Nerecina Bridal and Custom Gowns | Interview with Plus Size Wedding Designer

Happy Plus Size Bridal Week! Every year, we love to highlight the latest plus size wedding gowns and wedding designers — and today, we are ECSTATIC to share an interview with Jenine Nerecina, of Nerecina Couture.

Jenine is a custom bridal designer, and during her interview she made me to crack up multiple times during our interview. Jenine and I met a few days after The Oscar’s (more on Jenine’s red carpet looks in a future post!), and while she was tired — she also sparkled!

Let’s talk custom plus size wedding gowns!

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Sea of Clouds Custom Two-Piece Gown - Nerecina Couture — Sea of Clouds Custom Two-Piece Gown

Custom Plus Size Wedding Gowns

Based in Los Angeles, California, Nerecina Couture makes plus size bridal gowns for brides who want to stand out.

“Brides decide on a Nerecina wedding gown because they can’t find what they’re looking for at the big box corporations. My goal is to make fashion pieces, gowns that combine bridal and fashion. As a designer, I make bridal options that aren’t already out there, really.”

Onyx Custom Corset Gown-Nerecina Couture — Onyx Custom Corset Gown

A Life Calling

When asked how she got into fashion design, Jenine laughed and said (eyes sparkling), “This has been my only thing! I knew I wanted to be a fashion designer when I learned to sew at 7 in the Philippines. My grandma taught me, and starting in high school I really got into making clothes.”

Fast forward a few years to 2018, and Jenine started her brand. “Before Nerecina, I had a straight sized brand. But when I started Nerecina Couture, I knew I wanted to have all of the sizes — but I knew I wanted to change it up. I said, ‘I’m only going to show fat girls.'”

I’m only going to show fat girls.
Jenine Nerecina

“When I told people in my life what my plan was, I get some side eye,” she shares. “A former friend told me, ‘A skinny girl would never look at a fat girl and ask what designer’s she wearing.'”

Jenine grins at the memory, her smile growing bigger as she added, “Now, whenever we’re shooting outside, people are always asking who we are. And when a skinny person asks what the brand is, I smile to myself.”

Romana Gown-Nerecina Couture — Romana Gown

Inspiration

Designers can sometimes feel overwhelmed when asked about their inspiration, as there are many aspects that feed their creativity.

For Jenine, “So for me, I love novelty fabrics, doing it in silhouettes that are gorgeous. I really think about how the fabric will look on the body.” Jenine’s love of novelty fabric definitely shows, as her pieces often have feather, sequins, sheer black mesh (ooh la la!), and other design components.

Augustine Feather Dress - Nerecina Couture — Augustine Feather Dress

Multi-Use Dresses

Because Jenine is designing for unique or non-traditional brides, she always tries to create designs that can be worn again. I want brides to be able to say, ” I can wear this for my wedding, and I can wear it for a charity gala for my job.”

Jenine works with her bridal clients in her studio in Los Angeles, or she’s happy to meet over Zoom. “Some brides are nervous about Zoom,” she shares, “but it works really well. I walk my client through the whole process, and we have fun and laugh while we do it.”

Cosmos Dress - Nerecina Couture — Cosmos Dress

Trends in Plus Size Bridal for 2023

When asked about trends in plus size bridal for 2023, Jenine shared that she’s seeing more brides order custom looks for “courthouse weddings” or smaller ceremonies outside of a traditional large wedding.

“I’m also seeing brides get more adventurous with plus size reception looks,” she shares. “Jumpsuits are really popular, and I’ve made my satin jumpsuit in various off-shades of white for a reception look. I really love that.”