Couture Experience
Hermione de Paula couture is meticulously designed and intricately hand-crafted in the London atelier, using the finest materials and techniques by Hermione and her small team of exceptionally skilled artisans.
An intensely creative partnership between client and designer, the client is involved in her dress development at every stage.
Guided by the Houses’ library of silhouettes and botanic and celestial embroideries, through a series of meetings – from the first consultation to the final fitting – the Hermione de Paula couture journey is unparalleled, and each finished piece is a contemporary Art Couture heirloom creation.
THE COUTURE EXPERIENCE
Designing a dress with the house of Hermione de Paula is a journey of great joy, creativity and love. Each element of the process is personal, and the experience is exclusive.
Couture gowns can either be based on existing artworks from the House library or created bespoke, personal to the bride: from reimagining a new bodice artwork combination to developing entirely new and bespoke embroidery artworks depicting a bride’s unique story and incorporating secret messages, names, dates and drawings. This is the highest Couture service, which we classify as ‘Love Story’.
Within the world of Hermione de Paula’s couture, there are limitless possibilities.
THE FIRST APPOINTMENT
Beginning with a one-to-one consultation at Hermione’s Atelier located in Angel, London.
A unique opportunity to understand the client’s vision for her dress and her union, this first meeting is a chance to explore the Hermione de Paula library of embellishments, embroideries, artworks, fabrics and textiles, guided by the Atelier team, across an extensive archival collection of styles.
Following the initial consultation, Hermione will work on moodboards of design and direction.
Once the direction is determined, the couture process begins at the London atelier, with Hermione and her small team utilising haute couture techniques and materials.
INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS
The Hermione de Paula Atelier is proud to work with many International couture clients and can re-create the experience over myriad digital platforms. For more information on virtual fittings and remote appointments, please view our Client Services page.
THE DESIGN PROCESS
The design process for Hermione de Paula couture is detailed, intricate and unique to every dress, created by a small and exceptional atelier team of designers, artists, pattern-cutters, seamstresses and embroiderers.
Hermione de Paula couture is hand crafted in London: a more elaborate, entirely unique art couture creation can take a team of over 30 skilled couturiers up to 3000 hours to complete.
From the simple and sublime to the extravagant, Hermione is renowned for creating bridal looks which transform across the day and into the night through interchangeable separates and accessories. Showpiece full volume silhouettes with dramatic overskirts are styled with bustiers, collars and sleeved bodices for the ceremony, removed and interchanged to reveal, by night, an exquisite slinky little evening dress – perfect for the dance floor.
Hermione de Paula recommend beginning the couture journey at least 8 months prior to the wear date, depending on the design complexity.
CRAFTSMANSHIP
Using Hermione’s extensive botanical library as inspiration, or starting with the bride’s personal ‘Love Story’ a single hand drawing evolves from pencil to paint brush, silk threads and beading, to hand cut appliques and artistic stitching, a series of swatches begins to form and allows the client to hand select every individual detail. As embroidery grows from bud to bloom, the Atelier tailoring team will construct your silhouette, either in a set size closest to your measurements, made uniquely to your measurements and perfected with a series of toile fittings.
Once shape is finalized, artwork is hand drawn and engineered into every panel of the gown. Paper artworks advance to hand embroidered panels, before being cut and constructed. Once your gown is created, couture hand finishings are conducted to perfect your heirloom art, embroidering over construction seams and adding additional coverage. Only then is the gown is ready for its final fitting.
FINAL FITTING
Once your gown is created, couture hand finishings are conducted to perfect your heirloom art, embroidering over construction seams and adding additional coverage. Final fittings are conducted as close to the wear date as possible, to check and ensure impeccable fit.
Final fittings will be conducted at our in-house London atelier if suitable for your location. Alternatively, shipping will be arranged direct to you and local alterations services advised where possible. Our in-house team will be available on video call to support you through any final touches of the process.
