MEET THE DESIGNER: Sergio Guadarrama

NEW YORK — This summer, when the crowd of editors and buyers gathered at Gotham Hall for the fashion show that was the culminating event of Supima's inaugural Design Contest for Emerging Talent, no one was expecting to see a wedding gown come down the runway.

True, a wedding dress is the traditional finale to a couture show. But no one was expecting that kind of elaborate formal gown made out of Supima cotton. Or that caliber of workmanship from a young designer.

So, toward the end of the show, when 25-year-old designer Sergio Guadrrama sent his Swarkovski crystal-studded entry down the runway, the crowd went wild.

His "bride" even carried a bouquet of cotton.

Transforming ivory shirting into a formal wedding gown with a flowing train, Sergio pulled out all the stops: subjecting his KTSM fabric to an especially elaborate construction involving pleating, piping, multiple interfacings, a shaped back bow, the aforementioned Swarovski crystals, and chiffon details.

According to him, the Supima cotton stood up superbly: “The men’s cotton shirting is not typically used for wedding gowns, but the quality and inherent luxury of the fabric made my design possible.”

A finalist in the Jia Hai International Design Competition and the Contrex/Kleinfeld Bridal Competition, Sergio was educated at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. And his work has been featured in Women's Wear Daily, Fashion Week Daily, Vogue Knitting, and Fashion FM.

Contact the New York-based designer through agent Rusty Harper (917 657-6639) or through his website CelestinoCouture.com.