Hartnell

Most Recent Comments

• April 2019 by Ralph S.
  I recently lost my home in the Woolsey Fire. One of my favorite things to wear was a velvet coat I had gotten from Hanna 25 years ago, still fabulous. I called Hanna and even though she hasn't done velvet work in years, she took the time to go through her archives and she found me another velvet coat! I am thrilled. It was so great of her to do that for me. She is the best!
• February 2019 by Anne G.
  Hanna is as classy as she is talented. And her dresses are unique in their simplicity and elegance. Anne Montecito/Malibu
• August 2018 by sara m.
  I don't know where to begin. I wish there were an option for bonus stars. Every second of my experience with Hanna Hartnell was absolutely perfect. Beginning with instantaneous responsiveness when I first emailed, and ending with the detailed email for dress care and suggestions for photo poses that led to me being a phenomenally glamorous bride on my wedding day. When I arrived to her studio, Hanna was warm, welcoming and kind and immediately I felt comfortable. She showed me her gorgeous gowns, took photos and videos that she sent to me later so I could share with my friends and sister and get everyone's opinion. I fell head over heels in love with the palace gown. But. I am a inner city, Bay Area school teacher which means school teacher wedding budget. After falling in love with the gown (the sample fit me almost perfectly!) hanna offered to sell me the sample at a discounted price...needless to say..I SAID YES TO MY DREAM DRESS!!! Hanna and her seamstress made the small adjustments and I was able to pick up the dress just 2 weeks later. I took it home and 3 weeks after that, walked up the stunning staircase at San Francisco city hall next to the man of my dreams in the dress of my dreams. Hanna helped my quick wedding be full of glamour and shine. I felt like a showstopper in this gown and a friend of the designer. Thank you Hanna Hartnell!!
• December 2016 by Mary M.
  Are you looking for a bespoke gown that will distinguish you from every other bride? Are you looking for a garment that will make you feel like a goddess? Are you comfortable in your own skin and want a dress that accentuates your features rather than obscures them? Then Hanna is the designer for you. Hanna designed the pure elegance that is my wedding gown. Employing her was the best decision I made regarding my wedding apart from saying "I do". Before finding Hanna, I looked everywhere for my dream dress and could not find it. Hanna is an artist, who worked tirelessly through numerous design meeting and fittings to get me the exact dress I wanted. Alongside being talented, Hanna is outgoing, kind, and takes tremendous pride in her work, made evident by the end result. My wedding gown is top quality, was comfortable enough to wear the entire wedding night, and versatile enough to wear to many occasions to come.
• October 2016 by Sue H.
  Last year I was searching for a simple yet elegant wedding dress. I have a unique style so I knew going to a bridal shop was not where I'd find my perfect dress. Despite the fact that I live in NYC, I travel to the west coast for business and had free time during a trip so I decided to look at some of the designers I saw in the bridal magazines. The words "too expensive" came out of my mouth first. All of the dresses I really liked were over $6000 and I just couldn't justify spending that amount of money on a white dress I'd wear once and have to find a way to resell. In the Maggie Sottero shop the gal asked me what I was really looking for. My description of a silk, sleek dress sent me to Hanna's shop in Santa Monica. The moment I walked into the store I just knew this was the place! Hanna took time with me to try different styles and then measure and pick the right colors. She fitted me that day, designed the dress and with only a single fitting after the dress was shaped, I had a spectacular dress for a reasonable price. This dress I will use for sure again for a special event and I'm quite certain it was the right choice to make such a stunning, personal dress for my special day. After the wedding, i had Hanna cut the train down so now I not only have one elegant gown for a future event - I have two as the dress is reversible. Totally unique, special and she's easy to work with! I would recommend you check her studio out. She'll make you look like the most beautiful bride you think you should be!
• October 2016 by Helen M.
  I waited over two years to write about my experience with Hannah because I wanted to be fair and unemotional in my review. My beautiful son is married now, I'm a brand new grandmother, and life has certainly gone on. In 2014 Hanna made a lovely first impression in her cozy, home/office workspace, with her darling, elderly dog fast asleep beneath her desk. She was friendly and upbeat, and I liked her right away. I felt I was in good hands when I brought her my sleeveless, Mother-of-the-Groom dress, so she could add those sheer stretchy sleeves that give the illusion that I might have really nice upper arms for a 60 year old. Ha! Instead though, she used a rather loose-fitting, flimsy but still heavy-looking silk, which was not transparent and gave a weighted down effect to my light and breezy dress. The material just did not go, and it wasn't what I envisioned or what I thought I had described. With the wedding now just weeks away, we agreed that I would send her pictures of dresses that had the sleeves I tried to describe, and so off to Nordstrom's I went. What happened next shocked me. When I called Hanna from Nordstrom's after emailing her pictures, she became completely unglued. Furiously, she began screaming at me at the top of her lungs that she was not going to fix the dress, and that I better get in there (her shop) and get it, and then she hung up on me. Just like that. So, there I was, two weeks away from my son's wedding, standing in the middle of Nordstrom's crying my Mother-of-the-Groom head off. My experience with Hanna was simply not a good one. Interestingly, the day I returned to her shop to pick up my dress she was with new customers and - I suspect to impress them - she was absolutely delightful to me as she handed me back my dress. I didn't say a word, just turned around and walked out. It was a Dr. Jekyll, Ms. Hyde experience for me. In case you're wondering, I was able to find a dressmaker to re-do the sleeves, but I bought the material myself just to be safe. Lesson learned.
• March 2016 by Cindy C.
  Hannah Hartnell came through for me when my daughter and I needed to find a long, simple, elegant veil on the day before the wedding. Being from Texas, we knew nothing about bridal stores in Santa Monica, where the wedding was to be. I found Hanna Hartnell online and and called. She answered and said, "come on over. I have what you need." And she did. The price was right, and it was simple and elegant. My daughter was thrilled and looked beautiful in the veil. I recommend Hanna. Her bridal gowns are beautiful!
• November 2015 by Jennifer T.
  I can only comment based on the fact I saw a gorgeous gown in the store window and had to stop to look. Little to my knowledge, Hanna was standing by the doorway and waved us in. Little to my knowledge that was her name. I had just mentioned to my friend that I always loved the name Hanna and how I've never met a mean Hanna. Coincidence? Anyhow, I raved to her about how pretty the dress was and noticed a beautiful lacing pattern on the rack. She immediately pulled it off the rack and had me try it on. The veil!!!! If I can just wed in this I'll die happy. This sort of showed me how welcoming she was for a random stop. I had no plans on looking for a dress, but drawn into her store because she was enjoying showing me her collection. When it does come down to it I would come back. That's if my budget allows, but I'm sure the veil is a no brainer for me. Thank you, Hanna, for inviting a perfect stranger into your establishment and welcoming them into your fold. For that I will always be grateful.
• October 2015 by Danielle J.
  I walked past Hanna's shop before I was engaged many many many times. I really admired the elegance and detail of the dresses on show. When I started looking for dresses, it was actually a friend and Hanna's previous client who recommended Hanna's services. Hanna and I arranged an appointment and I came by to try on some samples. Hanna and I had an instant connection and I love her vibe and warm personality! Before we got started Hanna and I chatted and she got a feel of what I was looking for. The first sample I tried was perfect! It was if Hanna had read my mind. I felt like I never wanted to take it off! Hanna is so easy to work with. I absolutely loved my experience! About the dress: My dress is reversible, I choose some tones and Hanna found the match fabric. Hanna made my dress Pearl on one side and Grape on the other. The dress was very comfortable all day long. I really didn't want to take it of!!!! To me Hanna's experience was unique from the first second. I couldn't of dreamed ever marrying in such a wonderful dress! I recommend Hanna's bridal dresses and dresses for other occasion (you can wear it again) to anyone who lis looking for an elegant and comfortable awe-striking dress!
• October 2015 by Robin N.
  I gave Hanna $2000 to make a wedding dress for me. I didn't receive anything at all from her. This was an incredibly painful experience in the midst of trying to pull together a wedding.
• September 2015 by Emily H.
  Hanna is an inspiration. My aunt was the connection between us. If not for her, I don't know if I would have found her boutique, or my wedding gown. She has a dedicated and loyal following, but it feels more through word of mouth. Inside her boutique, you really feel as though you're in the design studio itself. It's exciting to wear a gown created by a woman you KNOW. That connection between the designer and the dress made the experience (and the gown), much more substantial and meaningful. As a bride in her early 30s, I felt pretty sure about what I wanted, and Hanna responded to this. She made the point that her clientele are women who know themselves. This is what I mean by her being an inspiration. She really inspires confidence. She has created a style of her own, and fills the room with her energy and excitement for life.
• April 2015 by Lindsey S.
  If you are looking for a custom made wedding dress that you can wear again, that fits beautifully, drapes sensationally, is totally photogenic, that is super comfortable and that you can dance the night away in, this is the place to go. Hanna is a top-notch designer with a wicked good eye for the cut and fit of a dress. She has such a wide-ranging understanding of styles across the century that she can make your gown match whatever style you most desire, while still creating a gorgeous wedding gown. I was not your typical bride. I have to say this because having a wedding and dress shopping were never high on my priority list, ever. Then I got engaged and some girlfriends helped me go dress shopping. I was totally put off by the majority of bridal shops that we went to, and then my friend Donna was like, "Girl, we are going to Hanna Hartnell's" and when we walked in, it was like every idea I'd ever had about a wedding gown was in one place. The fabric Hanna uses is sensational. Its a thick, lush, high quality silk charmeuse that just has a fantastic feel, doesn't snag, pill/pull and it just laps around your curves. I had a few more curves than I wanted for the wedding and I wasn't going to starve myself into a dress. That was never an issue. The gown fit so beautifully! At heart, I am also a pragmatic woman and I didn't want to buy a gown that I couldn't wear again. The wedding dresses come in two layers and you can have two dresses for one! I had a gorgeous wedding gown, and now I also have a sensuous, lovely olive green evening gown. I loved the styles so much I actually bought two dresses from Hanna (wedding dress and rehearsal dinner gown) I also commissioned a set of scarves for my bridesmaids from Hanna and she personally worked with me to figure out the different colors I wanted to dye each of the scarves and the fabric she picked for those (cashmere/silk) was just to die for. I am waiting for the next occasion where I can order more scarves and buy another dress. Hanna's prices were totally reasonable for a bespoke wedding dress and she was punctual, fun, professional and she is a lovely, lovely human being. You would be a lucky woman to buy one of her gowns, for a wedding or any other occasion. Even if you don't buy a dress, go see her store, the dresses are gorgeous and would work for all sorts of formal occasions.
• April 2015 by Jazz W.
  I agree with Sally S with the reviews below, this woman is the rude , offensive, unprofessional and extreme arrogant person I have ever work with. She yelled at me on the phone as well as writing abusive emails when her demanding is not meet. Please messages me if you want to see her abusive emails and I will be happy to forward that to you.
• January 2015 by Carla F.
  When one is looking to be SPECTACULAR & feel the most at ease in her body as is possible, while emanating a sexiness, gorgeousness & all around incredibly feminine vibe, I suggest you visit Hanna Hartnell & view her supreme creations for any event you need to be styled for! The way I met Hanna was all the stuff of serendipity, stardust, connection & magic! I was having the hardest time ever finding the perfect gown to get married in, the gown that my future Husband would witness me in on our most special day, the gown that would make me feel like the most GORGEOUS woman in the world!!! When I met Hanna, she reminded me that, that is precisely the woman she creates for...the woman who is confident, knows what she likes, is comfortable in her own skin, has passions & who wants her Hubby to swoon when he sees & not to mention FEELS his bride by his side. During my journey to find the most beautiful & special dress for my Wedding in Tulum, Mexico, I was struggling. When I told some store owners in Beverly Hills what I dreamt of they ended up referring me to the exact same woman whose store my Dad who was visiting happened to walk by randomly that same day as my Mom and I were out and about shopping: HANNA HARTNELL!!!! He presented Hanna's Business Card to me when my Mom & I walked in that night after a long day with no good results, & I was amazed that it was the SAME woman referred to us to hand craft my Wedding gown as the Beverly Hills sales women had sent me to! True Perfection! Hanna from the first time we met, had it right! She is a lovely artistic woman who is steadfast in her talent, a passionate seeker who has seen it all, a confidant & a friend; in essence: the perfect woman you would want to create for you the gown you are wearing to enter into your new found passionate life ahead. For, her gowns usher in greatness & create magic unto themselves. To begin with, & I am not sure if these services are still part of Hanna's Program, but w/the cost of my gown, I received a voucher for free Arthur Murray Dance Lessons, a complimentary Boudoir or Engagement Photo shoot, as well as some other goodies, which totaled out to be quite the gift! The Arthur Murray classes concluded with my Husband and I KILLING IT on the dance floor, wowing everyone & honestly those weeks together dancing, practicing, brought us so close & we had a blast! But, truly, our Dance Number ROCKED, so proud!!!!! The Boudoir Shoot was excellent & I now have a sexy,awesome Wedding Gift for my Hubby of gorgeous photos of me "for his eyes only!" SO FUN!!! My fittings w/Hanna were so thorough, easy, FUN, energetic, simply put: FABULOUS!!! I really connected w/Hanna & she become a mentor to me in so many ways. For me, I came in w/the desire for the perfect gown & came out with more personal treasure than I ever could have imagined! This was not an exchange of Money for a Gown, my experience with Hanna became an exchange of friendship, knowledge, support, beauty & encouragement! All in all, MY GOWN IS THE MOST SPECTACULAR VISION I EVER COULD HAVE DREAMT OF!!! I can honestly say here that I have NEVER felt more beautiful in my life, so much like myself, so utterly sexy and fabulous, just hot and perfect! My personal vision for a gown was not a cupcake-like, tulle overload dress that looks like I would belong on top of the cake. I wanted to flow, feel sexy like a goddess, arouse mine and my husband's desires, WOW the universe & just emanate divine gorgeousness & I did that tenfold! Seeing my Husband gasp was incredible, he was amazed by my choice of gown & was so surprised by the sheer beauty of it & just how majestical I looked walking toward him & in essence, toward our new life! Since the Wedding has passed, I have missed my Appts w/ Hanna, & have kept in rabid contact w/her nonetheless! I LOVE HANNA!!! It is my ho
• June 2014 by lillian l.
  Hanna Hartnell is amazing! She is truly a dress goddess. Not only is she incredibly talented, but kind, warm and welcoming as well. She makes you feel right at home in her gorgeous studio. All of the dresses in her showroom are beautiful, and if I had more time before my wedding, I would have loved to walk down the aisle in one of her masterpieces (they really are masterpieces). As a medical student with no free time and no sense of style, I had ordered a dress online that didn't fit right. Even though she doesn't normally do alterations, Hanna was able to fit me in and fix my dress. And she was incredibly accommodating and made it work with my medical student budget. She is an all around fabulous woman and I highly recommend her.