by The scene of a stylist or a tailor with a measuring tape around his neck, while his gaze carefully travels the lines of the body of the clients is easily found in period films or films shot outside the country. Now, can you remember how many times this act happened before your eyes, in real life? Probably, very few people are accustomed to or feel close to the art of craftsmanship in fashion, the bespoke broadcast.
Although over the decades pieces designed and manufactured respecting contours, volumes and tastes have increasingly moved away from society, with the advancement of industries producing everything on a large scale and more competitive prices, exclusivity has always held an intimate and even affectionate place. . It only took one seamstress in the family, for example, for a creation to take shape according to its shape, a relationship that speaks volumes of symbolic value and virtually impossible to monetize.
ideal dress
While the intimacy of tailoring at home is felt naturally and in abundance, at the official point of bespoke fashion, the atelier, this element is worked hard to make everything feel lighter. After all, as designer Charles Hermann of the Victoria Alta Couture workshop defines it: “beyond exclusivity, the creation of bespoke clothing is a question of desire”. Alongside his companions Salma and Silene Georges and the 20 employees of the workshop, the designer delivers 22 dresses per month.
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“Probably, all of our production professionals will get their hands on every part ordered to give them time to finish everything on time. Some months we are more overloaded with up to 12 dresses for the same date for example, so the ideal is that each client arrives at the studio up to eight months in advance”, explains Charles.
Once the decision is made, it’s time to have a lot of conversation so that the stylist understands the person’s style, then begins the search for fabric and accessories. “The dress should say who you are, and the custom piece in general manages to imprint the client’s identity on the body.”
For this alchemy to occur, the workshops balance the fabrics available and the desires of those looking for the design of their dreams. “I believe and bet on the classics, such as sable, satin, tulle, organza, but, for more imposing creations, we also use pure silk or silk satin, which are more noble fabrics .” For Charles, popular fabrics can offer the same effect (or even a better result) than the raw material considered noble.
If you are currently wondering how much a made-to-measure creation costs, the stylist tells you that, in the case of an evening dress, in the workshop there are options starting from R$7,000. As for brides, the rule is increasing and the pieces usually cost between R$10-25,000, and the amount of embroidery is what will have the biggest impact on the value.
Fashion is art everywhere
When Ellias Kaleb changed careers from corporate human resources to work in fashion, the factory was the designer’s first stop. It didn’t take long for him to know that the frantic, impersonal pace went against what he truly believed in, which is why the brand, established 10 years ago, operated for a short period in the grid system and operated in a workshop for four years.
In fact, the man from Pernambuco who lives in São Paulo calls the space an “experimentation laboratory”, where today creations for editorials, presentations of artists such as Gaby Amarantos and Duda Beat, are created, as well as for its new collection, which will be presented at the 52nd edition of the Maison des Créateurs.
“It all started with Jup do Bairro, for Céu and artists who performed at night. I have this personality of communication with street art, with the night scene through friends who organize parties”, explains Ellias about the link he naturally painted between these clients.
For the designer, the piece is born from listening, which allows the personality of the person to be transferred to the clothes. “I have a more intuitive way of building We don’t follow a line taught in college to start with a sketch, for example. When I feel that a part of the piece is more fun, I end up putting more energy into it at that time”, believes the designer, who also uses this creative freedom to connect non-obvious dots in the creations to stage lighting, for example.
The experimentation space also brought good results to the five-person studio team in a smart modeling strategy. According to Ellias, based on a study, they manage to produce pieces that fit up to three body sizes thanks to openings in strategic places. The tactic makes life easier for the brand, which deals with requests for productions with tight deadlines. In addition, the stylist makes his creations available for rental, promoting a more lasting and accessible relationship through circular fashion.
“I see this is the future. In the production of leading brands there is already a machine where you press the button and the clothes come out ready. But I believe in the difference between the pieces, in the creator who imprints the personality. For me, the more automation we have, the more value bespoke fashion will take, mainly thanks to the arrival on the market of designers who believe in the possibility of breaking the rules”, explains Ellias.
