Atelier Emé focuses on everyday elegance: the first Occasionwear shops are on the way
The brand of the Oniverse group, known for bridal fashion, expands its new collection. The S/S 2026 presented with a fashion show-event at Milan Central Station
"Stations are places of passage par excellence, of encounters, movement, which welcome the different moments of a person's life, and therefore offer the ideal context to tell the story of a dynamic woman, in her everyday life, but also in her special moments": this is how Silvia Falconi, creative director and CEO of Atelier Emé, explains the decision to have organised the fashion show of the Occasionwear SS 2026 collection of the brand (part of the Oniverse group since 2015) in the East Staircase of Milan's Central Station. "We have maintained our romantic style, enriching it with contemporary touches and contrasts such as over blazers, unlined summer jackets, and masculine trousers that are new to the brand. We will also continue to expand the collection with accessories, shoes, trainers, low ballerinas, leather day bags, to progressively get closer to an Atelier Emé total look."
Founded in Castiglione delle Stiviere, in the province of Mantua, in 1961 as a bridal fashion atelier, a category that is still central to its offer, a year ago Atelier Emé decided to focus decisively on its collection closer to everyday life, called 'Occasionwear': "We wanted to move away from special and formal occasions and enter more into everyday life, from the office world to the most special occasions, while always maintaining our DNA," Falconi continues, "Our garments are very recognisable because they always have an extra touch, a jewel button, volumes, combinations, prints and characterising finishes. One year on from the launch of this evolution, the balance is satisfactory, considering also the general difficult moment, especially for clothing, so much so that we are also planning to open shops dedicated only to Occasionwear: the first ones will arrive very soon, we will start in Turin, Rome and Palermo. At the moment, the main objective is to consolidate the brand, also through the upgrading of existing shops (currently 53 throughout Italia, ndr) and new openings. For now we are only present in Italia, but certainly among our next objectives is to expand across the border, in the fashion capitals of Europe'.
The brand's strong point has always been the search for an adequate quality/price ratio, a strategy that is even more relevant in this period of decisive attention to price tags on the part of consumers: "We aim to propose creations that enhance a woman's identity, but at a fair price," notes the CEO. In the most precious dresses, not only bridal, but also in the Red Carpet and Couture collections, the degree of customisation can be total, but you can get your own dress, unique, starting from 9 thousand euro, which for a creation made with haute couture procedures and materials is an excellent price". If the most precious collections are made in the historical manufacture in Castiglione delle Stiviere, Occasionwear is designed and prototyped in Italia but made abroad, in factories owned by Atelier Emé, which guarantee process and quality control.
Beyond the everyday, however, bridal fashion retains its centrality, even though the number of weddings is steadily declining. "In bridal fashion, we are moving more and more towards customisation," says Falconi. "Brides are looking for versatile gowns, there is a great demand for multi-look creations, with detachable sleeves, removable skirts, corsets that can be applied over dresses, to change style during the day but then be able to reuse the various elements even after the wedding. Which therefore remains a special day, but more and more connected to normal ones.
