I remember being at a designer’s studio a few months ago and one of the clients showed a photo of a cocktail dress straight out of an international magazine. The client wanted the designer to copy not only the exact design but the choice of color and texture of the fabric (we have our modista to do all that for us!). Although I could feel the designer cringe and almost ready to lunge at the client, the designer obliged.
Many of us are guilty at one time or another of doing this. But it is an unhealthy practice for both the designer and a client. It frustrates a designer and leaves him little leeway for artistic expression.
The key to creating a healthy relationship with our designers is to allow them more creative freedom in designing clothes while giving them an idea of what we like. Don’t worry because almost all of them are willing to incorporate your ideas into their designs to create a gorgeous dress, a power suit or a dream wedding gown.
For this article, I chose to feature the works of designer Mich Dulce. Mich employs an edgy style while combining pieces from "girl-friendly" and fashionable shops, Freeway and Ensembles. The first impression you’ll get when you meet Mich is that she is a young woman who is artistic, lovable and who has a very strong sense of style. On a regular day, she’ll dress up in platform shoes by Vivienne Westwood, a Girbaud handkerchief gauchos and a brightly striped baby tee with Peter Pan collar.
Mich has done internships with well-known British designers Marjan Pejoski and Jessica Ogden and has taken courses from Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Designs in London. Knowing all these, you would think she only designs "complicated styles" (as she puts it) like coffee-stained skirts, reconstructed over-sized men’s shirts, gowns made from gauze. But I was happy to discover that she’s been pretty busy designing gowns and cocktail dresses for proms and upcoming Christmas parties. Mich says, "I really don’t mind my clients’ inputs; in fact, they’re very important to me. I want them to be happy with the clothes I design and something that is not just for one-time use. But it is important that I can show my trademark in the clothes I design."
As a gesture of respect to experienced designers and to the upcoming ones, learn more about their respective styles. You can make an appointment to see their work, or you can ask around from people in the fashion industry such as magazine/newspaper editors, fashion stylists, and fashion show directors. Combine your existing wardrobe or newly-purchased items (as shown here) to their designs for a look that suits your style. Anyway, nothing is engraved in stone when it comes to fashion.