

If you want to experience what I'm telling you here, contact us to try on our collection or for a custom design appointment.