Yumi Kim’s New Bridesmaid Dresses Can Be Recycled for Future Vacations: See the Pieces

Brides, bridesmaids and guests will want to incorporate Yumi Kim’s pretty color palette and floral-friendly designs into their upcoming weddings this season.

Kim Phan, the founder of Yumi Kim, tells The Knot in an exclusive interview about her recently-launched bridesmaid dress line, which is still “recognizably Yumi Kim, but more romantic” than her main collection. Phan, who has said that she is inspired by the “extraordinary” women in her life and the bold, exotic prints they wear (including her mother, who proudly dons the occasional Ao Dai, a traditional Vietnamese dress), wanted to reflect that aesthetic in her new pieces.

“The Yumi Kim bridesmaid is confident and strong, just like the bride. She is free-spirited and fun, leans towards classically feminine trends, yet is comfortable sharing her more romantic side,” Phan tells us. “And she loves her friend for choosing Yumi Kim for her dress because she can wear it again on a vacation or to another wedding.”

Read The Knot’s interview with Phan below for more insight into the pieces from Yumi Kim’s new bridal collection and Phan’s hopes for the strong women who wear them.

Was it natural for you to transition into bridal? 

It was definitely a natural and gradual process. Our designs have always been great for weddings as they are romantic and easy to wear. We found so many women were choosing their dresses from the main collection for their bridesmaids that we wanted to expand our offerings and give more options. We took our customers’ lead and developed designs and prints that evoke free-spirited romance. They make a statement but are subtle enough to blend in behind the bride. They also work on so many different body types and can 100 percent be worn again (and again).

We love being part of the Yumi Kim customer’s daily wardrobe, but we’re honored to be a part of those major milestones as well. We wanted to make it as special as possible with our exclusive florals.

The prints are classic in Yumi Kim style. Tell us what inspired the bridesmaid pieces and what makes these styles worthy of weddings.

I wanted our bridesmaids styles to be recognizably Yumi Kim, but more romantic and not as bold as our main collection. It is really exciting to see how much bridesmaids dresses have evolved over the years to more non-traditional styles, colors, mixing prints and solids, and most importantly choosing styles that can be worn more than once. This movement and particularly seeing my dresses worn by bridal parties already inspired our decision to design this capsule.

Who is the Yumi Kim bridesmaid? What makes her unique?

The Yumi Kim bridesmaid is confident and strong, just like the bride. She is free-spirited and fun, leans towards classically feminine trends, yet is comfortable sharing her more romantic side. And she LOVES her friend for choosing Yumi Kim for her dress because she can wear it again on a vacation or to another wedding.

To add, what type of bride is looking to feature Yumi Kim looks on her wedding day?

She is a woman who is going outside the box on her wedding day and is being creative and embracing color. She wants her big day to stand out. And I think she might love florals … just a hunch.

In your opinion, what makes a good bridesmaid? What are three characteristics of a solid bridal party? And do you have any advice for them?

Bridesmaids are your girls, hopefully, dear friends and family you love and are lucky to have with you on your big day. Three characteristics of a solid bridal party are getting along with each other, being flexible, and planning an amazing bachelorette party!

My advice to the bridal party is to just learn to roll with it and be ready to turn any anxious situation into something to laugh about. Help your bride enjoy the process, even when it is overwhelming. No drama!

As someone who’s venturing into the wedding space, do you have any big next steps for Yumi Kim that you’re able to share?

We’ve had a lot of very exciting firsts over the last year at Yumi Kim. I just had my first baby, so there are many new adventures taking place. My pregnancy inspired our newly-launched Maternity collection, and I am incredibly excited to grow the brand and offer women, no matter what the occasion or status, a wardrobe they look and feel their absolute best.

What do you love most about weddings?

I love that weddings bring friends and family together to celebrate the love that a couple shares. It’s a time to celebrate new beginnings. It’s such an exciting time in a couple’ s life, and most importantly, I love seeing the bride in her dress for the first time. It’s those moments that really stay with you.

See all the pieces below.

Yumi Kim’s bridesmaid collection starts at $215.