Few things excite us like a bridal collaboration between two powerhouses. Milla Nova and recent bride and influencer Tamara Kalinić Testa have joined forces on ‘Atelier,’ the Ukrainian brand’s newest collection, unveiled at New York Bridal Fashion Week. The pairing of fashion influencer and iconic brand felt completely natural, and the collection shows it. What began as four silhouettes grew to seven in the Milla Nova atelier, each dress with its own character, but a sense of femininity, confidence, and sensuality at its core.
The Influencer Behind the Collection
Tamara Kalinić needs little introduction in fashion. Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, she built her name through her blog and Instagram, and has now become a regular in the front rows of Paris, Milan, and Couture Week, where a global following watches what she wears. This July, she married Filippo Testa, and of every decision that went into planning her wedding, Tamara Kalinić says the dress came easiest. For a woman who dresses for a living, the gown might have been the most agonized-over item on the list, but for Tamara, it was the opposite.
A Natural Yes
The pairing makes just as much sense on paper and on the rack. Milla Nova was founded more than two decades ago in Lviv and has grown into a house sold in over 60 countries. In 2022, it became the first Ukrainian bridal brand to show at New York Bridal Fashion Week. Its Atelier line has long treated the bride as the author of her own look, with interchangeable corsets, skirts, and accessories that let her build the dress she wants.
Tamara Kalinić has spent her career doing the same thing with clothes: choosing pieces by eye and styling as herself. Neither side had to adapt to the other. The brand brought the construction, she brought the eye, and the collection grew past its original four dresses because the ideas kept coming. The pitch for the collection is as short as Tamara’s own decision-making: "trust your eye, and you’ll know when it’s yours."
Confidence in Every Cut
Confidence runs through Atelier in every cut. Across seven looks, the silhouettes vary, but all come together to tell the same story. As Tamara puts it: “My main goal is for every bride to feel like herself on her wedding day and to be comfortable in her dress.”
Mermaid dresses trace the body, alluding to a feminine side, while ballgowns fill the room and add an extra sense of confidence. Some bodices lean minimalist, others lean richly embellished, with carefully placed beading and lace appliqué. No two dresses take the same route, yet each arrives at the same attitude: feminine and assured. The cuts are clean with a modern touch, so the dress never competes with the woman wearing it. For the two co-creators, these are styles meant to be worn with pride and remembered for years.
"My main goal is for every bride to feel like herself on her wedding day and to be comfortable in her dress."
Fabric That Falls
Subtle draping runs through the Atelier collection like a signature. It cascades at the hips, across the bust, or is even carried throughout the entire silhouette. It's a nod to the sensual side of storytelling Milla Nova was after. The fabrics here are the key player, falling over the body in a way that suits both the dress and the woman wearing it.
From the Altar to the After Party
There’s no denying it: this collection has a spark of personality, and it belongs at the wedding after-party. These are dresses for the second outfit, the one that goes on once the vows are done and the dancing begins. The Atelier collection features three heavily beaded mini dresses, dripping in shimmering beads and stones, with fringe that follows you onto the dance floor. Between the plunging neckline of Siera, the halter top of Lenara, and the bustier style of Danica, there's an after-party style for every kind of bride.
