Rethinking Bridal: Why You Can’t Unsee YolanCris 2026

The eye wandered freely at the YolanCris show, drawn to a rich array of fashion-historic references – spotlighting both the atelier’s immaculate craftsmanship and a refined balance between sheer beauty and a sense of anti-establishment. A rare tension, especially in the bridal space.

The latest collection, presented at Barcelona Bridal Week 2025, was masterfully steeped in paradox: couture design and free-spirited, punk and ancestral, artisanal and raw. The label, led by Spanish sister duo Yolanda and Cristina Pérez – whose mother was also a designer – is a true family venture and a couture house at heart. They navigate dualities with fearless elegance. It’s not a clash – it’s a dialogue.

As the lights dimmed, the space quietly flooded with guests – lined along the runway and seated throughout on diagonally placed benches.

Notes of violin opened the scene, setting a tone both restrained and emotional – until the screen lit up with a black-and-white video referencing none other than Yohji Yamamoto. A hush fell over the room. A snippet from his interview with The Talks played, where the legendary designer – known for his radical simplicity and poetic defiance – voiced his frustration with the fashion industry’s overproduction and obsession with trend. That sentiment hasn’t dimmed. In fact, this show aimed to pick up where it left off – unfolding as something almost anti-fashion, anti-bridal, even.

Then came the first look – a pillowed, duvet-like silhouette enveloping a delicately embroidered gown. It drifted down the runway like a dream. A nod, perhaps, to the conceptual fashion of the late ’90s and early 2000s – to Comme des Garçons, Margiela, and Viktor & Rolf.

It was ethereal. It was bridal. It was, unmistakably, a wink to fashion history – yet reimagined in whisper-weight textures that floated like cloud. The references were subtle. Yes, this was still a bridal show – but one that wasn’t afraid to play with form, scale, and memory.

Then followed a succession of looks that delivered not only visual poetry – but food for thought. A sharply tailored, strapless bodice with exposed boning that drew the eye upward, framing bare collarbones like sculpture. It flowed into a voluminous skirt that seemed to billow outward with its own breath, the model’s hands resting in its folds – as if anchoring airiness with stillness.

Elsewhere, pocketed details quietly grounded the more ethereal silhouettes, lending a modern sensibility to the weightless layers – like the translucent blouse and webbed lace skirt seen in one standout look. Soft, sheer ruffles framed the arms, while hands casually tucked into pockets reminded us: this wasn’t just about fantasy, but functionality too.

Then Radiohead came on – the woman behind us couldn’t help herself, softly but excitedly singing along – as the music accompanied some of the collection’s other visually arresting looks. Such as a sculptural gown adorned with Art Deco-style embroidery, echoing shell-like formations, or another look where gossamer layers drifted around the body with sculpted ease – like spider silk caught mid-motion. There were even some punk-infused lace slips, channeling an unmistakable 1990s Kate Moss energy. Undone elegance at its best, with pared-back nightgown styles that felt made for a spontaneous elopement.

“Among the standouts were a sculptural gown adorned with Art Deco-style embroidery, echoing shell-like formations, and another in which gossamer layers drifted around the body with sculpted ease.”

The unmistakable craftsmanship, however, shone brightest in the more elaborate gowns. Each piece is brought to life in YolanCris’s own atelier in Barcelona, and since mid-2018, also at their boutique-showroom on Avenida Diagonal 508. A quiet yet decisive move, placing the brand firmly within the pantheon of Haute Couture through elevated, artisanal artistry.

The beauty looks were particularly refreshing – cool, undone, and quietly rebellious. Minimal, natural, effortlessly undone. Razor-sharp bobs, half-up buns with strands escaping, just the right amount of barely-there blush. A crisp, cool contrast to the ornate textures of the clothes.

As the final look faded out, not only the two head designers but the entire team stepped onto the runway – a heartfelt tribute to the people behind the craft, master artisans and seamstresses who embody the philosophy that “handmade” is both legacy and living practice.

See more about Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week on their official website.

Images by Marcos Sanchez for The Lane