Vera Wang’s new Haute Wedding collection had the lure of capital-F fashion for every style-minded bride. Created with couture-like exactitude, each look embodied its own individual character and spirit—in turn, giving Wang the freedom to experiment with volume, scale, and artisanal details that have come to define the brand’s unique and ever-evolving aesthetic. Adding to the one-of-a-kind feel, everything is custom-sewn in the designer’s workrooms, a process that has been performed and perfected for more than three decades.

Wang gave us medieval princess vibes with an Italian tulle empire-waist gown with macramé lace appliqués. She made an edgy-cool statement with a silk crepe strapless minidress finished with off-the-shoulder blouson sleeves of gargantuan proportions. However, it was the strapless dress with a criss-cross bustier and jet-black leather gauntlet gloves that seemed the most like Ms. Vera Wang herself. You can do all these things and more if you’re Wang and you’ve got the chops to conceive and execute beautiful wedding dresses with a distinct sense of spine. It helps, of course, to have a strong one of your own.