Process
Why should you consider couture?
- A gown or suit custom designed for you will fit your figure and your personality better than anything “off the rack”
- Working with a knowledgeable designer, you can have most ANYTHING you desire in terms of style, fashion and fabric
- “Locally produced” from exquisite imported fabrics, including those of natural fibers, a custom design is the ultimate in “green gowns”
- A realistic budget will save you time and money for a quality gown that is perfect for you
- Designs by Janice Martin Couture are superior to “off the rack” selections
The couture process:
- Meet, discuss, and illustrate! Janice Martin meets with every client to determine style, fabrics, foundation garments and budgets. Once these ideas have been discussed and a budget is determined, an estimate will be drawn up to create the gown of your dreams*.
- A muslin “sloper” (or pattern) may be started during your first or second visit. The muslin pattern is a “mold” of your figure. You will have more “coverage” than a swimsuit, so you don’t need to be worried about modesty during your fittings.
- The muslin pattern is then turned into your first design pattern, after which additional muslins may or may not be necessary to get the perfect fit and style. Jewelry, veils, shoes, etc. are all discussed so that the gown and the accessories worn with it have a cohesive look.
- Only after the muslin is approved will the “real” fabric be utilized. More than a few brides have loved their muslin so much that they’ve had additional clothing made from the same pattern!
- Gowns may be tweaked for fit during final fittings as many brides have unexpectedly lost or gained weight.
- Your dream couture gown is ready!
*If you have a family heirloom gown to consider, much of the process remains the same, depending upon how much of the gown needs to be re-designed.
Most brides come in four to six months ahead of their wedding date. Some come as early as eighteen months, some as late as FOUR DAYS!
Most choose fabrics that are readily available, some choose fabrics that are hand beaded in France, embroidered in Switzerland or painted in private ateliers around Philadelphia and elsewhere in the US.
Couture gowns made for the individual are generally lighter in weight than off the rack… more comfortable in terms of fiber content (no sticky polyesters), and more easily adaptable to size and style changes and for long distance travel.
