To be more committed to her devotion, a renowned bridal designer relocated to Utah. The garments are for all weddings.

An American bridal artist released a two-piece bodice bridal outfit in 1997 that made waves in the wedding industry.

DeLisio claimed that the fashion may have been popular in Australia, but Stalnaker and DeLisio both questioned whether someone may use such a difficult or risqué outfit on their wedding day.

” Little did we know, everybody”, DeLisio said.

The little-known Australian designer Lesley Margaret (” Maggie” ) Webster became Maggie Sottero, and the brand took off. Additionally, it relocated to the Wasatch Front. Almost 30 years later, Webster’s child, Kelly Midgley, runs the business out of its offices in West Valley City — and waist bodices are also a signature function in its designs.

Maggie Sottero is dedicatedly carried by DeLisio and Stalnaker in their particular Ohio outlets. The gowns strike a unique balance of cool and classic, they said.

DeLisio praised Maggie Sottero as one of the industry’s” stylar” manufacturers.

It’s why they were gathered in the Grand America’s yard in downtown Salt Lake on a warm July night: to see Maggie Sottero’s spring 2025 range debuted on a airport in the company’s home state.

Heart in Utah, gaze around the world

The Columbia statue that was visible from Salt Lake City Hall provided evidence that the hotel’s impromptu airport was actually in Salt Lake City. But the clothes on screen were designed for weddings around the world, said Christina Blanchette, vice president of sales and marketing.

Each of the company’s three custom lines — Maggie Sottero, Rebecca Ingram, and Sottero and Midgley — is made with slightly different wives in thinking. Their temperament differences are reflected in gentle embroidery or pops of color, respectively. Each range, but, includes numerous adaptations of Webster’s personal corset.

Maggie Sottero, the most varied and modern line, showcased a black dress in its springtime 2025 range, plus clothes with plunging necklines and plenty of rhinestones.

Rebecca Ingram, the company’s more economical line ( most of its dresses are under$ 1, 500 ) debuted classic silhouettes with contemporary flair: A-line gowns with lace bodices, white satin ballgowns with high slits or big bows, square necklines embellished with floral lace.

Sottero and Midgley is company’s self-proclaimed” clothing” line. Its newest portfolio includes full-bodied ball dresses, pounds of silk, satin and lace, and pops of color woven — or, in one situation, hand-painted — into decorative patterns.

At least one outfit in every line features modesty in the form of higher collars or full sleeves, among the strong silhouettes and attention-grabbing details. Only those other visual cues, according to Blanchette, point to the Utah roots of the company, and are made especially for Utah weddings.

Maggie Sottero is a home business, Blanchette said — and the establishment family belongs to the state’s strong faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The home, and the company, moved to Utah to be in their church’s social money.

But while the company honors its mother’s belief in some of its models, Maggie Sottero is not a Latter-day Saint product, Blanchette said. Because it is a world company, brides and bridal stores in more than 70 nations are expected to find it attractive.

” We’re catering to all beliefs, all size, all faiths, all changes”, Blanchette said.

According to Blanchette, Maggie Sottero does n’t need to live in a major metropolitan area like New York or Paris to adopt new fashion trends. Its headquarters are in Utah, but the company has eye all over the world: from stores, including the flagship store in Sydney where Webster got her stop, to remote workers, to designers like Patricia Delaunay.

Delaunay lives and works in California, and leads Maggie Sottero’s conservation work. She options lower-impact materials such as recycled nylon, silk and velvet, and helps other manufacturers incorporate them into their gowns. She also runs the brand’s textile recycling program, which she said diverts 100 % of unused materials or excess stock away from landfills.

” I’ve been worried about the environmental impact]of fashion ] for a long time”, Delaunay said.

According to Blanchette, sustainability is also becoming more important for contemporary brides, and following fashion trends means adhering to consumer ethics, even though Blanchette claimed that the brand values and champions these ethics.

And Maggie Sottero’s brand DNA continues to be shaped by Salt Lake City. The city is increasingly a “melting pot” of “vibrant and diverse” communities and characters, Blanchette said.

” The inclusive and supportive nature of Salt Lake City …]enables ] us to embrace and celebrate the uniqueness of each bride we serve”, Blanchette said.

Unveiling

The July fashion show was Maggie Sottero’s first opportunity to showcase its work on its own soil, according to Media Manager Anya Enloe, despite its Utah roots. This year’s Maggie Sottero bridal expo was postponed because the company did n’t want to wait. A team of acrobats entertained guests while they drank and dined before the show, which was held in the Grand America courtyard, which was inspired by an elaborate wedding. After the performance was over, a DJ brought people to the dance floor.

Blanchette expressed hope that the event, and the brand, would demonstrate that a high-fashion “global bridal brand” can succeed in Utah. Guests came from all over the world.

Stalnaker and DeLisio needed no convincing. Some of the 100+ dresses that they created will be displayed in each of their stores in the coming months. Their next job, they said, is to figure out which ones.

” We’re having fun tonight”, Stalnaker said. ” Tomorrow gets serious”.

For The Salt Lake Tribune, Shannon Sollitt is a corps member who covers corporate accountability and sustainability. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount by clicking this to help keep her writing stories like this one.