What bride doesn't desire a wedding dress that matches her uniqueness and style? The Tess Mann Haute Couture brand embodies beauty, and stresses individuality for fashion-forward, sophisticated brides who desire wedding gowns of the highest caliber, asserts founder and Nashville seamstress Tess Mann.
"We're a wonderful fit for brides and families who'd like to break from the ordinary, and set themselves apart from other weddings," points out Tess, who also offers mother-of-the-bride gowns, as well as saree wedding dresses or lehenga, the traditional Indian attire worn for wedding celebrations.
Using the finest silks, aspired lace, Jacquards, hand-beading and sophisticated embroidery while showcasing exquisite details that exhibit Parisian and Italian flare, Tess says she knows exactly what it's like to long for truly distinctive clothing. "I grew up during a time when many families faced financial struggles. We received hand-me-down clothes, and when I was 11 years old, I'd take them apart and embellish them with items bought at the Five And Dime [general store]," she recalls.
Then, once Tess turned 17 years old, she competed in Miss America preliminary competitions to try to earn college scholarship funding. She was a finalist in the Miss Connecticut pageant, having designed and made her own formal and performance gowns for singing various genres of music for her talent portion.
She says she still remembers the joy she felt from designing competition attire that was innovatively 'hers,' such as wearing taffeta ballgowns when other contestants wore bridesmaid-inspired chiffon, or when others wore form-fitting gowns with sequins, she designed and wore fit-and-flare flowing dresses that "floated reminiscent of 1940s classy glamor." She says those creations definitely cemented her lifelong love affair with the fashion industry.
"During the competitions, I adored the fashion connection and enjoyed the pride I brought to the communities I represented. However, I also was in the middle of earning a master's degree so had to make some decisions," she says.
The decision she made was to enter into an FBI position in 1998, following her education in psychology/criminology. After retiring from an FBI 20-year career as a federal law enforcement officer, she returned to her fashion roots and produced her designer label of wedding dresses, Couture By Tess, in 2013. She says she and her husband first converted the entire upstairs of their home into a bridal shop from which she rented bridal gowns.
On Sept. 18, 2018, Tess received her designer-related business trademark by the U.S. States Patent and Trademark office. In 2021, Tess decided to launch Tess Mann Haute Couture as a cherished label of its own.
Her current bridal salon, Couture by Tess Bridal, is located in Cookeville.
Tess Style Lines Choices
Tess Mann Haute Couture is Tess' extravagant, luxury brand under the Couture By Tess Trademark. It's especially unique within the fashion world due to incorporating her own custom-designed embroidery, lace designs, bead work placement, and using Swarovski and other Austrian crystals within dress embellishments.
- Complete custom haute couture for specific bridal originals, starting at $4,000, depending on fabrics selected.
- New Discovery Collection ranges from $3,500 to $12,500 (average $6,000).
- Le Jardin is set to launch soon.
Her Tess Trademark also covers her self-made lace designs, veils, embroidery sketches and beading patterns.
Couture By Tess Designer Label:
- This line offers a variety of bridal gowns, pantsuits, formal/evening wear and mother-of-the-bride/groom attire, starting at $550 to $600.
- The Nostalgia Collection starts at $2,300 to $6,000, and maintains the high quality and structure of the Tess Mann Haute Couture line.
- The Plateau Collection is an airy, simplified and practical collection that Tess was working on at press time. She says these dresses will be priced at $1,500 or lower.
Tess says she draws inspiration for her dress designs from nature, architectural patterns, window reflections and even draping techniques for curtains. "I'm working on developing a line inspired by birds, which likely will have three-dimensional florals with beading. Maybe only eight dresses in the line. I love unique colors and textures rather than just thread colors," she adds.
Simplistic, modern, chic wedding dresses are popular this year, with little to no embellishments, Tess verifies. "In Europe, see-through or peek-a-boo features are trending for wedding dresses. In California, it's red carpet looks."
However, she says another trend for wedding dresses is luxury-driven ones with silver lace, all bling and lots of embellishments. For Nashville trends, she says it's dresses with light, flowing A-Lines, and not too many layers.
For future wedding attire, she predicts high necks, strapless, tiny balloon sleeves and puffy shoulders may return, because the styles "repeat every 10 to 12 years."
Regardless of the wedding dress style sought, Tess encourages all brides to begin their search and arrangements at least a year in advance.