An Interview with TLC Star Renée Strauss

It is no surprise that we are obsessed with all things wedding, including television shows about weddings. We are super fans of show, “Brides of Beverly Hills” which airs on TLC. We are an even bigger fan of the star of the show, Renée Strauss. Renée  is a top fashion expert and bridal stylist who owns a bridal salon in Beverly Hills, California. Her personality, fashion expertise, and taste, has us excited to see what she says next. You can imagine how thrilled we were for the opportunity to interview Renée, who took time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions.headshot FINAL

Bridal Hot List: Welcome to Bridal Hot List, Renée!  For our readers that aren’t familiar with you, could you tell me about yourself and what you do?

Renée Strauss: I make women beautiful for their special wedding day and style bridal scenes for commercial, TV and motion picture productions.

Bridal Hot List: Renée , you’re a top fashion expert and bridal stylist, but we all got our start somewhere. Where did you start and how did you got into fashion and the bridal industry?

Renée Strauss: I grew up in Chicago, and my family were gourmet caterers. I loved the fabulous parties but couldn’t take the heat in the kitchen, therefore weddings were the perfect career choice. I opened my first bridal salon April 1, 1981.

Bridal Hot List: Some say that high success comes from having a passion for what they do. For you, where do you draw your inspiration from? What motivates you the most? At what points in your career did it help energize you to stick with it and find eventual success?

Renée Strauss: I draw my inspiration from market trends, and what motivates me the most is knowing that weddings are so deeply ingrained in culture that we will celebrate them forever. The stepping stones along the way that re-energized me were my first commercial styling job, my first television styling job, my first motion picture styling job, my first celebrity bride and the list goes on. Those kinds of events and opportunities make you feel like you are doing something extraordinary, and there is no better motivation than knowing that you are always taking a step forward in your career.

Bridal Hot List: Fashion is always changing with new trends emerging. How do top stylists and experts like yourself stay current and keep up with the growing trends?

Renée Strauss: One of the most exciting aspects of my job is traveling to bridal fashion week in different cities throughout the world. From Barcelona to Milan, from Chicago to New York, it is an exciting privilege that keeps me up to date with the latest and greatest bridal trends in fashion.

Bridal Hot List: When you are styling a bride, what details do you focus on the most, and why?

Renée Strauss: When I style a bride, I focus on her sensibility, physique, and personal preferences. Through understanding these things I truly connect and serve better.

Bridal Hot List:  Certainly, every bride is different, but what are some best practices you can give brides-to-be when they are shopping for that special dress?

Renée Strauss: In an effort to be brief, I suggest to wear nude undergarments, a well supporting bra, bring along shoes with the heel height you are planning to wear, have tear sheets or downloads of a few silhouettes you are interested in trying and bring an open mind!

Bridal Hot List: For those fashion stylish brides who want to not only look fabulous but wow their guests, what are some of the best tips you can give them?

Renée Strauss: Be true to your own style…although you may only wear the gown for 6 or 8 hours, you shall certainly remember every detail of the gown the rest of your life.  Therefore fall in love as you did with Mr. Wonderful, and then stop looking!

Bridal Hot List:  What do you think are some of the biggest fashion mistakes you see brides make? Do you see any common No-Nos that make you roll your eyes?

Renée Strauss: I really don’t like to judge because bridal is so unique to each individual, however an ill-fitting garment can make even the most expensive garment look cheap.  I always refer to the alterations as the “re-sale” of the gown.  The quality is critical.  The same goes for undergarments – or lack thereof.  As an expert I can see immediately whether they fit well or exist at all.  It makes a difference, trust me.

Bridal Hot List: What are some of the 2013 trends for bridal gowns that you can share?

Renée Strauss: Peplums are back.  Illusion necklines are popular.  Hi-low hemlines are reappearing.  I designed the gown made famous in the Guns N Roses award winning video November Rain way back in the 80s.  Stephanie Seymour wore it so well and the look is coming back!

Bridal Hot List: You star in TLC’s show, “Brides of Beverly Hills” and for viewers, what is the most exciting and new fashion details they should tune in to see?

Renée Strauss: For the TV show we ask the designers to send in their highest fashion items and the newest styles hot off the cutting table.  That is why in season 2 we had a group of green gowns come in from Italy.  The Italians predicted green as the 2013 color of the year long before Pantone released their opinion and the movie Oz the Great and Powerful was announced.

Bridal Hot List: By the end of your third season of the show, what goals are you hoping to accomplish?

Renée Strauss: Let’s see what happens…The best is yet to come!

Bridal Hot List would like to extend our gratitude to Renée and her staff that helped make this interview possible.

 

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