Adelaide’s bridal landscape has a new name, but one built on more than fifty years of family legacy. Priv’elle, a luxury bridal boutique by Tonia Annese, has opened in Stepney, ready for the wedding season ahead.
Priv’elle, brings together a curated edit of international designers alongside South Australian exclusives, with an offering built around the idea that the modern bride is anything but one-dimensional.
Tonia is the daughter of Jenny and Gerry Giannitto, whose names has been synonymous with bridalwear in South Australia for generations. Working alongside them has shaped everything about how she approaches a bride. “They’ve been in the industry for such a long time, and working with them has shown me what brides are looking for,” she says. “They want someone with a hands-on approach who is truly looking out for who they are. Women with a story, a style, a past, and a future.”
This is where the idea for Priv’elle was born. The collection spans Vera Wang, Nicole Milano, Pen.Liv, Wona, Martina Liana Luxe and Atelier Wu – textured, modern and contradictory, representing a blend of softness and strength that Tonia says reflects the modern bride.
“Our role is not to instruct her, our role is to reflect her,” she says. “Bridal is no longer about perfection. It is about authorship in a moment where who she is matters more than who she is expected to be.”
That philosophy extends to how the boutique views weddings altogether. Rather than a single look or moment, Priv’elle treats the bridal wardrobe as a series of expressions. Bridal showers, ceremonies, receptions, and day-after parties each have their own moment. The classics remain, but they’re not untouched. “Ivory, satin, pearls… these are codes of tradition,” Tonia says. “But modern luxury lives in contrast – a sculptural line, a bold accent, a tonal shift that breaks the rules with intention.”
Accessories are treated with the same significance. The Couture and Perla collections from Welsh fashion house Halo & Co. are renowned globally for handmade headpieces and jewellery that bring a sense of permanence to the overall look.
Underpinning all of it is an understanding of what luxury actually means. “Luxury is the feeling of being seen, understood, and celebrated,” Tonia says. “It is craftsmanship that honours the woman wearing it. It is a service that feels human, warm and emotionally intelligent.”
Appointments run from Thursday to Saturday, each with a personalised consultation. Gowns are priced between $6,000 and $9,000, available off the rack with alterations and customisation on offer.
Priv’elle is open now at Level 1, 54–58 Payneham Road, Stepney, by appointment at privelleatelier.au.
South Australian Style Magazine 