Reem Acra said she was actually “screaming with joy” when she first set eyes on the tuxedos that Joseph Abboud created for her bridal fashion show on Thursday night.
“They were impeccably made — like pieces of art,” she said.
And what’s more remarkable is that the dozen tuxedos were actually created in less than two weeks.
“It’s the fastest we’ve ever done anything like this,” Abboud said of the custom pieces that were manufactured in his New Bedford, Mass., factory.
This marks the first time Acra has shown tuxedos to complement her bridal gowns, but it’s all part of her desire to think outside the box. “I don’t like runway shows,” she said. “I want people to feel something emotional and I think events should be all-inclusive and an experience to attract people’s attention.”
She said she approached Abboud to gauge his “appetite” for working together, and found a willing participant. “We knew in the first two minutes this was going to work,” she said.
For Abboud, he stressed that he’s merely “the supporting actor” in this “creative collaboration — Reem is the lead.” But it’s also got him thinking about possibilities for future collaborations, centered around his Madison Avenue flagship. “I’d love to have her dresses in my windows,” he said. Stay tuned.