Interview with Corina Culeva

I am delighted to introduce Corina, the designer behind the sophisticated wedding dresses of the label Zoe Rowyn Bridal.

Her desire, her dedication, her vision to create a unique dress for the most important day of her life, her own wedding, was the starting point of her fashion label. Since more than one year, Corina is realizing a woman’s dream and her work is already enjoying a high reputation.

It has been pleasure for me to interview her and to give you some insights of her work, vision and some recommendations for brides.

Sur Soul W. ¿When and how did you start Zoe Rowyn Bridal?

Corina C. I started Zoe Rowyn Bridal in January 2019, in full process of my own wedding planning.

As a bride, I had a vision of the dress I wanted, and I could not find it on the market. So, I decided that I would make my own dress, and realised along the process, that I had many more ideas for many more beautiful gowns.

After 6 long months of putting the first Zoe Rowyn collection together and strategising our launch, we launched in June 2019.

Sur Soul W. ¿How would you describe the concept of Zoe Rowyn Bridal/ how does Zoe Rowyn differentiate itself from others?

Corina C. Like all great businesses, Zoe Rowyn was triggered by a need. Zoe Rowyn Bridal is everything I craved as a bride.

I wanted a gorgeous, high quality gown at a decent price. I wanted to be able to buy it online (we all have busy lives). Yet I really did not want stealing from the traditional experience of personalisation, which is why we developed a way to have the dresses made to measure, even from a long distance and without numerous fittings.

I also wanted a great service that would be fast enough, to adapt to our really speedy lives (we deliver in one month).

So I incorporated all these elements in my brand and we came with a wonderfully convenient solution for our brides.

Sur Soul W. ¿ Do you have any shop?¿Do customers need an appointment?

Corina C. We do not own any shops, and our main activity is happening online. But I am happy to announce that we have just started a beautiful collaboration with You Are bridal concept store, who is exclusively representing us in Germany.

We have made it very easy to buy directly from our web shop, which is why customers don’t necessarily need an appointment. However, we do offer free virtual consultations to any bride who has any kind of questions or needs any kind of advice. So, anyone interested can send us an email to hello@zoerowyn.com, and we’ll gladly meet in a consultation.

Sur Soul W. ¿What is your inspiration when designing a dress?

Corina C. I have some kind of “techniques” that help me keep my inspiration alive, and those are: reading, watching movies, scrolling through photography books and fashion magazines.

People inspire me too, a lot. I like analysing strangers, giving them characters, imagining their past, and creating a future for them.
You see, the creative process is actually a very interesting one, and it can’t be controlled. An idea has to arise itself; deliberately looking for it is rarely resultful. But constantly feeding yourself with beautiful art is the foundation that will ultimately give birth to those ideas.

Sur Soul W. ¿How would you describe your customers?

Corina C. I wouldn’t. They are so different, so bold, so interesting, that I can’t just make a general description of them.

Sur Soul W. ¿What advice would you give a bride when choosing a material or fabric?

Corina C. I believe the brands choose the best fabrics for specific styles. So, I don’t think brides should think much of the fabric. Unless they want a bespoke dress, the designers do this job.
But, at the same time, it would make sense to look at styles made of specific fabrics, depending on the season or on the body type.

For example, if your wedding is in August in Italy, you totally want a lightweight, breathable fabric. Also, curvy figures might want to avoid shiny, liquid fabrics.

But I really don’t think there are any rules. If you like a style, and you feel good in it, just go for it.

Sur Soul W. ¿What are your favorite colors for a Bridal dress besides white?

Corina C. Most of our dresses are ivory, and I love the gentleness and elegance of that. But we also offer the option of changing the color, if a bride wants it.

Sur Soul W. ¿What will be your message for brides before they buy / choose a dress?

Corina C. This is your chance to make all your dreams come true. Be yourself. Ask questions. Be bossy. It is your day and you aim to only have one wedding day in your entire life, so choose the dress that makes you feel special, and unique, and strong.

Sur Soul W. ¿What are the trends for 2021?

Corina C. The big trends are: puffy sleeves, tiered skirts, and minimalist cuts.

But we already see that Coronavirus and the fact that big weddings are simply not possible in the nearest future have impacted the bridal trends. Brides aim for rather simple, maybe even casual designs. Civil registration styles with midi skirts or even pants are also very popular lately.

Sur Soul W. ¿Do you have further recommendations for brides?

Corina C. Never choose a dress that makes you feel uncomfortable or insecure. As beautiful as it is, your wedding day is stressful enough without you having to think of how uncomfortable your gown is (even if it is DIVINE: it’s just not worth it).

A good dress will give you the feeling of ease, of flying, of owning the world.