25 Black Wedding Dress Designers to Know

Andrea Pitter of Pantora Bridal

The Designer:

Andrea Pitter is the founder and creative director of Pantora Bridal, a bridal boutique based in Brooklyn, NY. In 2011, she received a BFA in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

The Pantora Bride

According to Pitter, Pantora brides are confident, feminine, and fancy, and they have a connection to the “real world”. “At Pantora we offer relatable luxury. Our brides enjoy clothing that hits home, our design aesthetic is unique yet inviting. Pantora Bridal offers brides the opportunity to come as they are and to be celebrated. It’s feel-good bridalwear!” she shares.

Not only do her designs take on classic silhouettes and modern details, but she designs with the Black bride in mind. While illusion dresses are gorgeous, the standard mesh colors don’t really work on darker skin, so Pantora Bridal created, Forgotten Skin Tones, their own line of mesh and lining.

“We have seven Forgotten Skin Tone mesh colors ranging from buff to deep. Each shade can work for women of various complexions,” says Pitter. Black women range in complexions and it’s a pity that the bridal fashion industry hasn’t adapted to the idea that there is no universal nude.”

The brand’s dresses also account for curves with a hip-first approach to sizing. “Pantora bridal is all-around inclusive. Not only have we accounted for skin tone, but we have also accounted for curves. Our bodies are only celebrated when mimicked by other races. We come in so many shapes and sizes, and no matter what package we come in, it should be dressed to the nines.”