Mara Hoffman

For those who cringe at the very mention of traditional wedding garb, now there's this. Online boutique Bona Drag has partnered with indie favorites Mara Hoffman, Pamela Love, Lindsey Thornburg, Samantha Pleet, Anna Sheffield, Meredith Kahn, and more on what can only be described as the least fussy bridal collection around. Even the name, "Ceremonial Collection," underscores the capsule's unconventional nature.

"I've learned that when buying, a lot of customers take things very literally," Bona Drag founder Heather Wojner explained. "If it doesn't say 'bridal' then they assume it can't be just that. I wanted to help show our customers where they can bend the rules, and that they don't have to be a cookie-cutter bride."

To that end, the collection is filled with exclusive pieces that are pretty, yes, but also tinged with edge. A ring set from Unearthen, for example, comes adorned with raw quartz, while Anna Sheffield's solitaires are punctuated with pitch-black diamonds and onyx. Gowns, too, come in unexpected shapes and hues: there's a dress in gothic black lace from Lover, and Mara Hoffman (who recently designed pal Pamela Love's wedding dress) offers an intricately-beaded chiffon dress with a neckline so daringly low it would probably be considered quite le scandale in any regular church.

"It's only natural for my brand to collaborate with Bona Drag on exclusive ceremony gowns," Lindsey Thornburg — who created two reversible gowns for the collection — explained. "Bona Drag understands what our clientele wants to drape themselves in for all of life's cherished moments."

See the entire lookbook — photographed by Wojner and Mike Goelzer — here.

The Mara Hoffman show is always a must see during Miami Swim Week, and with good reason. Not only does the designer excel at putting on a vibrant show, but her collections also always manage to feel fresh and chic without any of the cheese that can sometimes dominate the week. Add Hoffman's penchant for partnering with cool, downtown brands — this season she styled her pieces with Pamela Love jewels and Frye boots — and it's not hard to understand why her line has garnered a cult following.

For Resort 2013, Hoffman's signature tribal-inspired prints were in full effect — they came in high-impact color combos such as coral, flame, navy, and black, and they decorated everything from deep-cut one-pieces to bandeau tops and breezy caftans. Hoffman also made use of subtler patterns this season: a python pattern in tonal beige was particularly pretty, as was an art nouveau-ish feather print in turquoise and pink. The softer prints allowed Hoffman's excellent use of structural and decorative detailing to shine through; cut-out sides, crisscrossing latticework, braided straps, and intricate seed beading provided texture to high-cut briefs, corset tops, and tunics.

Mara Hoffman debuted her latest lineup of tribal-infused prints at Miami Swim Week over the weekend. The Resort '13 collection was an exercise in what Hoffman does best — and at the heart of it, swimwear so coolly cut and done up in statement prints — (and finished with Pamela Love's geometric jewels), we'd wear it like our regular clothes — if we could get away with it. Hoffman, per usual, gravitates toward high-impact print, worked in shades of soft sand, coral and violet, then navy and black, adding textural braiding and lattice detailing to amp up the references to Aztec and Egyptian art. It's equal parts whimsically crafted and entirely easy to throw on, tapping right into our fantasies of a beachy getaway — or at least our desire to dress for one.

Photos courtesy of People's Revolution

Mara Hoffman is known for her global aesthetic, and this time around she took her models on a trip to the desert (figuratively, of course). And to achieve the effect, Make Up For Ever's Lottie created a sun-kissed glow with metallic highlights. It's a look that just about anyone can wear, so come for a ride backstage with us to see how it was all put together. You'll find there's nothing dry about this desert-inspired beauty look.

Photo: Roger Kisby

Mara Hoffman has made her name in the industry with her own brand of bohemian-cool separates perfect for the easy, low-key girl on the go. The designer's Fall '12 collection showcased her signature free-spirited, breezy silhouettes in floaty silks and sleek geometric prints with a decidedly Southwest feel. The jury's still out on the designer's headscarves (ones that flowed dramatically from the fronts and backs of her dresses), but ultimately nearly every piece feels entirely wearable — a cool mix of slouchy trousers and the most gorgeous maxi dresses covered in standout print. Every look is executed with both easy proportions and the perfect add-ons — wide-brimmed toppers and gold-tinged statement jewels were the natural finishers for Mara's West-meets-tribal fare.

• Trends: Bohemian, prints, cutouts.
• Colors: Vibrant, multihued prints, red, black, white, pink.
• Key Piece: We love Mara's bold print on wearable knits; we're dying to slip into the gorgeous print maxis.
• Accessories: Wide-brim hats, headscarves, gold jewels, knee-high and ankle boots.
• Who Would Wear It: Mara's fans; the bohemian femme.

>> Mara Hoffman's signature prints got a dose of cowboy mystique for Fall 2012. The designer riffed on the idea of "Shaman gauchos", and so tribal patterns, blanket stripes, and intarsia knits were topped with wide-brimmed hats, scarves, and talisman jewels.

For Spring 2012, Mara Hoffman's neon-injected, tribal-print "Mexican Mamas" collection drew from icons like Frida Kahlo with nods to Mexican style — and complete with a Mariachi band serenading the crowd. Neon hues and mega statement jewels dominated the presentation with head-to-toe looks that took the designer's affinity for print to another level. A mix of exotic tribal-inspired patterns on tailored pants and button-downs that you'd mix and match for ridiculously cool street style; then sheer caftans, perfect for your beachy getaways. It's an exercise in what Mara Hoffman does best — executing fantastic standout patterns in bold, animated color that lend that bit of the exotic to your everyday, laid-back style in maxi dresses, slouchy pants, and jumpsuits. Really, though, we couldn't take our eyes off the brilliant statement jewels and the patterned lace-up wedges to complement each head-to-toe print.

• Trends: Tribal prints, brights, neon, statement jewelry, maxi dresses, jumpsuits, head-to-toe print.
• Colors: Neon pinks, bright blue, orange, and black, multicolor prints, white.
• Key Piece: Tribal-printed button-down and matching pants; sheer-skirted all-over print maxi dress.
• Accessories: Tribal-printed wedges, turbans and headscarves, bright statement necklaces and earrings.
• Who Would Wear It: The modern bohemian with a taste for statement prints and color.