Morilee Wedding Dresses
Morilee has been shaped by designer Madeline Gardner for nearly four decades, and her approach to romantic, hand-finished bridal design has made the brand a fixture in boutiques across 80 countries.
Founded in New York’s garment district in 1953, Morilee offers six distinct collections that cover everything from couture-level embellished gowns with Swarovski crystals and hand-sewn beadwork to clean, minimal designs in satin and crepe, which means the range works whether you’re drawn to a dramatic ballgown or something understated and modern. We carry Morilee at Bijoux Bridal in Hamilton, just outside Glasgow.
A New York legacy in bridal design
Morilee was started in 1953 by Evlynn Udell and her brother Morvin Leibowitz in New York City’s garment district, at a time when few women led businesses in fashion. Evlynn built the company from a small family operation into a global brand now sold in over 3,000 stores, and the Udell family continued to grow the business over the following decades.
The brand name comes from the family’s names, and the company celebrated its 70th anniversary at Carnegie Hall during New York Bridal Fashion Week in 2023.
Madeline Gardner joined as Chief Design and Creative Director over 38 years ago and has guided the design direction across every collection since. Each dress begins as a sketch in her New York studio, and her emphasis on fit, romantic detailing, and hand-crafted construction has remained consistent.
The dresses are still hand-stitched by experienced dressmakers, and every bead and crystal is placed individually.
What makes Morilee different?
The construction quality across Morilee’s collections is a step above what you find at a similar level from other designers.
The gowns use couture techniques, with hand-stitched seaming, structured boning, and internal corsetry that gives the bodice its shape without relying on external support.
The lace and embellishment options range from fine Chantilly lace and eyelash lace to heavier 3D floral appliques, hand-sewn beadwork, and Swarovski crystals.
The fit is what brides notice most when they try a Morilee dress on. The structure through the bodice supports without feeling stiff, the silhouettes are cut to follow the body’s natural lines, and the detailing is placed where it will catch light and draw the eye.
If you’re drawn to detailed wedding dresses, the embellishment across Morilee is consistently well placed rather than decorative for its own sake.
The fabric range covers very different looks. Tulle and organza give ballgowns their volume and train, satin and mikado create the structured, polished finish on cleaner designs, chiffon brings a relaxed drape for destination and outdoor styles, and crepe provides a smooth, fitted silhouette without bulk.
Collections at Bijoux
Morilee is the flagship collection, with richly embellished gowns featuring intricate embroidery, lace appliques, and beadwork across romantic A-line, ballgown, mermaid, and fit-and-flare silhouettes.
Blu by Morilee takes a different direction with chic, form-fitting designs in crepe and satin that have a couture-inspired feel with cleaner lines and softer detailing.
Amy and Eve is the newest addition, launched in 2022 and named after founding family members Evlynn Udell and her daughter Amy. The collection brings modern romance with architectural detail, bows, pearls, and a freshness that complements Morilee’s richness with a more modern edge.
Voyage by Morilee covers lightweight, destination-ready designs with slim silhouettes and soft lace, and Julietta offers every major silhouette in sizes 16 to 32 (US) with the same construction quality and design detail as the standard collections. Julietta is not a reduced or simplified range but the full Morilee aesthetic designed for a curvier figure.
The 2026 Poetry of Motion collection
The Spring/Summer 2026 collection, called Poetry of Motion, is built around the theme “For the dreamer. For the dancer. For the doer.” The designs feature cat-eye necklines, open keyhole backs, basque waistlines, and detachable sleeves in several styles.
Customisation options include satin ribbons, detachable tulle overskirts that give you two looks from one dress, and a choice of sleeve additions from long and flowing to puff and cap. The collection balances a clean, modern aesthetic with traditional Morilee glamour.
New designs from Poetry of Motion are arriving at stockists throughout 2026, so ask about the latest arrivals when you book your appointment.
Trying Morilee at Bijoux
We carry Morilee at Bijoux alongside designers like Stella York, Essense of Australia, Justin Alexander, and Maggie Sottero, and we hold a broader selection than most stockists. Your 90-minute appointment includes expert style advice and a glass of fizz, and If you arrive five or ten minutes early, you’re welcome to have a look through the rails before your appointment starts. From there, we’ll try different silhouettes and levels of detail to narrow down what works, pulling from Morilee and across our other designers as we go.
We carry a wide range of sample sizes, and our stylists are experts at clipping and pinning so you can see what any style will look like in your size. Once you’ve found your dress, our independent seamstress handles alterations after delivery, and they work with Morilee gowns regularly so they know how the corsetry and boning sit. Allow around 6 to 12 weeks for alterations once your dress arrives. Mention Morilee when you book and we’ll have the right ones pulled for your appointment.
Morilee Wedding Dresses FAQ
What Morilee collections does Bijoux carry?
We carry the main Morilee collection, Blu by Morilee, Amy and Eve, Voyage, and Julietta, which offers every major silhouette with the same quality and design detail as the standard collections.
