Creating Couture: Designing for the Women of a New Generation

 Although quality craftsmanship and affordable luxury have always been at the heart of what Minnirella has been doing until now, we aim to go above and beyond in this collection. The collection will comprise of one-of-a-kind exclusive pieces that you will not find elsewhere. So as we prepare for this exciting launch, we thought we’d give you a behind-the-scenes look at creating couture clothing.

 

The Design Process

Before making any garment, the design specifics need to be in place. Sometimes, the planning and design phase can take longer than actually making the item. Inspiration comes from a variety of places and in some cases, from places and objects completely unrelated to fashion. A desert, nature, interiors and other unusual settings have all served as a muse for our creations.

The first design starts as a fashion illustration. This is a dramatic sketch, full of movement, colour and textured marker strokes. Although a fashion illustration cannot be used by manufacturers or tailors to create the finished garment, they are ideal for planning the item and how it can be worn by the wearer.

The technical drawings are where we detail every little detail on the item of clothing. These don’t look anywhere near as interesting or as pretty as a fashion sketch but they are essential in communicating how the finished result should look. It details the stitching, darts, proportions, fastenings and how the wearer will get in and out of the clothing.

Sourcing Materials

The majority of our fabrics, especially those used in our couture collection, come from Italy and our other fabrics, threads, and decorative embellishments are sourced from the UK and mainland Europe. Everything down to the thread we use to sew our garments is of exceptional quality. Also, better quality threads are generally easier to sew with and it ensures higher quality stitching. Although quality fabrics play a very important part in couture fashion, it is the professional stitching techniques and the tailored fit that makes all the difference!

Creating Couture

 

There are so many quality techniques that go into creating couture garments. Although the end result is of the highest quality and the finest attention to detail, many of the sewing techniques involved are actually very simple. In terms of producing and sewing couture pieces, the main difference between couture and mass manufactured clothing is the patience, time and craftsmanship that goes into each and every garment created. The methods used are easy to learn but take time to perfect. There are certain elements of sewing high-end garments that cannot be done with a sewing machine. Altering hemlines, embroidery detail and even some top stitching must be sewn by hand when creating luxury couture pieces. There is so much love, time, expertise and attention that go into every unique piece. Every couture garment has its own unique story!

 The Embellishments

While some couture pieces are left as they are without any decorative detail, others are finished off with carefully selected embellishments to add those all important finishing touches. It’s important to think carefully about every detail, accessory and extra embellishment you add to a couture garment. It’s easy to completely ruin the look of the finished item of clothing by overcomplicating the details, adding too many or by not paying close attention to their placement.

Made to Order Bespoke Garments

We can’t wait to reveal our ready-to-wear couture collection throughout December 2022 but in addition to this, if you are looking for something beautifully bespoke and tailor made then you will also be able to book a consultation with us and we will curate your very own made-to-order clothing designed just for you!