The Custom Dress
Dreams of the Perfect Dress
Shirtdress
THE UNIQUE, THE INDIVIDUAL DRESS
“No two wedding dresses the same”—this is the motto of the dressmaker.
All of us are so different—different lives, different interests, different bodies.
So why should we try to fit ourselves into ready-made wedding gowns that are designed to be special, but just a little bit special so as to appeal to the widest and broadest number of brides?
When a dress is designed for you and you alone, it can really be anything, a splash of orange, a long sleeve, playful or punk.
Of course, getting a custom gown isn’t for everyone. The process is a bit more intense—an unlimited amount of choices, thousands of possible fabrics and textures, a custom fitting process that begins with a cotton prototype that we mail to you, and lots of sketching.
But the result is something that you were involved with from start to finish. It is simply a piece that is more individual and more a part of your life and experience.
Designing a dress always begins with a SKETCH. . .
You tell us a little bit about what you want, and we sketch until you have a design that you love.
Beetle Wing Dress #1
Beetle Wing Dress #2
Beetle Wing Dress #3
Beetle Wing Dress #4
Sketching Up the Custom Dress
Bodice with Beetle Wings and Chains
The next step is the MUSLIN.
We cut and sew a cotton mock-up of the dress and mail this to you to try on.
You send us digital pics and your thoughts and comments.
If you are so fortunate as to be able to visit our studio, the muslin fitting can be done in person, but each year we make incredible dresses for clients around the world.
Either way, the muslin is essential for understanding your preferences and getting the final pattern to match your dream of what a dress should be.
Once we have your thoughts and comments, we go back and do a second round of patternmaking and finally cut and sew the garments.
The Muslin
Bespoke Outlaw
Victorian Dress and Cape
A SYMBOLIC LANGUAGE
Fashion, more than anything, is a language.
A language of signs and symbols that can express who you are and what you want to say about the world that you live in.
Although some people can be quick to dismiss fashion as frivolous, it is hard to think of any question that is more important than the question “Who am I?”
From feathers and animal teeth, to a ball gown and crinoline, fashion tells the story of the significance and meaning of a human life and the events that transpire within it.
In the End, You Just Send Us a Message with a Few Words about What You Want.
And then we sketch it, and discuss many possible designs. Then we send you fabric options.
Have you take a few simple measurements at home. Mail you a muslin. Discuss and correct the fit.
And finally we mail you the finished suit or you drop in to pick it up.
Not as easy a dropping by the shopping mall. But a bit more satisfying.
And we promise that you won’t end up looking like everyone else.
The Beetle Wing Dress Collection
But with this collection, we decided to turn things about and create a collection with an utterly modern sensibility using chains, metallic patinas, and beetle wings, both as an actual trimming of scarab beetle wings on one of the dresses and as a motif—where each element of the dress was meant to mimic the shape of a beetle wing.
The Fairy Dress
This wedding dress is a piece of Rococo fantasy that we put together from silk “rags”.
It has a bit of a shepherdess look to it, but is worthy of a fairy queen.
A Touch of Color—Amazing Victorian Inspired Dresses
A subtle sugarplum silk with a delicate lace overlay. A bit of the modern with a nod to the Victorian.
A flannel lined silk biker jacket for extra warmth.
1950s Style Bustiers & Corsets
We make many gorgeous ball gowns every year.
But sometimes our brides and partygoers want a dress that is on the simpler side. Hence our vintage tea-length collection.
These dresses, which we call our ’57 Retro Dresses, often don’t have a built in corset.
Couture 1950s-Style Ball Gowns
Here are some pics of our amazing Seashell Dress.
Every gown that we make is one-of-a-kind and custom made for a client. So we aren’t afraid to make a wedding gown with a little pop of color!
The Superhero Gown
The pics show two of our most amazing recent dresses.
We can make almost anything—–and we are never too afraid to fly head first into the face of the unknown—–at least when it comes to dressmaking.
Amazing Victorian Wedding Dresses
“No two wedding dresses the same”—-this is the motto of the dressmaker.
All of us are so different—different lives, different interests, different bodies.
Art Deco Wedding Dresses
We only make a couple dozen custom wedding dresses every year.
And every dress that we make is a distinct work of art—
Victorian Wedding Gowns
We make some of the most amazing custom dresses out there. You let us know a bit about yourself and your style and we start sketching. This dress, however, is the one that I have been promising to post for the last few months: My own wedding dress. As a designer and dressmaker, choosing the […]
1950s Style Wedding and Evening Dresses
1950s style dresses—which are fitted at the waist and full in the skirt—are one of the most flattering silhouettes for all body types and figures. We make a ton of 50s style dresses in all sizes, often for weddings, but also for other formal and semi-formal occasions and for customers in Colorado as well as […]