There is something about the whoosh of fabric being laid out on a cutting table. The feeling of the soft, luxurious fabric slipping through fingers. The click and snick of scissors. The whirring of a machine as it starts the very first stitches of a brand-new gown. This is my happy place. My sanctuary. Home.

The simplistic definition of the term Couture in the Oxford Dictionary does nothing to truly cover the beauty of the craft. Defined as “the design and manufacture of fashionable clothes to a client’s specific requirements and measurements”. Couture encompasses so much more than its literal translation from French as “dressmaking or sewing”. For those of us who revel in the world of couture, it is our art, an expression of ourselves and our amazing clients, who entrust us with creating beauty just for them.

Starting Mel Rose Couture at 26 wasn’t in answer to a problem I came across or because I saw a space in a market not being catered to. It was the thing I had been training for my whole life. Watching my mum as she created dresses, gowns and special outfits for my sisters and I, was the jumping-off point for my love of fashion and creating pieces for an individual person. This love I carried through all my schooling years, where I developed and honed my skills. From scrunchies and pyjamas, to soft tailoring, dresses, gowns, and finally, costume and corsetry. There will never be an end to developing my skills in this industry. There is always some technique that can be developed or refined to make the art of couture that much more inspiring.

To create a couture gown whether it is for a client or for a collection, there is always the same starting point. Inspiration. For a client, this inspiration comes from discussing with them the vision they have for their wedding day. We will sit down and discuss the time of year, the location, the flowers, the colours and all the details they want to be a part of their special day. Then we will come to the gown. Details such as silhouette, fabrics, colours and shades, as well as embellishments will be talked about, but the most important questions I ask in this first meeting is:

How do you wish to be seen? AND How do you want to feel?

Once I have these answers, the designing begins. For me, a sketch is just an idea, a jumping-off point. From here the fabric choices, the changes to the silhouette to suit the individual client’s proportions, and the tweaking at every stage of the gown’s creation takes that sketch and morphs it into a one-of-a-kind gown that has been moulded and created to be the perfect reflection of the bride herself.

Couture gowns generally take 12 to 18 months to create. Because of this longer timeframe, brides coming to their initial appointment sometimes express concern that they might not be at their goal weight or shape for the wedding and ask how will that affect the creation of the dress?
This is the beauty of the couture process. Every gown is tweaked in fit at every stage of its creation, making sure the fit is perfect come the day of the wedding.

What excites me about bridal fashion today is that brides are no longer pigeonholed into one of six different bridal style categories and made to choose from either white or ivory gowns. Today, a bride can truly be as unique in her choice of attire as she wishes. Gowns, mini dresses, pantsuits, jumpsuits, colourful prints, jewel tones, huge bows, enormous trains, and gloves are just some of

My favourite trend that is now becoming the norm for bridal fashion is colour. Pastels, metallics, jewel tones and bold prints. A bride now doesn’t have to settle for the obligatory white or ivory. She can shine in whatever colour she desires.

Personalised service is the main focus of Mel Rose Couture. I’m not interested in dressing the masses; I’m interested in dressing the person. Taking the skills I have honed and using them to create amazing pieces that embody who that client is. Making sure that the experience each client has in the Mel Rose Couture Studio is personal, relaxed and enjoyable is paramount.

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