Mariana Hardwick

Fashion Designer

Birthplace Melbourne, Australia

#300,214 Most Popular

About

Entrepreneur and business owner best known for being the topmost designer of bridal couture and luxury wedding fashion throughout Australia. A former fashion icon in the 1970s, her name has since become synonymous with glamorous, opulent bridalwear within Melbourne's Sydney Road bridal belt. She has created custom gowns for celebrities such as fashion model Chantelle Stanton, and her designs are regular fixtures on the Pinterest boards of brides-to-be all over the world. 

Before Fame

After graduating from college with an arts degree, she had intentions of becoming a creative entrepreneur. She started her career by working in small fashion shops and later began selling her own designs out of her boutique, The Garb Shop. 

Trivia

Designing bridal gowns was not actually her initial career objective. Her designs throughout the 1970s heavily featured vintage details such as ruffles and Victorian lace in cream hues. When brides began wearing her designs as wedding dresses, it inadvertently provoked her to make bridalwear her specialty, and she officially launched her bridal brand in 1982. 

Family Life

In 2010, she appointed her daughter-in-law, Rebekah Malone, to be the managing director of her bridal business. Malone is married to her only son, Sebastian, who is the youngest of her 4 children. 

Associated With

One of her designs, "Nahla," was worn by Cathy Evans on the 7th season of Married at First Sight (Australia), which featured relationship expert John Aiken