Having started attending the Met Gala in her teens, Ali Lebow knew that curating the perfect wardrobe would be her top priority when planning her wedding. “I love fashion so much that I knew this is where I wanted to invest my time,” she tells Vogue. But first, she needed to find the perfect person to spend her life with.
The Manhattan native met Brooklyn-born Jake Nidenberg at a friend’s apartment as the world began reopening after COVID. “I hadn’t seen a man in seven months, so I was completely feral,” jokes the TikTok brand strategist. “He was much more considered and actually wanted to get to know me—to my dismay.” After three months as friends, Jake asked Ali out. “When he made a move, we had already built this foundation,” she says. A brief period of “long-distance dating” between Manhattan and Brooklyn ended with the couple moving in together in Boerum Hill. “My little Upper East Side self lives in Brooklyn with him, and I love it so much,” says Ali.
Jake later proposed on the beach near her family home in East Hampton. Although Ali describes the Booknook CFO as a “math nerd,” Jake showed his “creative edge” by working with a jeweler to design her engagement ring himself. “He told me he went to the jeweler seven times and picked out every stone.”
That careful attention foreshadowed Ali’s own process of selecting all the looks for their New Year’s Eve wedding at the former Domino Sugar Factory in Brooklyn. The bride admits she didn’t have a specific “dream wedding dress” in mind. “My goal was never to look classic or timeless, because I think that’s boring,” she explains. “I just wanted to create something that felt different. It’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, and I understand that.”
One of her first steps was hiring bridal stylist Carrie Goldberg. “If I’m going to put my money for this wedding anywhere, it’s going to be with her, because I knew I needed a sounding board,” says Ali. Some friends wondered why she would hire a stylist given her strong personal style and fashion connections. “I see it as someone who can interpret my thoughts and share my vision,” she says. “Even though I didn’t have a dream dress, I had a dream experience of creating something with someone I really admired.”
The final bespoke ceremony gown, designed by Christopher John Rogers, featured a halter neck, a tuxedo-inspired bodice with a mandarin collar, and a full skirt with tiered ruffles. Goldberg made the introduction. “It’s funny, because Christopher is so known for his use of color, and we designed an all-white dress together,” says Ali. “But I think it still has a playfulness, as well as that structure and integrity I was drawn to in his designs.” She also admired the designer’s New York sensibility and personal dedication. “I think he’s such an amazing talent,” she gushes. “Sometimes you work with a designer and only get them for the initial and final fittings. He’s on his hands and knees in every fitting. He’s the one sketching, doing everything with his incredible partner, Shea.”
The gown drew inspiration from three sources. The first was a hand-painted Oscar de la Renta gown with a mandarin collar and halter silhouette, owned by her grandmother. Ali joked it would be the only thing she’d grab if her house were on fire. “I actually wore it to my first Met Gala when I was 16 and saw Oscar de la Renta there before he passed away,” she recalls. “He stopped me in my tracks and said, ‘I need this dress for my archives.'” Ali called him the following week and admi—She admitted she couldn’t part with the vintage piece. “He laughed and said, ‘Okay, I totally understand. If you change your mind, let me know.’ Then he invited me into his office to try on other dresses for prom. It was the highlight of my life, and my grandma came with me to that appointment. So this dress has been a part of my life for a long time.”
Her second inspiration came from menswear. “I can’t recall exactly how the idea for a tuxedo shirt came about, but Carrie and I were discussing elements of menswear we admire, and that detail kept standing out,” Ali says. “So when I was searching for designers, I looked for someone skilled in tailoring.” The third element was a ruffled skirt from Rogers’ first mockup. “When Christopher showed me the sketches, I knew immediately that was exactly what I wanted. Those tiered ruffles are so iconic to him. I wanted the design to be a fusion of both of us—the top felt very me, and the bottom felt very him—yet it still felt completely cohesive.”
Ali had five fittings with Rogers and his team to create the custom look. “We spent a lot of time together, and it was really wonderful,” she reflects. “I appreciated how thoughtful they were throughout the entire process.” While her mother joined her for some fittings, Ali kept the dress a secret from everyone else, including her fiancé, Jake. “But he actually kind of guessed, which was funny! He just knows me so well,” she says.
Since the wedding was on New Year’s Eve, the bride also needed an outfit for ringing in 2026. “The creative brief for the after-party look was: if a disco ball and a rainbow threw up,” she says. It ended up being a long, shimmering Rabanne dress paired with an archival silver Dries Van Noten coat. “I was obsessed with that coat. The inspiration was tinsel,” says Ali. She reveals that Goldberg managed to source both pieces from a fashion closet just seven days before the wedding.
The final piece of Ali’s wardrobe was the vintage dress her grandmother had worn to her own New Year’s wedding (which Ali’s mother had also worn). “It’s amazing to feel this whole lineage of women behind you and to repurpose clothing they actually wore during their own life moments,” the bride says. “I love that about clothes—how they can defy time. In my mind, I picture a future flamboyant grandson who inherits all my gowns. Whenever I’m shopping, I think: would the grandchild in my imagination want to wear this?”
Since Ali is about four inches taller than both her mother and grandmother, the dress didn’t fit her straight off the hanger. “Once I knew I needed to alter it, I thought, ‘Okay, let’s just go all out.’ My grandma said, ‘Do whatever you want with it,’ and gave me her blessing.” So Ali worked with Patricia Voto of One/Of to transform the gown. “Together, we came up with the idea to turn it into a full-length coat and pants,” she explains. “At first, I thought we’d keep the original train. Then I thought: ‘I’m at Hometown Barbecue. What am I doing in a train?'”
As perfect as all the wedding weekend outfits turned out, the process of creating them—and the relationships she formed along the way—became a highlight of the entire experience. “When I look back on wedding planning, that’s what I remember,” Ali shares. “I think of all the people in the meetings, the work, the decisions, my grandma, and everything that went into it. It just makes everything that much more special.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the brides custom Christopher John Rogers gown for her New Years Eve wedding in Brooklyn
FAQs About the Custom Christopher John Rogers Wedding Gown
Beginner General Questions
Q Who is Christopher John Rogers
A He is an acclaimed American fashion designer known for his bold use of color dramatic silhouettes and modern joyful designs Hes a favorite among celebrities and was named the Council of Fashion Designers of America Womenswear Designer of the Year in 2021
Q What does a custom gown mean
A It means the gown was designed and created specifically for this bride from scratch It wasnt chosen from a preexisting collection The design fabric fit and details were all tailored to her exact vision and measurements
Q Why would someone choose a custom wedding gown
A For a truly oneofakind look that perfectly reflects their personal style ensures an impeccable fit and allows for complete creative control over every detail
Q Where was the wedding
A The wedding was in Brooklyn New York A New Years Eve wedding in Brooklyn often suggests a stylish modern and celebratory atmosphere
Design Style Questions
Q What might a Christopher John Rogers wedding gown look like
A While we dont know the exact design you could expect elements like vibrant color architectural volume sharp tailoring or unexpected fabric combinations Its likely fashionforward and statementmaking
Q Isnt Christopher John Rogers known for color Would the gown be white
A He is famous for color but he also designs stunning pieces in black and white A bride could choose a classic white or ivory base with colorful accents or fully embrace a nontraditional colored gownperfect for a festive NYE celebration
Q Why is a custom gown a good choice for a New Years Eve wedding
A NYE calls for glamour drama and celebration A custom Christopher John Rogers gown would be a showstopping festive choice that fits the party atmosphere and makes a unforgettable entrance at midnight
Process Practical Questions