In-Depth Interview with Bridal Wear Designer Jean-Ralph Thurin -Munaluchi Bride

MunaLuchi Coterie member and bridal wear designer extraordinaire, Jean-Ralph Thurin has ten years experience in the wedding industry – bringing to brides a fashion design background that includes working with fashion giants such as Oscar De La Renta, Liz Claiborne and Giorgio Armani. Motivated by a “passion for design to always push the boundaries of my craft,” Jean-Ralph Thurin is sure to make any brides wedding dress dreams a reality.

Read all about Jean-Ralph Thurin in this inspiring and insightful interview – featuring images from their newly released collection.

Name: Jean-Ralph Thurin
Business Name: Jean-Ralph Thurin
Founded: 2008

Describe your business. Jean-Ralph Thurin is a bridal design house that specializes in custom pieces that are uniquely created for each individual client. We pride ourselves on having a special 1-on-1 approach when it comes to our brides, making sure that they feel like a top priority when they walk through our doors and that they leave with the wedding dress of their dreams.

What did you do before starting your business in the wedding industry? Before getting started in the wedding industry I was blessed with amazing internship opportunities under Oscar De La Renta, Liz Claiborne and Giorgio Armani.

How long have you been in the wedding industry? I have been in the wedding industry for about 10 years now.

How would you describe your style? Timeless elegance with the perfect fit. Attention to the fit of the dress has really become a staple of mine, it is truly important that my bride’s feel like their dress was perfectly made for their exact proportions.

What motivates you? My passion for design to always push the boundaries of my craft.

Why should brides choose you? Brides should choose me if they want to feel like they’re in a one-of-a-kind dress on their big day. I really work hand in hand with my brides on helping their vision come to life, they are just as much of the creative process as I am and I believe that is truly what distinguishes the JRT process.

How does your company define and measure success? A bride’s happiness with the final end result of her gown. When I see the smile spread across a bride’s face at her final fitting, that is how I gauge my personal success.

What do you enjoy most about your work? I enjoy being able to build personal relationships with my clients. Our brides truly become like members of the family while working together over the span of 8-12 months. I love being able to help them with every part of their wedding process, not just their dress. We usually become such good friends during our fittings that I get to have a say in everything from the hair to the shoes and that really means so much to me, that they trust me enough to be a part of their big day.

Describe a proud moment while working in the wedding industry. Well, I do have a lot of them because pretty much every bride that I meet at the end of the journey – it’s usually pretty epic for us. Because we’ve gone usually 8-10 months of working together so at the end just to see them in that dress and how happy they are (and how happy I am) and that’s just a great feeling every single time. And it feels like new every single time. I think the HUE Collection, when we were shooting that, I felt so good that day-I was like wow it finally came together just the way I had envisioned it!

What’s the best compliment you’ve received for your work? The best complement and feeling I’ve ever got was the day when one of my brides tried on her dress for her final fitting and she literally just screamed at the top of her lungs. I ran in scared wondering what’s going on and she was just like, “THE FIT IS PERFECT!” Knowing how hard we worked to make sure that it would be just right and hearing her reaction was the best complement I’ve ever received.

What are your business goals? I hope we are able to have our dresses carried in a few salons that would fit us – ones that understand my brand and what we thrive for. I am happy to report that we will be carried at Luxe Bridal in Nashville as of this April, so this is only the beginning!

What’s your favorite part of the wedding industry? My favorite part about the wedding industry is definitely being able to network with so many other amazing professionals whose end goal is the same as mine, creating the perfect wedding day for their clients.

Describe your vision of the “perfect” wedding. The “perfect wedding” to me would primarily consist of being able to truly have the people that you love around you, I feel like that’s really it in a nutshell. However, a beautiful Jean-Ralph Thurin dress, great music and food wouldn’t hurt either.

Where do you find the most inspiration? I usually draw most of my inspiration from buildings and architecture. I love the beauty of structural lines and patterns, so I tend to translate those techniques to my dresses as well.

Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know? I know the phrase “behind every great man is a great woman” is cliche, but it’s true! Jean-Ralph Thurin would not be what it is today without the help of my wife and business partner, Delfrance. All of my brides get well-acquainted with the two of us during their dress making process and trust me, it’s nothing but laughs every time.