Hackwith Design House Launches Bridal Line

Seven years after launching her women’s ready-to-wear label, Hackwith Design House, local fashion designer Lisa Hackwith is tackling the bridal market. The collection, which launched this past weekend exclusively on the brand’s website, includes four gowns, five bridesmaid dresses, and a strapless, wide-legged jumpsuit, plus a two-piece set made up of wide-leg pants and two top options.

The 30-year-old self-taught designer has been celebrated for her minimalist, versatile designs that are manufactured in her St. Paul studio. Instead of producing a full collection at once on a seasonal basis, like traditional brands do, Hackwith releases two to four new, limited-edition pieces every week—a method that has been both fruitful and sustainable for the designer, who now has three full-time employees and a couple of interns. In addition, she creates capsule collections for boutiques around the country, and a permanent line of basics, plus-size, and swimwear, HDH Basics, HDH Plus, and HDH Swim.

Hackwith says the bridal line came about the same way as the brand’s swim line. “I had a really hard time finding swimsuits with a simpler design,” she says. “I also had a really hard time finding my own bridal gown, and one that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. I thought maybe other people had the same problem.”

While it retails for a higher price point than the ready-to-wear line—thanks to the higher quality of fabrics used, including an organic cotton and a silk-hemp blend—the bridal line was created with an eye for value. The most expensive gown retails at $2,200 and the least expensive is $950—a steal compared to many designer bridal gowns on the market. (Bridesmaid dresses go for $260 to $450.)

Each design is available in five different colors—white, cream, black, blush pink, and sage green—making the designs as versatile as they are stylish. “We tried to make bridesmaid dresses that you would want to wear afterward,” explains Hackwith, adding that the non-white pieces can also appeal to customers shopping for special-occasion looks, as well as the nontraditional bride.

Hackwith says two of the dress designs evolved out of a couple of runway looks created for local shows over the past two years. “Overall, I was trying to think of silhouettes that were a little bit more streamlined and simple,” she says.

For now, the line is available exclusively on the brand’s website, though the designer isn’t ruling out wholesaling in the future. Shop the HDH Bridal collection now at hackwithdesignhouse.com.

all images by Jake Anderson