Janell Berte
In the designer’s own words- "her wedding gowns are all about clean lines and luscious fabrics that incorporate French lace and decorative accents."
In the designer’s own words- "her wedding gowns are all about clean lines and luscious fabrics that incorporate French lace and decorative accents."
Be still my beating heart! If we have to describe what we love about Janell Berte wedding collections, it would be - “everything!” Sorry, I got a little carried away there — I just love talking about my favorite designers! Janell Berte Couture is home to American-made wedding gowns for contemporary traditional brides to dress them up to the hilt. In the designer’s own words- "her wedding gowns are all about clean lines and luscious fabrics that incorporate French lace and decorative accents." Just a glimpse of Janell Berte bridal gowns can have you under the spell of its exceptional cut, stupendous details, and complex yet comfy feel! Janell's gowns are handmade right in Lancaster, PA, and each and every gown from Janell Berte Couture Collection is as fine as the frog’s hair and as pretty as a picture! Refined, timeless, and trendy are a few of the merits that describe Janell Berte designer dresses. Weaving details into the fabric is "one of her trademarks," says Janell Berte! Janell Berte dresses are off the hizzy and continue to turn heads when brides saunter down the aisle! Whether new or used, one thing is sure that after slipping into a Janell Berte bridal dress, you will be thrilled to bits as Janell Berte wedding dress styles are committed to enhancing all figures!
All those picture-perfect wedding gowns on Instagram and Pinterest could spin your head. With countless options and tons of styles, you might feel stuffed to the gills. While social inspiration can easily wrap you in it, it’s your own wedding style representing the true personality that makes you walk on air on the big day. Whether your heart desires a trendy shindig or a simple and elegant ceremony, it’s a wedding dress that makes you the bride of your dreams and of course their dreams. So before you run your dream dress to earth, it’s important to make sure the dress is as fine as a frog's hair. And what better way to do that than picking a designer dress labeled by one of the popular wedding gown designers like Janell Berte?!
Hot cocoa and sweet nonpareils are the secrets behind the lady’s kid-like energy and passion for her profession (JK!). Can I just geek out for a minute about how charming and gorgeous Janell Berte's is? Jenell is from North Huntingdon, PA, and can speak French. She went to Drexel University in Philadelphia for fashion studies and later taught draping and couture sewing there. She also has been an adjunct professor at Philadelphia University teaching pattern-making, draping, and senior design. It’s not just the designing knack that makes Janell the fashion powerhouse, but also her flair for theatrical costuming that came to light when white turned monotonous for her, which is shockingly about half of her business. No wonder, she caught the attention of Hollywood in a very short span of time. Katharine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn are her style icons. Known to be a local Style Setter, Janell Berte is the owner of POSH Bridal (Pennsylvania’s top-rated bridal shop) and ruler of millions of brides’ hearts!
Her work lifestyle says a lot about this 69-year-old hard-working designer who is always ready to work on even weekends despite working 12-hours a day and traveling from coast to coast for her gowns especially when it comes to presenting trunk shows of her latest collection of gowns for brides in other countries. Berta ascribes the enormous success of her brand to her design team. The lady finds pleasure in sharing her work with customers, and according to her - “There’s no better salesperson than the designer.”
We don’t know any woman who doesn’t love wearing makeup and bling at her workplace, but Berte doesn’t belong to this camp. According to her, everyday wear must be very minimal. Case in point, jewelry around machinery can be risky. “Likewise, I don’t wear makeup or perfume because fine materials adsorb oils from touch. We want our products to be as pristine as possible. I wear an apron, and it holds my favorite scissors, a pen, a thimble, sticky pad, some safety pins, lip gloss, and Apivita or L’Occitane hand cream. I wear flat shoes or sometimes a pair of Isotoner slippers, black jeans, a T-shirt and in the winter a turtleneck and a cashmere sweater. My NY public persona: a black Thierry Mugler or Chanel pantsuit, pin, pearls, Ferragamo heels, nylons, a small bag, and a touch of makeup (which Lancaster rarely sees),” explains Janell. She loves wearing straight-leg black jeans. Gardening and cooking (not shopping) can loosen her up, and Californian wine sprinkles her donuts!
She entered Lancaster via Paris and Rodeo Drive, leaving a trail of history and stories worth telling, and today designs a line of bridal gowns. It all started in 1979 when she moved to California with B.S. in Fashion Design Program (with distinction) from Drexel University in Philadelphia and won the first fashion position at Elegance of Paris on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, since then, Janell Berte’s career skyrocketed. She was then hired to design ready-to-wear (RTW) on Rodeo Drive for Elegance of Paris for two years. After apprenticing with Courreges at their prestigious Rodeo Drive location in Beverly Hills, Janell went on to become Head Designer for Elegance Paris, designing exclusively for the “Beverly Hills Crowd.” However, after two years in the glamor of Los Angeles, this sprightly 24-yo, on the advice of some rather persistent Orange County clients, packed her design boards and relocated to Irvine to hit the ground running with a line of debutante gowns. Janell Berté always wanted to design stunning gowns. Four years later, Berte got to meet the buyer from Bullocks Wilshire, who asked her to design a line of debutante gowns. She then introduced her to the I. Magnin’s buyer, which led Janell to the buyers of Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Gimbles. In the late 80s/early 90s, more debutantes in America wore a Janell Berte gown than any other label! As a young designer, she worked with the Hollywood elite before bringing her own line of wedding gowns into being. Berté’s designs reverberate classic, understated lines that make the bride stand out in the crowd.
In ‘89, she got a call from Elegant Bride magazine to design a gown for their cover. That launched Berte’s career into the world of wedding gowns. By ‘92 Janell Berte’s collection was already racked in about 175 bridal salons across the US including Vera Wang, Saks Fifth Ave, Neiman Marcus, Kleinfelds, Suky Rosan, and Doneckers (to name a few) along with all the specialty department stores. Popular bridal magazines like Brides, The Knot, Modern Bride, Bridal Guide, In Style, People, Elegant Bride, and Martha Stewart have featured her many times. Berte’s gowns have been seen in various TV shows and featured in Focus Feature’s movie “Something New” with Simon Baker and Sanaa Lathan. Most recently, Elle magazine highlighted Janell’s designs in a fashion retrospective of influential designers.
She opened POSH in 2009, two years after she shut down the Janell Berte Bridal Salon at Doneckers, which operated for five years. She loves calling Lancaster, PA her home and POSH Bridal her headquarters, where her gowns are curated and designed by a group of handpicked designers that have been by her creative side for over two decades. Her work boasts gowns that feel as marvelous to don as they are magnificent to see. And did we mention, Berte was among the pioneers to bring Lycra into bridal wear, a fabric that she predicted will revolutionize the bridal industry in coming seasons?! “It’s not itchy or as sheer as tulle,” she says. “It’s sexy, but in a modest way.” From inaugural balls to the silver screen to the stages of New York City, this numerous award-winning designer and her team of artisans make every bride a belle of the ball.
The touch and smell of fine fabric and the sight of vibrant colors, that can sway thinking, change actions, and cause reactions, inspire the creator of fine apparel, who anxiously awaits the taste of success and the sound of money filling their coffers that recognition will provide. For her clientele, Berte designs an array of dresses, suits, and evening attire using only the finest fabrics, all-natural fibers, usually imported from Europe. She derives inspiration from touching the fabrics and being in tune with her surroundings. “I gear a design to the clients’ lifestyle, surrounding, with a little inspiration from nature and cloud shapes. I believe a woman should dress for herself, to fit her lifestyle, not fashion trends. Every woman should have two things in her wardrobe, a basic suit and a basic dress.” Berte believes a designer’s success depends on how they come across to the client, how they get along. Personality is the key! And this key has unlocked many doors for her in first Orange County and then the world over.
As Janell says, she designs for real brides with real figures and real curves, the sky’s the limit when it comes to wedding gowns that are right up your alley. It's completely chicken soup for the soul that each of Janell's dresses has a certain personality, a certain style with the perfect amount of drama and whimsy. Circling you with its whimsical drapes, each gown will weave magic around you on the most special day of your life for a dream-come-true soirée, whether it’s an indoor wedding, outdoor wedding, or beach wedding (any season). You have seen Janell’s designs on stage and in movies now see a few of the styles woven by her, Janell’s draft picks that have our hearts!
Abella: Start the next chapter of your life in a dress beyond your imagination - one with magic in every thread. Boasting chic, understated drama, translucent bodices, floral work, flirty necklines, maximalist trains, and subtle illusion detailing are the highlights of this dramatic collection from Janell Berte. Likened to European design and inspired by balletic, ethereal silhouettes, the Abella bridal collection is an exquisite and extraordinary member of the Allure Bridals brand family. If you ask my favorite gown from the Abella collection, then I am obsessed with Style: E168 - Dana! This ivory/nude beauty gleams with a soft ballgown skirt composed of holographic tulle that tapers down from the beautiful dimensional rosebuds sprinkled bodice with sexy plunging sweetheart neckline finished with spaghetti straps. Say yes to Abella style if you wish to steal the hearts of your loved ones in boho-chic style - a celebration of femininity and romance!
BECCAR: BECCAR‘s signature style is just what the doctor ordered for the brides who want a one-of-a-kind, yet simple and modern look for their red-letter day. BECCAR bridal collection embodies a unique use of feminine details on timeless silhouettes with unexpected laces, light beading, and diverse textures and layers, to create a glamorous yet effortlessly chic style in every gown. It’s the perfectly-curated silhouette, contemporary-edge design, and unpretentious elegance that make Beccar every minimalist yet stylish bride’s dream gown. The collection is designed for the modern bride and current vogue, always keeping in head the requirements of different brides, from destination weddings to traditional fêtes to luxe bohemian affairs. The collection houses a range of various cuts and styles. All the Beccar gowns shine with complex detailing and structures created with sumptuous fabrics and modern embellishments. Those gorgeously swanky design elements can be observed in the form of tulle ruffles, organza layers, hand-beaded crystal on soft laces, and dramatic modern draping. There is a touch of vintage with superb accents, which decodes modern and more relevant styles for brides who are on the ball.
Gemy Maalouf: Striking colors, delicate fabric, and feminine form underline the essence of the Gemy Maalouf. The Couture Bridal designs from this extraordinary designer from Lebanon are effortlessly glamorous, luxurious yet soft and light to wear, perfect for the bride seeking an alternative to traditional. Her style ignites the passion for the free-spiritual in life and the importance of "Feeling Good" about yourself, as a woman, as a bride. Whether the bride, the exquisitely luxurious, the formal, or the classy elegant, all women with Gemy Maalouf have one thing in common: a remarkable sensual finesse. Confident, modern, young and sexy, they distinguish themselves through a sharp yet feminine style that emits uniqueness in every detail but goes no extra mile to leave an impression. Gemy Maalouf features elegant, sophisticated, couture gowns with modern, techno fabrics. Constantly au courant with the latest trends and at the forefront of fashion creativity, Gemy Maalouf extracts her inspiration from the magic of colors and the agreement of textiles to thread collections that tell a tale through every piece. Driven by her passion to fit squarely into every woman’s dreams and to cover a larger base of shoppers, Gemy Maalouf extended her main line with evening wear too beside Couture by Gemy, with the same feminine and luxurious spirit.
Rosa Clará: Rosa Clara will appeal to the bride who's ready to embrace a sexy, glamorous wedding gown look. This full-length gown is dripping in intrigue and romanticism. The gown labelled with Rosa Clara is the best thing since sliced bread when it comes to producing elegant bridal gowns. The designer has been dressing the brides for two decades and takes pride in itself for becoming Barcelona's leading design house. Its innovative designs created from the supreme quality fabrics are a fresh take on bridalwear and have transformed immensely the sector. After all, fabric is the essence of any wedding dress! It is responsible for supplying lightness, structure or transparency to any bridal design. They have a team of experts who travel worldwide to source the best fabrics for each style and to suit any bride.
Madison James: If you want to cut a dash in a ‘Feel-Good’ designer dress dripping modern romance, then pass the buck to Madison James. Her exquisite bridal collection boasts lace, A-line silhouettes, cutouts, and more. Their patented Cool Touch lining keeps the wearer cool and fresh from the moment they put the dress on until they finally take it off. Dream of any modern, sophisticated bride, the Madison James collection blurs the lines between modern and vintage, eluding a sense of whimsy and romance. Equal parts romantic and chic, the Madison James wedding gowns emphasize the beauty of a woman in love. The designers of MJ graciously craft dresses out of thoughtfully picked light, fabulous fabrics that feel soft against the bride’s skin sans weighing her down or limiting her maneuvers, so she can look and feel fabulous and walk, dance or dip kiss freely. Be authentically you and enjoy your wedding to the fullest!
Janell Berta designers take pride in weaving countless love stories with luxurious fabrics and laces from around the world… not because they love dressing brides but because they want to witness the blushing smile that comes on their face, tear of joy that rolls down their eyes on a whim, and the new spring that hightail it to their steps, the moment they slip into Janell Berte gown and look themselves in the mirror. From the first look to the first dance to the moment, they exit the venue to start their happily ever after, wearing a Janell Berte bridal gown is sure a one-of-a-kind experience that will have their hearts singing day after day! In case you don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for your designer wedding dress, keep your eyes out for the Janell Berte sample sale, Janell Berte wedding gowns for sale, and Janell Berte resale too. Don’t worry if you don’t catch a break! You still can twirl in a Janell Berte ball gown wedding dress sans hurting the planet and your bank account by browsing through the second-hand wedding gown market where you can buy a totally legit designer wedding gown and save anywhere between 40%-50% compared to what you’d pay in a big-box bridal store. Not only, it will fetch you your dream dress at the dream price, but also will allow you to resell the dress after your wedding day is over to recoup a good percentage of the amount you spent on it. Your Janell Berte preowned wedding dress at affordable prices is holed up in Borrowing Magnolia’s closet waiting to make you shine like a star (JSYK)!
In the modern hyper-connected era, where more and more brides are taking the eco-friendly route, finding sustainable wedding dresses that bear a world-renowned designer’s name is like a walk in the park as the internet is bulging at the seams with second-hand wedding gown sellers and buyers. And if you’re specifically looking for a Janell Berte preowned wedding dress, then let us tell you that we have a selection of second-hand Janell Berte wedding dresses in excellent condition! You sure can score a gorgeous Janell Berte wedding dress for sale at an excellent price (maybe almost at half the sticker price). Whether it’s a second-hand Janell Berte wedding dress making you a bride or a brand-new Berta creation, end of the day, it’s you only who knows it’s a preowned bridal gown! It will still be screaming understated lines and refined elegance through every single detail, and you’ll still feel confident, beautiful, and empowered! New or preloved, Janell Berte wedding dresses are as classic as one can imagine and are perfect for the bride who wants to nail that timeless, spectacular look in her bridal portraits on the big day.
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