Custom sewing sometimes sounds like an extravagance, but in practice it is simply how a couture studio works: every gown, including one that starts from a collection piece, is sewn to the measurements of one bride. Still, there is a difference between the three paths to a gown, and it is worth knowing them before the first appointment. (Pictured: Brianna, from the Spring/Summer 2024 collection.)
The first path: a collection piece
Each season a new collection is released at the studio. When you choose an existing design, there is a physical gown to try on at the first appointment, and the timeline is shorter. Length and sizing adjustments are always made, whichever path you choose.
The second path: adapting an existing design
This is the path brides do not always know about: taking a collection piece and changing what matters to you — adding a sleeve, raising a neckline, changing the beadwork. You get a gown with a character of its own, without starting from a blank page.
The third path: a blank page
When what you imagine does not exist in the collection, the work starts from zero: a conversation in which Amalya sketches the main lines by hand, a review of materials, then a pattern and a toile. A full bespoke design takes three to four additional meetings, so it is best begun at the early side of the usual window. The seven stages of the work, from sketch to handover, are in Behind the Scenes.
The timeline
Most brides in Israel close their order about three months before the wedding; for brides abroad we recommend at least four, to leave time for fittings and shipping. On the way to the wedding there are three to four fittings, and the gown is handed over in person about a week before the wedding, with storage instructions.
Why one studio matters
The whole path, from the sketch to the final fitting, happens under one roof in Jerusalem: the same hands, the same materials, the same responsibility. More on the studio, the line, and the craft is on Wedding Dresses in Jerusalem, and what the appointment itself looks like is in The Jerusalem Studio.
Not sure which path suits you? Send us a WhatsApp message and we will think it through together, unhurried.
About the Author
Designer & Founder
Amalya Cohen has worked in bridal design since 2005 and has run her own studio since 2007. She trained at fashion houses in Israel and abroad, and today designs from her Jerusalem showroom, specializing in dresses for brides who observe modesty. Read more about Amalya.
