Arzen Rose Dulzura

Fil-Am fashion designer Monique Lhuillier revisits iconic Britney Spears wedding gown as she marks 30th anniversary in the industry

Article (news)

Alyana De Guzman

Push Team

<p>World renowned Filipino-American fashion designer Monique Lhuillier looks back on a career moment she described as something that “changed everything” as she marks her 30th anniversary in the industry.  </p><p>Monique launched her bridal line in 1996, steadily building a reputation for refined elegance. More than two decades ago, however, her work reached a new level of global attention when she was commissioned to create the full bridal wardrobe for pop superstar Britney Spears for her 2004 wedding to her now-estranged husband Kevin Federline.  </p><p>In an Instagram post, Monique revisited the milestone by posting candid photos from the wedding showing Britney in the custom-made gown, surrounded by her bridesmaids, as well as moments with her former husband. </p><p>&quot;As we begin celebrating 30 years of Monique Lhuillier, we’re looking back at the wedding that changed everything,&quot; she began. </p><p>According to the fashion designer, Britney was the “first megastar” she has ever worked with.  </p><p>“In 2004, I had the honor of creating all the wedding fashion for Britney Spears’s marriage to Kevin Federline. She was the first megastar I ever worked with — incredibly down-to-earth, sweet, and kind — with a childlike excitement that made the entire process unforgettable,” Monique wrote. </p><div><iframe class="instagram-media" id="instagram-embed-6" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DU_OiG9D7Js/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A6%2C%22os%22%3A1033836.8999999762%2C%22ls%22%3A102442.59999996424%2C%22le%22%3A102725.69999998808%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="882" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-6" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px;min-width:326px;padding:0px;position:absolute"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>She went on to explain that the collaboration required extraordinary discretion, with every step designed to protect the secrecy of the gowns until the wedding day.</p><p>“Every fitting was done in complete secrecy, at undisclosed locations, to keep the paparazzi at bay. Beyond her wedding gown, I designed her lace neckpiece and gloves, the bridesmaids’ dresses, and the mini dress she changed into for the reception,” she recounted.</p><p>“A defining moment in our archives — and the beginning of so many dreams to come. 🌹,” she ended. </p><p>Britney’s wedding marked the start of a long list of high-profile bridal commissions for Monique. Over the years, she has created wedding gowns for celebrities including Reese Witherspoon, who donned a blush-hued gown for her 2011 wedding to former husband Jim Toth; Avril Lavigne, who wore a black dress for her 2013 wedding to former husband Chad Kroeger; and Anne Curtis, whose 2017 wedding gown she designed for her marriage to Erwan Heusaff, among many others.  </p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-4" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/BbhTyyqHl5a/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A4%2C%22os%22%3A1012778%2C%22ls%22%3A102442.59999996424%2C%22le%22%3A102725.69999998808%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="847" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-4" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Beyond bridal fashion, Monique’s designs have become fixtures on some of the world’s most prestigious red carpets. Her creations have been worn by Angelina Jolie, who appeared in a black strapless gown at the 2002 Golden Globes, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who wore a plunging dress with a sequined waist when she swept three awards at the 2019 Emmys. She also dressed Taylor Swift in a plunging V-neck cocktail dress with floral embellishments for the 2019 music video of “ME!” and designed an off-the-shoulder lace gown for Dakota Johnson’s character Anastasia Steel in the 2018 film <em>Fifty Shades Freed</em>. </p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/BwuFJrRgXoq/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A989486.5%2C%22ls%22%3A102442.59999996424%2C%22le%22%3A102725.69999998808%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="847" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Her influence has extended beyond Hollywood, reaching royalty and global leaders. Monique created a midnight blue guipure lace and textured jacquard A-line dress for former first lady Michelle Obama when the White House welcomed the late Pope Francis in 2015. More recently, Sweden’s Princess Madeleine wore a noir velvet and gold sequin gown from Monique’s Fall 2025 ready-to-wear collection to the 2025 King’s Nobel Prize Dinner. </p><p>Just last December, Korean superstar IU accepted the Daesang at the 2025 APAN Star Awards wearing a white gown with rose petal accents made by Monique, originally designed as a wedding dress and worn by the singer from the red carpet through her historic win. </p><p>Monique is the daughter of jeweler-businessman Michel Lhuillier with her wife, philanthropist-businesswoman, Amparito Llamas Lhuillier.  </p>

<p>Filipino-American designer Monique Lhuillier revisits how she made the wedding dress of global pop icon Britney Spears as she celebrates 30th anniversary in the industry. </p>

Filipino-American designer Monique Lhuillier revisits how she made the wedding dress of global pop icon Britney Spears as she celebrates 30th anniversary in the industry.