bridal

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chased my dream,” Balilti says.
“I didn’t let go until I found
my way. My family’s history
[in Egypt] wasn’t very posi-
tive at the end. But I grew up
in a family that always cher-
ished the positive things they
had there. I am obviously a
proud Israeli and do not take
anything we have here for
granted.”
When her first major
retailer, L’Fay Bridal, placed its
initial order, Balilti was on the
road to industry respect.
“The very first time I saw
one of her dresses, it was style
#12-32 with long sleeves, [with
a deep V-cut] and a sparkling
top and I knew it was going
to be a big seller,” says L’Fay’s
Kukielka, who’s spent 15 years
in the bridal business. “The
first dress we ordered, the
bride put it on and she started
crying.”
Things took off when her
dresses were featured in top
fashion magazines, including
Vogue and Elle and the bridal
magazines Martha Stewart
Weddings, Grace Ormonde
Wedding Style and Brides, as
well as on popular blogs. These
days, Berta Bridal is approach-
ing 900,000 followers on
Instagram.
“Everything happened really
fast in the international scene,”
she says. “We were constantly
getting inquiries from brides
and many retailers all over the
world who wanted to carry my
line.”
Today, her gowns are sold at
more than 60 retailers in close
to two dozen countries, includ-
ing in the U.S. department
store giants Saks Fifth Avenue
and Nordstrom. Though she
has made her dream come
true, Balilti isn’t complacent.
“I still chase my dreams,”
she says. “I’m grateful for all I
have achieved so far, but there’s
much more ahead, and I have
no plans of taking a break.”

*

details

Visit bertabridal.com to find
a Berta Bridal retailer near
Michigan, including locations in
Chicago, Toronto and New York.

40 January 28 • 2016