For many brides, the big day isn’t the only time for a major fashion moment (remember Amal Clooney’s wedding weekend wardrobe?). Sofia Vergara is no different. To supplement her sure-to-be dramatic ceremony gown for her Palm Beach wedding to Joe Manganiello, Vergara tapped Los Angeles-based designer Mark Zunino to create a high-fashion party look for her. “She needed a sexy party dress to either wear for her reception or rehearsal dinner the night before, she hadn’t made up her mind,” he tells PEOPLE exclusively. “She expressed she wanted a form-fitting dress that was sexy and sophisticated.” Check out her intricately embellished flirty mini!
Courtesy Mark Zunino
The 43-year-old hasn’t been shy about not wanting to look like a “virgin” bride, so it’s not a big surprise that she eschewed bright white for her rehearsal dinner look. “She originally thought it to be white, then we played with the idea of a white beaded lace over nude, but ultimately decided on off-white over a soft pale pink,” explains Zunino.
The mini took three weeks to complete and used a whopping 62 yards of fabric! The skirt alone has 14 layers of silk organza, and the lace bodice is hand-beaded and topped off with a neckline enhanced with crystal-encrusted lace leaves.
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As the protege of Dynasty costume designer Nolan Miller, Zunino is known for his custom corsets. “Sofia loves a well-fitted, sculpted garment,” says Zunino, who sells his gorgeous waist-cinching gowns exclusively at Kleinfeld and has a line of daywear at QVC.
“Sofia’s reaction when she saw herself in the finished dress was that of pure joy and excitement,” Zunino reveals. “She couldn’t get over how sculpted the dress was to her body and said ‘I don’t want to take it off!’ Though, anything would look fantastic on her body.”
Before changing into her pink dress, Vergara wore a white cocktail dress for her pre-party dinner.
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TELL US: What do you think of Sofia’s party dress?
–Catherine Kast
