If you follow our posts then surely you would recognize this flawless face. She’s our go-to model for every photoshoot. She’s a dear friend, and now she will forever be called Mrs. Long.
Thank you for trusting us with your entourage, Tata!
We love weddings. Small, intimate, grand, simple, quirky. Whatever the style, whoever the people are, we love them. It must be the idea of celebrating a couple’s love for one another that really got us inspired to do this. To create RAZA. To get inspiration from them and create something uniquely theirs, something that will make their day even more special, albeit through fashion.
And what can be more inspiring for the RAZA team than to create a collection for our muse? For our very fist client who saw us make mistake after mistake and still encouraged us to pursue our dream by asking us to continue making gowns for her. Chi Donato, our very loyal client finally got married. And boy were we inspired.
Our task was pretty daunting. To create her entourage gowns based on her simple theme: industrial. Yes that’s right, our muse is a modern bride. It was a dream project for us. As much as we love the flowy, dreamy styles of most brides when it comes to gowns, making gowns with a modern flair was a welcome challenge. We’d like to believe we were able to rise to that challenge. From the colors, to the fabric, to the cuts of the gowns, we believe we were able to create a look that most have not seen for an entourage. Think modern, architecture, lines, and sophistication.
So while we do love all the gowns we make there are just some that really make us proud to be designers. This was definitely one of them. Congratulations again to our muse! May your married life be filled with more joy and adventures!
*special mention goes to John Herrera who made Chi’s beautiful gown and who was also my teacher and design mentor during my younger years!
Here’s a great article by Rain Dagala for MEG Magazine a few months back. It gives some good points on what to expect when you come over to a designer for a design consult.
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT
There’s a difference between a seamstress and a designer. A designer will make an outfit based on an agreed collaboration between the two of you. A seamstress will do an outfit solely based on what you asked her to create or duplicate.
PERSONAL MATTERS
It is best if the designer you will be working with has an aesthetic close to yours. Know what you like.
SIGNATURE LOOK
While generally, designers can be flexible in terms of design, most of them are known for a certain look, and you should be aware of that. It manages your expectations.
KNOCK KNOCK
While designers can be inspired by a certain runway look (bring pegs with you!), allow them to tweak the design for you. This is where their expertise comes in. If you want an exact same look as your peg, go to a seamstress instead.
THE PRICE YOU PAY
In the Philippines, a designer can be more flexible with the prices. Just open up about your budget and discuss it with them. When negotiating, make sure that the final price you settled at justifies the amount of work that will be done for you.
FIT TO A TEE
Allow the designer to take your measurements to ensure good fit.
LEAVE IT TO THE EXPERT
Say what you want to say politely, but listen to the designer’s advice. When he/she says that a certain cut, neckline or silhouette will not work for you, believe it.
LITTLE MISS PUNCTUALITY
Go to your fitting on time. Out of courtesy, if you can’t make it, make sure that you let the designer know in advance.
BASES COVERED
To have a better output, wearing an underwear that is closer to the actual thing you will put on when you wear your outfit is best. Bring heels as well.
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE
Give the designer ample time to complete the dress, so that quality isn’t compromised. Apart from that, designers normally charge higher for rush work.
Michelle, one of our first clients, gets hitched! She asked us to make the entourage dresses and we cannot wait to post more photos!! Congratulations and thank you for the support, Michelle!
Here are some tips to keep in mind when planning your wedding:
1) Plan ahead. What’s your favorite color? Favorite food? Start with the little things and build on them. Knowing these things will help you envision your dream wedding. Don’t even think about cramming!
2) Less is more. When in doubt, remember those three words.
3) Don’t stress. Hire a wedding coordinator. DIY is fun, but in moderation. Seriously.
4) Don’t scrimp on food. People will remember what they ate that day. And yes, you will get to eat on your wedding day!
5) Listen to married friends. They’ve been there. Listen to their experiences and ask for their opinion. They will be more than happy to share!
And now for some shameless plugging.
We are totally loving this RAZA organza gown on Camille. All we had for this shoot was this dress and a red lipstick. Brides, as mentioned earlier, LESS IS MORE! White, no beading, and red lips!
For orders and inquiries, contact us!
The Ko-General wedding was one of those “i can’t believe how much effort they put into this” type of wedding. The bride was very hands on and very detail oriented (she should be, being a top honcho in the advertising world.) It was a breeze for Raza to create these wonderful peek-a-boo flirty dresses for her bridesmaids, especially since Sarah was a very easy bride to work with, giving us pegs, color swatches, vision boards, etc (in powerpoint format mind you!) all of which she provided while away in Bangkok. These dresses were made to be light and airy to go with the beautiful backdrop of Thunderbird Resorts in La Union. We added slits to the front to add drama to the dresses. They looked fabulous especially when walking! We love brides with a clear vision and we loved making these dresses for her! Check out the oh so cutesy Raza flower girl dresses as well!
You can read all about Nic and Izza’s wedding (and of course our beautiful entourage gowns) HERE!