[Originally published August 28th, 2009]

~by Leah

If you don’t look closely enough, you might just miss her.

Avenía’s Artistic Director and Custom Bridal Designer Nancy Barrus may barely be 5’0, but don’t let her size fool you. She races back and forth between the Boutique –where her expert eye of 32 years in the business is always appreciated–to the Design Studio, where she supervises and advises her staff of seamstresses customizing designer gowns to meet a bride’s wishes and creating one-of-a-kind gowns. With her phone constantly ringing off the hook and her Franklin Covey planner meticulously organized, Nancy is just getting started.

Nancy and Alex T.

However, she is no novice to the bridal field. One might say she has always been designing dresses. At only three years old, the first thing she ever made was a Barbie doll dress. With her mom’s careful instructions and guidance, Nancy spent her childhood learning everything from threading a needle to making her own wardrobe.

“We sewed all of our own clothing growing up, everything. I even made my own wool coats!” Nancy exclaimed. As a teenager, Nancy sewed a new dress for herself for Saturday night dances. “I could never wear a dress twice, so I would make a new one every week!” Nancy said.

Nancy earned a B.A. degree in Design from Brigham Young University by altering and tailoring  wedding dresses in local bridal shops. Apart from sewing, Nancy loves interior decorating, gardening, and even singing. As an accomplished Operatic singer (part of her emphasis in Theatre and Film), Nancy has spent quite a bit of time onstage.

Her acclaimed career in custom wedding dress design, however, began with with her own “I do.” Instead of apprehension about making the most important dress she might ever wear, Nancy was confident and excited by the challenge to create the gown she had always dreamt of. “I love making brides happy, I’m just thrilled when I can make what they want,” Barrus said. ” It’s like a standing ovation to me, an adrenaline rush that absolutely rivals being onstage.”

Nancy and Alex T.

Besides her custom design line, Nancy collaborates with Avenía Bridal to help brides select their bridal gown. Even better? Nancy can transform a designer gown into the dress brides have only imagined. With an over-sized sketchbook, Nancy quickly outlines her impressions of the bride’s vision and then carefully sculpts a piece that adds to the true piece of art already created by the original designer –one that is ultimately captured forever for the bride. A Queen Anne neckline added to the top? Done. A strapless gown that is now LDS Temple-ready, and looks like it was made that way? Done. A light-weight ballgown, tea-length vintage dress, or three-quarter length sleeve addition? Done.

“I love to get the designer’s unique perspective, which in turn gives the bride more options when selecting her wedding gown,” Barrus said. “But then I can help add what the bride may need, whether it’s redesigning a more modest top that looks seamless or just an elegant bustle.”

Twice a year, in April and October, Barrus and her staff travel to New York City to attend major designer fashion shows and select dresses from their collections to bring back to Utah.

“I’m always trying to find dresses that are right for the Utah market, but at the same time add an exciting twist and spin,” Barrus said. “We try to bring fashion and style to Utah that breaks the Utah tradition and offers Utah and out-of-state brides the same type of dress she could find in say, Boston or New York City, or San Francisco or Los Angeles.”

Nancy and Avenía’s Managing Director, Lisa

A quick browse through the selection of dresses Nancy helped select to carry at Avenía shows her obvious dedication and devotion to the artistry in the gowns. Her extensive knowledge of fabrics and keen eye for designer details makes shopping an educating and rewarding experience. “Rivini has fabulous designs,” Nancy says as she displays a hand-embroidered ribbon detail skirt. “And Liancarlo,” Nancy exclaims, “has such wonderful lacework!”

Watching Nancy “baby” her collection of gowns shows that this woman is doing what she loves, what inspires her, and what she has always dreamed of doing.

And to think it all began with a three-year-old’s Barbie doll dress…