Black Tulle Ballgown, Sequin Crop + Black Hi-Low Skirt, Black & Gold Floral Sequin Top + Pencil Skirt + Feather Skirt + Lace Crop Top: Bree Lena @breelena
Photography: Mike Johnson
Black Feathers + Lace + Tulle + Sequins
Gold Sequin Sweatshirt + Tulle Ballgown Skirt | Canoe
Gold Sequin Sweatshirt & Ivory Tulle Ballgown Skirt - Bree Lena
Photography - Skye Amanda
Model - Brit & Chase
Black & Gold Sequins | Fall 2014 Collection
For my third runway show, I focused on black, gold, and ivory - I designed and started making the collection while I was in NYC (my husband had an internship that summer) so I had access to all the best fabric stores. I was able to find some stunning sequin fabrics and some of these dresses have been my most popular items to date.
Cream Sequin Wedding Dress, Gold Sequin Sweatshirt + Tulle Skirt, Gold Brocade Hi-Low Metallic Wedding Gown, Hand Embellished Brocade Top + Pencil Skirt, Gold Metallic Dot Gather Skirt + Hand Embellished Beaded Sequin Tee, Shimmer Gold Wedding Dress with Floral Embellished Details and Open Back, Gold Metallic Pleated Dress, Black & Gold Floral Sequin Top + Pencil Skirt, Gold Embellished Sequin Pants + Black Top, Black Feather Pencil Skirt + Lace Crop Top, Black Sequin Crop Top + Hi-Low Ruffle Skirt, Black Sheer Hand Embellished Beaded Tank Shimmer Dress, Black Tulle Ballgown with Ivory Sequin Top: Bree Lena
Models: Melanie, Kristin, Abby
Cream Sequin Wedding Gown available in the “SHOP” section - click here
Tulle Skirt available in the “SHOP” section - click here
Runway Show | Fall 2014
This was my third collection and I was especially excited about it because I spent the summer in NYC designing and fabric shopping. I was able to find some gorgeous fabrics and I found so much inspiration being back in the city. I absolutely LOVED how the collection turned out. It is so completely 100% me. Black, creams, and gold with sequins, glitter, and glam everywhere!!
Clothing: Bree Lena
Photographers: Rachel Green, Ryan Houston, Mike Johnson, Dream with Me, LC Photography
Models: Makenna, Alexis, Mercedes, Dania, Kat, Kristin, Ciera, Brit, Melanie, Madison, Abby, Kristin
Spring Sequins | Pink + Teal + Gold
Pink + Teal + Gold Spring Sequins
Runway Show | Spring 2014
I am so grateful that I was able to design and sew a collection for Provo's first Fashion Week!
I was inspired by a few pieces of fabric that I have had for awhile as well as some new fabric that I swatched in NYC last summer. My collection grew into a colorful assortment of sparkly pieces that graduated from cool to warm tones. I was very happy with how it all came together. All the colors ended up working together and I was able to use so many gorgeous fabrics. Mixing ready-to-wear and formal is something I love and gave a nice variety to my collection.
Bree Lena's Wedding Day | Beaded Sequin Dress
Part two of my wedding - the ceremony and reception.
At one point in my life I wanted to be a wedding planner - I soon realized I LOVED planning my own wedding but didn’t really want to do it for other people. I designed and planned my whole wedding (with the help of my sweet mother - who also works as a seamstress for Bree Lena) from the decorations (painting frames (this was before gold was so readily available), glittering candles, making tassels and confetti, painting canvases, and a photo wall documenting our relationship) to the invitations to the bridesmaid skirts (and I beaded the Maid of Honor’s sleeves to be similar to mine). We had a catered dinner and a huge dessert bar with about 8 different types. It was a lot of work but it was everything I dreamed of.
Photography: REBEKAH WESTOVER
Custom Gown and Veil: Bree Lena
Hair and Makeup: JANELLE AT VERSA ARTISTRY
Bridesmaids & Maid of Honor Attire: Bree Lena (skirts, beading) and J. CREW (sequin tops, mint gown)
Groom’s custom suit and shirt: DRESS CODE
Floral Design: Bella Fleur
Reception Location: THE MANOR AT THE RIVERWOODS PROVO, UT
Wedding Invitation: ANN ELIZABETH
Cake: THE CHOCOLATE
BREE LENA'S WEDDING | Beaded Sequin Floral Dress
Here is a quote from when I was featured on Utah Bride Blog in 2013 about my wedding gown:
“Taylor and I met and started dating when we were 15, almost 8 years later we finally tied the knot! I was not only ecstatic about marrying my sweetheart and best friend, but I was also so excited to plan our wedding and most importantly, design and make my dress. I attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan where I received my degree in Fashion Design. I have always loved formal dresses, especially wedding gowns. I made all of my high school prom and homecoming dresses and have been designing my dream wedding gown ever since I can remember. When I started making my gown in September 2012 I knew exactly what I wanted the bottom half of the gown to be like because the design in my head had remained the same for the past few years, I had even purchased all of the fabric years ago. The top half of the gown did not come to me until I was completely done with the bottom and needed to solidify a bodice design. I am so inspired by Elie Saab so naturally I was searching for pictures of his work and I stumbled across a gorgeous gown which became my inspiration. Over 275 hours and more than 3,000 beads later, my gown was complete. I designed and sewed every bit of it from start to finish and I could not be happier. I feel like a sparkle princess and I never stop smiling whenever I have it on because everything turned out exactly how I had always dreamed. This is the second wedding gown I have made and I cannot wait to make more unique and beautiful custom gowns in the future. Nothing makes me happier than my handsome groom, sequins, gorgeous gowns, and weddings!”
Well, it’s been almost 6 years since then (2019) and still nothing makes me happier than my handsome groom, sequins, gorgeous gowns, and weddings! I’ve made quite a few more dresses since then and hand-beaded for many more hours and still my wedding dress is one of my favorite creations. It’s basically the reason I started sewing and designing. I always wanted to make beautiful gowns that were unique that I couldn’t find in stores - my wedding gown was no different. From my first high-school homecoming dress I designed in 2006 to now, making unique and beautiful gowns has always been my passion.
Early Designs | Sequin Maxi Skirt
I started designing dresses when I was in high school (if I’m being honest, my first actual design was in elementary school. I had a favorite dress that I grew out of and was so sad about it, so I went to JoAnn’s with my mom and we picked out a coordinating fabric. We cut up the dress (it was a cotton stripe pink/orange/yellow (my childhood favorite colors) shift dress, and used the extra fabric (hot pink satin) to make a new skirt - I really wish I had a photo of it! In high school I made two homecoming dresses and two prom dresses, with a few other skirts/dresses in between.
After high school I moved to NYC to study Fashion Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). I received my Associate degree in 2010 and then went on to business school at Brigham Young University (BYU), where I received my Bachelor degree in Business Management with an emphasis in Marketing in 2014. While at BYU I participated in my first fashion show in 2013.
Here are a few of my first designs from high school/FIT/first fashion show.
