9 Black Wedding Dress Designers You Should Have on Your Radar

The brand: Amsale was founded by the late Amsale Aberra, an Ethiopian American fashion designer who is heralded as the inventor of the modern wedding dress. The Amsale bride has an elevated and timeless aesthetic, looking for gowns that are both sophisticated and statement-making.

"Amsale crafts striking wedding wear for every bride's big day, no matter what that the vision," a rep told PS. "Our additional collections pick up where the couture label leaves off, offering shorter dresses for more intimate ceremonies (Little White Dress), an accessible range of styles in chic fabrics (Nouvelle Amsale), plus looks for bridesmaids and evening. We design gowns that fit a bride's mood and vision, in addition to her body."

Where to Shop: Online or at a retail store near you.

The brand: Founder and creative director Dumebi Iyamah, who hails from Nigeria, started Andrea Iyamah bridal after years of fine-tuning her tailoring skills. The label was launched when she was just 17, and it's now become the well-known evening wear brand it is today.

The Andrea Iyamah bride seeks dresses that are classic with one-of-a-kind design details. She's attracted to body-conscious cuts that accentuate her figure, and appreciates the art of fine tailoring. "The brand is both honored and proud to serve women from all walks of life who have chosen to walk down the aisle in our signature bespoke pieces," Iyamah told PS.

Where to Shop: Online or at the bridal showroom in Lagos, Nigeria.

The brand: Jean-Ralph Thurin, a graduate from Parsons School of Design, learned to sew by watching his grandmother growing up and he made many a prom dress for his classmates during his early school days. His process involves meeting a bride during a private consultation, taking her measurements, and discussing a vision, then constructing an authentic gown from start to finish.

"Even though nothing replaces meeting my brides face-to-face, my mission remains the same: providing my brides with design excellence and unwavering customer service during our virtual consultations," Thurin told PS.

Where to Shop: Online or at the flagship salon in Somerville, NJ.

The brand: Valentine launched her eponymous bridal label in 2017 from Brussels, having graduated with a major in fashion design from London College of Fashion. Her previous experience include working for Alexander McQueen and Alexis Mabille.

"In love with fashion and sewing, my aim is to design haute couture pieces for modern brides," Valentine told PS. "I produce all the pieces myself, from sketching to sewing, and making paper patterns. I mainly get inspired by music, red carpets, vintage movies, and everything in between. My clients are who really inspire me to create differently."

The Valentine Avoh bride wishes to highlight her femininity without compromising ease. Valentine Avoh is for brides who want to look glamorous on their wedding day, wearing a carefully handcrafted piece made in the finest materials such as silk, French lace, embroidered tulle, or feather. They love the bespoke approach, knowing that each dress is made to their measurements and can be customized according to their taste and bodies — or they can also go for a truly unique design.

Where to Shop: Online, at a list of current stockists and boutiques, or ordered by mail.

The brand: Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Brides By NoNA is the work of Nneka C. Alexander, creative director and head designer. Alexander is so dedicated to her customers, she includes them in the entire process of creating one-of-a-kind bespoke gowns, offering every client her private phone number.

"My designs are timeless and chic, and so are my brides," she told PS. "I want people to be able to identify a Brides by NoNA gown without even looking at the label. I want my designs to still have a jaw-dropping effect 10 years after the initial debut, and I want my designs to draw brides from diverse races, ethnicities, and cultures."

Where to Shop: Online.

Violette Tannenbaum's designer: Violette Tannenbaum is a French designer who opened her atelier in 2015, striving to create a unique experience for each and every bride. "When I began, I was working from home and I'd go to each bride with the dress I designed. Believe me, it was exhausting! Now I have my own showroom and I release a ready-to-wear collection too. I also launched a bridesmaid dress capsule collection," Violette told POPSUGAR of her brand's history.

The Violette Tannenbaum Bride: wants to feel confident, to get married as they want, and to just be themselves. They are unconventional, cool, and modern, unconcerned with dress codes and what is traditional. They want to have fun, dance, and shine.

Violette Tannenbaum's Current Mission: Right now, Violette works on bespoke dresses and the process is always similar. "I receive the bride-to-be in my atelier in Paris. We talk about what she wants; she can try on some of my designs just to have a better idea of what we can do together. I sketch two or three ideas and she makes her choice. After that, we go to the fabric store to pick the lace, silk, etc. The bride has four to five appointments before the dress is ready. It's a real collaboration and the bride is taking part in every step of the process." Violette is looking forward to working with brides in the UK and the US, though she will have to alter some points of the design process."

Where to Shop: Online or through the atelier's retailer.

elleNelle Bridal's designer: Chicago native Leah Langley-McClean moved to Nashville and entered the bridal scene in 2015 when she was struggling to find a dress for her own wedding, resulting in a couture look that she made for herself. Frustrated by size selection, elleNelle Bridal was born to celebrate women's curves — and it gets even better. Everything in the collection — which includes bridesmaid dresses and mother of the bride dresses — is custom made in the US ethically and sustainably.

The elleNelle Bride: is very clean and chic — an intersection between modern and classic. The elleNelle bride loves fashion and cares about sustainability.

elleNelle Bridal's Current Mission: "We start our design process with a very in-depth consultation, where we review inspiration, discuss fabric selections, and make a custom sketch on a silhouette of the bride's own body to give her a better sense of how her custom gown will look on her shape. From there, brides are very involved in the process, receiving fabric swatches and getting to see the evolution of their dress through videos, photos, and fittings," Leah told POPSUGAR. Right now, consultations are being offered virtually, and the company has just begun reintroducing in-person consultations to local Nashville clients with safety precautions in place.

Where to Shop: Book a consultation on the website.

Esé Azénabor's designer: Esé Azénabor-Grembowski was born in Nigeria and traveled from Canada to Texas to launch her label in 2012. She is a self-taught designer who specializes in heavy beading, crocheted lace, and embroidery, inspired most by vintage, African, and contemporary European aesthetics. Her evening wear has been seen on the likes of Taraji P. Henson and Michelle Williams.

The Esé Azénabor Bride: comes from all over the world and loves to travel. She loves attention to detail, beading, embroidery, and lots of drama. She understands the art of creativity and the care behind a bespoke garment. The label is for a bride who wants to stand out and look different from every other bride.

Esé Azénabor's Current Mission: "We actually closed down for a month during the lockdown in Dallas. However, our employees were still able to come to work daily to make masks for donations to hospitals. We were able to make 10,000 masks and donate to 200 facilities (hospitals, police stations, fire stations, EMS, and grocery stores)," Esé told POPSUGAR.

Where to Shop: Online or at the showroom located in the Dallas Design District in Texas.

Pantora's designer: Andrea Pitter created Pantora Bridal to share "relatable luxury" with brides everywhere, having designed her first commissioned wedding dress in 2009. On her website, Andrea says she dreamed of Pantora Bridal as a 12-year-old girl.

The Pantora Bride: "walks confidently on her path. She's edgy and glamorous yet timeless. What makes her beautiful is her awareness of who she is at her core, and she dresses to honor that woman," Andrea told POPSUGAR.

Pantora Bridal's Current Mission: Pantora's current mission is to maintain its safe space for brides to be celebrated, stripping away society's beauty standards. Pantora is dedicated to making its brides feel understood and honored.

Where to Shop: Online, at the Pantora Bridal Brooklyn Flagship, or at authorized retailers including Luxe Bridal in TN, Gavin Christianson Bridal in NC, and Love Bride Boutique in VA.