Thursday August 28, 2008
Dream outfit of a lifetime
By PATSY KAM
Couture has extended to the wedding aisle in Malaysia.
YOU would think getting married has become all the rage, looking at the glut of bridal houses that have sprouted in the Klang Valley in the last year.
Some of these one-stop shops offer such complete services that all the bridal couple has to do is send out the invites and turn up for their own wedding.
Classic simplicity: Design by Annasul Y. But not everyone will settle for the commercial package deal. Some brides are willing to pay top dollar to ensure their big day turns out perfect – and that may mean getting a one-of-a-kind wedding gown.
This is an incipient trend, since the rent-a-gown or tuxedo industry has flourished with the support of would-be couples.
The logic was simple: why pay so much for something that you’ll only wear once in your lifetime?
That’s not to say that wedding gowns are being recycled these days. But by paying a premium for a designer gown, you’re assured that no one else will be wearing the gown after you.
And for the same reason that women flaunt their It bags and designer stilettos, it’s a sure sign that you can afford it.
To cater to this niche market, wedding gown boutique Designer Bridal Room (DBR) sells exclusively made-to-order wedding gowns by international designers.
The Hong Kong boutique was set up in 2006 by Donis Chan, who started the business with three other partners. Two of them have since left the country to pursue their personal careers so the company is now managed by two main partners.
Ready for the first dance: Design by Elie Saab. “I have long admired the creation of the designers that we carry. Being a designer myself, I understand the amount of work and dedication needed in order to produce an amazing wedding gown. As such, the decision to open DBR is my own personal way of reflecting my admiration and respect to these designers, and I wanted to introduce these wonderful designs to the brides in Hong Kong,” says Chan in an e-mail interview.
Since DBR there received overwhelming response, the owners began to consider expanding the business to other places.
“The concept of DBR is new in Malaysia. The fact that we will be serving a niche market means there’s a huge potential for growth. We know of a number of brides from Malaysia who travel overseas in search of the perfect gown. In Hong Kong, there are two or three wedding stores that operate on a concept similar to DBR but they carry very different designers,” says the Hong Konger.
Lacy and romantic: From Valentino The boutique only provides made-to-order wedding gown services from the designers it represents, although it can recommend other bridal service providers should the bridal couple need any assistance.
Currently, DBR represents eight international designers – Valentino, Karl Lagerfeld, Christian Lacroix, Elie Saab, Pronovias, Manuel Mota, Lusan Mandongus and Annasul Y, – and it has been granted exclusive rights to represent these designers in its boutique both in Hong Kong and Malaysia.
It is also constantly in search of other designers whose designs are suitable for DBR’s markets and image.
“We always make sure that we have a wide variety of designs to meet the different needs of our customers looking for a gown to fit their personality,” adds Chan, who’s in his early 40s.
Of particular interest is the label Lusan Mandongus, which sounds like a foreign Spanish name but is really an in-house brand.
Chan and his partners came up with the unusual name because they wanted something that sounded international as they had envisioned taking the brand to world-class levels.
“I have always been fascinated by all things luxurious and glamorous. Wedding gowns fit the bill. I ended up doing fashion design at the Polytechnic University in Hong Kong and presented an evening gown collection for my graduation show.
“Since graduation, I’ve been designing evening and wedding gowns. With a few partners and investors, we started producing our own line of wedding gowns called Lusan Mandongus. It’s been 17 years now and the brand is now represented in 14 countries by over 70 wedding shops,” he explains.
“Our decision to bring DBR into Malaysia has been proven right as we have been getting excited customers who have expressed their eagerness to see this kind of boutique in Malaysia. Our customers are very familiar with the style of the designers we represent. Some of them can pinpoint a Valentino gown after the first look.”
He says that there are customers who specifically request for gowns from the label Pronovias and Manuel Mota. These may be new names in the country but they are very well known overseas.
“With the wide usage of Internet, people are more informed about what’s going on in the world and they can make discerning choices.”
The changes in bridal trends are quite subtle compared with the trends of ready-to-wear. This season, Chan says one can expect to see more capsleeves, short or ¾ sleeves. The neckline is asymmetrical with different embellishments to give that different edge to each gown.
In both countries, their customer base consists of celebrities, socialites and women from the middle to upper level groups.
“These groups of women are highly fashion-conscious and have high standards on how they look. They appreciate quality material and meticulous details,” says Chan.
“We will try to order the gown specified by the customer as long as we are given enough time to do so.”
When a customer has picked a gown of her choice, she will be measured and the details sent to the respective designer to produce a brand new piece. This saves customers the hassle of travelling overseas to get their gowns as they can have the fitting and alteration done under one roof at DBR.
Generally, takes six to eight months to order a sample gown and another at least six months to make the actual piece for the customer, which means it’s a 12-month wait or more. Prices start from RM5,000 per gown and they are all for sale only.
- For details, call tel: 03-2141 6003
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