ANTONINA says, “I don’t,” for her first bridal collection and lets MEGA in on the personal story behind the designs
Nina Amoncio charts her future in fashion guided by a dream that never was with her namesake brand ANTONINA at BENCH Fashion Week Holiday 2024. Designed for the love moment of the nuptials, the collection I DON’T beautifully captures the essence of a wedding’s romantic notes with a distinctly personal touch.
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A Sacred Vow to Design
“I don’t want to get married,” Amoncio shares with MEGA. “I don’t want to see myself getting married, so I DON’T is my take on the wedding I’ll never have.”
In the realm of fashion, the wedding dress is often the pinnacle of anticipation. But this debut ready-to-wear line was Amoncio’s space to explore her creative inclinations while expanding the definition of bridal. Much like the romantic commitment of a lifetime, design also involves careful consideration and preparation—a study on volumes, textures, proportion, and technique.
Extending beyond her signature contemporary streetwear, Amoncio’s deft hand at the modern romance of bridal is less institutional, less typical, and yet showcases immaculate and majestic ensembles that pay homage to classic bridal elegance. With soft and romantic silhouettes, intricate beading handiwork, and fabric manipulations, Amoncio upholds the same core of the occasion, while stitching her own personal narrative into each piece.
The Bridal Affair Reimagined
ANTONINA reinterpreted the codes of the famous wedding dress in creams, grays, and blacks, going big on volume, with bold ballgown silhouettes that create bouncy, billowing volume in movement, dramatic trains, and layers of dreamy tulle—all crafted with meticulous detail. I DON’T is a range of structured pieces, relaxed suits, and black tulle veils, with floral elements creatively integrated into both the apparel and accessories, enhancing the romantic allure of each piece.
“This is my fifth year doing BENCH Fashion Week, and I’ve had this collection in mind for so long,” Amoncio muses. “I’ve never done anything like this; It’s a way to show my vulnerable side, and at the same time, it’s very personal. I went beyond what was expected of me and my normal aesthetics.”
The designer’s precision and the light and elegance of her hands is present in I DON’T. At the nexus of her first ready-to-wear line, Amoncio employed beadwork and the boro hand stitching technique for her suitwork and tailoring for a decadent feel: “I’ve always done a lot of handwork and threadwork, but I did beadwork this year, diverting to a more adventurous, and more appealing side of my design,” the designer explains. “I’ve always worked with a lot of personal sentiments—all of my collections, since 2018, are deeply rooted in personal feelings and beliefs. And dreams, of course.”