This isn’t just bridal. It’s a mindset.
I’ve made wedding gowns for a living for years. I’ve spent over a decade creating gowns for brides around the world. Custom gowns. Statement gowns. And everything in between.
But when I got married? I didn’t wear a traditional wedding dress. And I didn’t have a traditional wedding.
Just something intimate, honest and weirdly perfect.
“At the time, I didn’t realize how much that choice would shift things for me creatively. But looking back, it became the moment that redefined everything I thought I knew about weddings, tradition, and what it means to be a bride today.”
Because as much as I love bridal fashion—and I really do—I’ve never believed in the idea that there’s one way to “do” a wedding. Especially not now. We’ve all changed. The way we see love, womanhood, and even identity—it’s different now.
That idea became a mindset.
That mindset became a brand.
Introducing Like A Virgin (LAV)
Yeah, the name’s ironic.
That’s kind of the point.
LAV is bridal, but not as you know it. It pokes fun at expectations while making space for something more honest, more modern, and more you. Because the truth is, bridal has changed. Women have changed. The modern bride definitely doesn’t need permission to celebrate love on her own terms.
“LAV is for the bride who’s in love, but not with tradition.”
She believes in love above all else—but doesn’t believe in doing things just because that’s how it’s always been done. Maybe she never saw herself in a traditional dress—but knew she still wanted a moment. Something fun. Something meaningful. Something that felt like her.
The LAV Ethos
LAV is fashion-forward, bold, and brimming with personality. Every piece is part of a larger story—crafted into highly thematic collections that feel like cinematic universes.
Think:
🎞️ Retro Americana
🎸 70s–90s pop culture
🚙 Road trip romances
📺 Music-video muses
Rooted in storytelling, LAV is a fashion fever dream built around eras, moods, and music—each one telling a different tale, always with a wink.
LAV vs. Lauren Elaine
If you’ve found me or LAV through my namesake brand, Lauren Elaine—you should know that LAV isn’t replacing it. It’s expanding on it.
Lauren Elaine will always be my ethereal, fantasy-fueled world: romantic, whimsical, and cinematic. But Like A Virgin Bridal taps into a different kind of storytelling—something more grounded, more modern, more real. It reflects another side of who I am as a designer and as a woman.
They don’t compete. They coexist.
Because honestly? Most of us carry both energies.
And now, so do my designs.
Made Different—On Purpose
Just like Lauren Elaine Bridal, LAV is:
- ✂️ Entirely handmade in the USA
- 🧵 Made to order
- 🌎 Sustainably produced
- 🔁 Designed for minimal waste
- 🧁 Dropped in limited quantities
You won’t find 100 options, and that’s on purpose.
It’s not fast fashion. It’s not mass anything.
The Real Reason
“I guess the real reason I started LAV is because I realized a lot of us never saw ourselves reflected in bridal until we forced our way into the picture.”
So now I’m making room.
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Once Upon A Seam 