When Brides Met Vera Wang

It's 10.55am and I'm sitting in a mirrored Claridge's suite. Shopping editor Astrid Joss is putting the finishing touches to the room, which - with rails of bridesmaid dresses, party frocks and honeymoon essentials dotted around; jewellery on tables and footwear lined up across the floor - now resembles the Brides fashion cupboard (albeit a more glamorous one). We're about to meet the Vera Wang.

With more than 20 years' experience and a roll-call of A-list brides from Victoria Beckham to Hilary Duff and Jennifer Lopez - it's little surprise a Vera gown tops many brides' wish list. So we've invited her here, to cherry-pick her favourite bridal buys from the British high street.

At 11am on the dot, the doorbell rings. Vera slips in, looks around and smiles. 'I feel like I'm back in the fashion cupboard,' she says. (She was a senior fashion editor at US Vogue for 17 years.) Dressed in black, she's relaxed, funny and keen to talk - about her love of London and her 'beautiful' daughters (one of whom, she reveals, was partying in the capital till the early hours). Then it's down to business.

Vera winds her way around the suite like a mini whirlwind (she's tiny!), selecting her favourite pieces and creating complete looks as she goes (she's back in fashion-editor mode). She's totally up for it, and it's amazing to watch such a big catwalk designer getting so excited about the British high street.

Her hot bridal picks include short, sexy party dresses; tiaras - 'I love a tiara. I own an amazing one'; and pearls - 'Always! I tried to get Kim Kardashian into pearls but she wasn't having any of it'. (Vera designed Kim's three wedding dresses.)

What an absolute pleasure to spend nearly an hour with the queen of bridal - thank you Vera.

Look through the gallery to see five of Vera's hot high-street picks - to see the rest, pick up a copy of the March/April issue of Brides, out now!

TAKE A LOOK INSIDE THE MARCH/APRIL ISSUE

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