Earlier this season, New York City-based accessory designer Jennifer Behr visited the White, Toronto bridal boutique for a personal Canadian appearance. The design talent is best known for crafting whimsical and decorative pieces which can be spotted on traditional, unconventional and modern brides alike. Real Style caught up with the vibrant and artistic Behr about her favourite wedding accessory trends, along with the intersection of bridal fashion and street style. Here’s what she had to share about her passion for design, signature headpieces and dream celebrity clients.

Real Style: What are some of your favourite trends in bridal accessories these days?

Jennifer: I think one of the things that is super exciting is that brides are bringing fashion into bridal. They’re bringing more of their own style in. That as a trend is really fantastic. In the past couple of seasons, for fashion, runway and couture, there’s been tons of headpieces. Couture always influences bridal, so it’s really great to see that come alive. People are willing to try more fun things, like larger pieces or incorporating some of the golds from the runway into a bridal look.

Real Style: Do you have a favourite piece from your new collection?

Jennifer: We’re also doing some knit hat pieces for fall. The feathers on those are my favourites. For the spring, I love the Rowena [headpiece], which is all these really organic gold pieces, it has a lot of volume that still is really light and wearable. I also really love the hand painted ones.

Real Style: Where do you see bridal accessory looks going in the coming seasons?

Jennifer: I hope headpieces continue to create the trend. I think that even seeing more of the golds, the rose golds that we did this season for the first time, there’s a lot more colour that’s coming into dresses. There are more blush tones and all, so I think that the rose golds and the golds are really pretty with that. People are getting more daring, wearing larger pieces.

Real Style: What sets your bridal collection apart from your fashion collection?

Jennifer: I start with designing the fashion collection, because that’s really the heritage of the collection. We do four seasons a year- spring, fall, holiday, and summer. I’ll design those, and a lot of spring obviously makes it into the bridal collection. Then there’s always things that we make a bridal interpretation of. If it’s something that’s been a popular headpiece, a lot of brides are looking for combs, so we’ll do a variation of it in the comb so they have that fashion element.

Real Style: Where do you draw your creative inspiration from, other than runways?

Jennifer: It’s kind of everywhere. I came from the background of making things. I think that the materials and the design process is making myself sit down at the design table for whole days and starting to build things.

Real Style: What originally inspired you to pursue design?

Jennifer: I went to school for sculpture and art history, and then I started taking some costume design classes in the millinery. At a certain point, I realized that I loved making things that people actually used and wore, instead of making something that would sit on a wall. It was really fun to make things that people could wear, and it was transformational.

Real Style: Describe some of your biggest challenges when starting out in design. 

Jennifer: At the beginning, there was no world of headpieces. People weren’t really wearing headpieces, and then there’s just the business of running a business. I think a lot of people get into design thinking that it’s beautiful and fun, which it is, but the reality is that’s like 15 percent of your time. The rest of it is working with your stores, customers, selling, production and operations. It’s always hard to keep the balance between that stuff, and the design.

Real Style: If you had to choose, who would be your favourite celebrity or style icon to design for?

Jennifer: Cate Blanchett has worn a piece. I’d love to make her a headpiece, because she’s got that amazing etherealness. Daphne Guinness, I’d love to make something for, because she’s such a crazy fashion icon.

Photos: Jennifer Behr