Yesterday, New York-based designer Brandon Maxwell shared on Instagram that he’d be gifting three wedding dresses to brides who, due to the economic repercussions of COVID-19, can’t afford to buy a gown on their own.
In addition, Maxwell has called on two of his friends — self-proclaimed “modern milliner” Gigi Burris and fine jewelry designer Eva Fehren — to provide veils and wedding bands for each of the three winners (and their significant others).
“As a company who has been fortunate to play a small part in so many women’s special days, we realize the current crisis and the economic repercussions from it may have already deeply affected you,” Maxwell’s caption reads. “In times of darkness we must look to the light, and we believe an optimistic moment to look forward to is important.”
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In order to apply, the designer asks that you send your story — whether it be in video, picture, or poem form — to yourspecialday@brandonvmaxwell.com. “Absolutely any way you want to express yourself, we will listen,” he writes. He also asks that you include the details of your wedding, including when it is and what your plans are. All submissions must be sent in by Monday, March 30th, and the three lucky winners will receive word from Maxwell by Wednesday, April 1st. In true Brandon Maxwell form, he signed off on an even more positive note: “Here’s to a brighter day, your day. ❤️.”
Beside his announcement, the 35-year-old designer known for dressing the likes of Lady Gaga, Michelle Obama, Dakota Johnson, and the former Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle, posted a short preview of his latest YouTube video where he walks his subscribers through the process of designing his best friend Susannah’s wedding gown. “It is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” she says in the video. “Words cannot describe how amazing it really is.”
“I’m wearing a custom look by Brandon Maxwell,” Susannah’s sister, another friend of the designer, says while fighting off tears in the video. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever worn — more beautiful than my wedding dress was. I’ve never felt like this ever in my life before. And he made my sister’s wedding dress and it’s gorgeous. I can’t really put into words how beautiful it is and how special we both feel.”
Now, three women who quite possibly thought their wedding day fantasies would never come true will be able to experience that same sense of joy and awe while looking at their own dresses.
No matter where you live, the novel coronavirus has forced many major milestones to be put on pause. Trips you had planned, canceled. Dates on the books, scrapped. Sporting events, concerts, cultural tours — you name it, it’s been called off. Given the circumstances, though, waving goodbye to a weekend getaway isn’t the biggest deal in the world. But having to postpone a wedding — or for a lot of people out there, cancel it altogether — is more significant. Thanks to Brandon Maxwell, Gigi Burris, and Eva Fehren, though, three brides will now be able to cross their wedding gowns, rings, and veils off their list of financial burdens.