NEW YORK -- At first, there seemed to be nothing unusual about Oscar de la Renta's latest fashion show.
There were the requisite socialites and editors who planted Chaneled behinds on chairs at the posh Americas Society mansion on the Upper East Side. And all around them were tea-rose-hued walls, sparkling chandeliers and large fireplaces to set the stage for de la Renta's customarily opulent creations.
But when the models began sashaying out, the show's distinguishing detail became apparent. Coming down the runway was a breathtaking collection of bridal gowns glorious and grand, fairytale confections of satin organza and French Alencon lace.
"A wedding is the one time that the woman wants to be the essence of femininity," de la Renta said after the show, which marked the launch of his new bridal collection. "And I do think that women do identify me as someone who is sensible about the woman's sense of femininity."
De la Renta isn't the only designer expanding his empire onto the wedding aisle these days. With the wedding industry becoming increasingly lucrative and brides who seem more willing to splurge on their dresses, industry experts say high-end designers have begun to wise up to a market they haven't tapped.
In recent years, American brides have spent an estimated $1.4 billion annually on wedding dresses, according to a 2002 study by the Conde Nast Bridal Infobank.
And with magazines and television focusing more attention on celebrity weddings than before, designers who do bridal have an additional way to endear themselves to millions of American women. Recently, images of actress Sarah Michelle Gellar in her Vera Wang gown have been almost unavoidable in checkout lines across the country.
Christian Dior's John Galliano, the bad-boy designer who recently created rocker Gwen Stefani's wedding gown, just announced the launch of his bridal line.
And, in recent years, red-carpet designers like Badgley Mischka and Richard Tyler have followed high-fashion bridal pioneers Vera Wang and Carolina Herrera in gaining prominence among brides-to-be.
"People are just more fashion-savvy now than 20 years ago," said Sally Singer, Vogue's fashion news and features director. "They define themselves more through the choices they make in their clothing. ... And Vera Wang and Carolina Herrera proved over a decade ago that fashionable girls want fashionable bridal gowns. They don't want to look like meringues on their wedding day -- they want dresses that are a reflection of who they are the other 364 days of the year."
De la Renta, whose dresses will cost between $4,000 and $12,000, said he decided to take the plunge into bridal when he noticed a return to dressing up at weddings. Like several European designers, de la Renta has always done custom-made bridal. But his new line will offer fans a less expensive, off-the-rack option.
"It's back again for girls to get married in beautiful dresses," said the designer, whose collection will be sold at Bergdorf Goodman in New York and select Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue stores.
Retail and wedding industry experts say the greater interest in high fashion on the aisle is linked to the trend of women waiting longer to marry. In 1970, the median age for first-time brides was just under 21, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. By 2000, the figure had jumped to 25.1. And Carley Roney, cofounder of Theknot.com, said she sees many brides today in their late 20s and 30s.
"Brides used to be very young people who were not necessarily sophisticated," Roney said. "But brides now are older. She is 27 or 32 and incredibly familiar with fashion. She has become discriminating in her taste, she is a far more educated consumer and is willing to commit the money to buy the one couture dress of her lifetime. And these are women who already have their careers and their own money and don't have to convince their parents to buy them a $4,000 dress."
But even for women willing to spend the money, choices can be limited for those seeking bridal gowns that are sleek and modern. Vera Wang herself famously discovered this when she was planning her own wedding, which led to her launching a bridal line. Many non-designing women, however, have turned to regular designers whose styles they admire.
When Vogue's Singer got married, she chose to walk down the aisle in an Isaac Mizrahi ballgown skirt paired with a Prada sweater. Shawny Burns, spokeswoman for Saks Fifth Avenue, said that this spring, when white was the dominant color in many collections, some brides bought evening gowns off the rack to wear to their weddings.
Designer wedding dresses can have the similarly positive reverse effect. "Some of the Richard Tyler bridal gowns look like gowns you can wear to a black-tie gala," Burns said. "They're columned, and they're different."
But it doesn't necessarily matter whether the gown can be used again. Angel Michels, 25, has grown up surrounded by so many images and stories of brides in their Vera Wangs that she headed for the New York boutique when she began her shopping.
"When I first put on my dress, I was with my future sister-in-law, and she and I both just started crying," said Michels, a Web-based training developer in Tampa, Fla., who is getting married in April. "Every girl has that dream that when they grow up they're going to get married in a Vera Wang dress."
Designer details
Badgley Mischka, $2,500 to $8,000, at select Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus stores.
Oscar de la Renta, $4,000 to $12,000, available January at Bergdorf Goodman and select Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus stores.
John Galliano for Christian Dior, $1,720 to $12,000, available January at the New York and Beverly Hills Christian Dior boutiques.
Carolina Herrera, $4,500 to $10,000, at select Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus stores.
Christian Lacroix, $3,040 to $9,465, at Barneys New York and select Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus stores.
Richard Tyler, $2,500 to $15,000, at Barneys New York and select Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus stores.
Vera Wang, $3,000 to $25,000, call 800-VEW-VERA for purchasing information.
The average American bride:
* visits four stores;
* tries on 12 gowns (one in five brides tries on 20 or more);
* and 20 percent cry when they find the right one.
-- Source: Conde Nast Bridal Infobank, from the publisher of Modern Bride and Bride's magazines