Earlier this week I had the pleasure of attending wedding360, while there I met Gloria Wong….let me tell you, she is awesome!! Beyond her personality that made me instantly like her, she is a ridiculously talented event designer. I love that Gloria uses a lot of color and texture, but her designs remain clean looking. Very pulled together and chic while still extremely visually interesting. Gloria shared with us a bit about her background, what she is up to now and her inspiration.

Gloria Wong was born and raised in San Francisco and at a young age wanted to have a career in fashion. She attended the Academy of the Arts college where she continued to seek a career in the fashion industry, majoring in Fine Arts with a After emphasis in fashion design. From there she worked for and designed for such notable names as DKNY, BeBe and Levi Strauss. It wasn’t until her own wedding that Gloria fell in love with event design and quickly shifted from apparel to events. She partnered with a planner for a time, before deciding to focus just on event design. Thus the birth of Gloria Wong Design.

When asked what she is inspired by, Gloria gave us a list. She said, “First and foremost, it’s the couple that inspires me. The wedding is about them, their hobbies, their interests, their styles, and their personalities. I definitely put in my two cents about whether or not I think something looks good, but ultimately, the wedding is a reflection of the couple’s taste and energy. Fashion… I love reading Nylon, Harper’s Bazaar, and Japanese fashion magazines… Stella McCartney is my hero.  Home Decor… I am a big-time Dwell Magazine, Elle Decor Magazine, Dwell Studio, Kelly Wearstler, Ferm Living fan.  My surroundings… I am constantly looking, touching, feeling everything around me and seeing how I can interpret the experience for an event. I was driving down a boulevard and noticed the islands that separated the street. Grass and trees protruded from the islands and gave the concrete sidewalks and asphalt streets a touch of organic. I thought how cool it would be if I could create a long tablescape of just a grass runner with very natural-looking trees protruding from the center on a sterile concrete table and minimalist table settings. I love juxtapositions and being inspired by something that may not be seemingly obvious.”

We are inspired by Gloria and her work! You can  follow her on twitter! Thanks Gloria!

Photos by Lisa Lefkowitz

Photos by Anna Kuperberg

Photos by Weeks Photography

Here’s a Sneak Peak of the Wedding 360 event I just got back from designed by Gloria:

Photo by Luna Photo

May you be inspired,

Leila