Wedded to challenges
IF there is one thing we love about dressmaker and bridal designer Nurita Harith, it is the appeal of her creations that evokes sophistication with a touch of romance. The talented designer tells us about her design journey: WHAT KIND OF BRIDE IS THE BEST TO WORK WITH?
A bride with a positive and relaxed vibe, and who trusts the designer to create her dream dress. There is nothing wrong with brides who know what they want but sometimes it can go overboard.
I had a client who pointed out every little detail of her ideas in a slideshow presentation.
I love to work with silk and brides-to-be need to compromise when they bring their own fabrics for me to work on.
WHAT WAS THE MOST INTERESTING MATERIAL YOU HAVE USED TO CREATE A GOWN?
The wedding dress I made for Vinda Deluxe where 80 per cent of the gown were made out of tissue.
CAN YOU SHARE MORE ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE?
The most daunting part was making sure that the dress would last long despite being made out of tissue. When I tested the material, it was thick and strong but we had to put in some effort to ensure the fabrication would be strong. It helped that the tissue looked more like cotton.
The design was inspired by a dress from my past collection and the technique I used to create the gown was similar to my work with silk — we gave it more structure by interlacing the fabrics, layering the materials together to make it more solid.
The construction took a while. I wasn’t used to the material so there was trial and error but we got it all done between three weeks and a month.
WHAT IS THE PRICE TAG ON THE DRESS? With all the creative workmanship, it came up to RM10,000.
ARE YOU MORE COMFORTABLE WORKING WITH UNCONVENTIONAL MATERIALS NOW?
Well, the experience boosted my confidence, and I can proudly say that I created a gown made out of tissue. However, I am not an expert yet. There were doubts we had to overcome but seeing the final result and how amazing it turned out gave me a huge sense of accomplishment.
HOW DARING ARE BRIDES HERE?
Most are still quite reserved in their design choices. Do I secretly wish that more brides will be more bold in their choices? Definitely. It makes for an exciting challenge for designers to have brides requesting more Viktor & Rolf references rather than Elie Saab.
The most unique bridal garment I did was for Olloum (previously known as Love To Dress) creative director Asma’ Nasaruddin who requested a sleek look. Essentially she wanted to style a clean top (with no lace) with white pants for her big day.
The interesting part was that we got it done in a day — and it was within 24 hours before her wedding.
Normally, I will not agree to the deadline pressure but since Vivy Yusof reached out to me to help her friend, I couldn’t refuse.
For the design, we used a combination of shantung, organza silk and tulle to create a dramatic silhouette.
My main concern, apart from getting the materials and dress done within the timeframe, was whether we would have time to make final alterations as I don’t design pants of late. Luckily there weren’t any major complications in the final process.
AS A DESIGNER, DO YOU WORK WELL UNDER PRESSURE? No. I am not a one-man show. I’ve a team and I have to be mindful not to make the members feel stressed or annoyed with work.
Don’t get me wrong. As a unit and a brand, we love to do couture but we also love to work on our designs with care and time. Every moment has to be enjoyed and it’s hard if things are rushed.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE BRIDES PREPPING FOR
THEIR BIG DAY?
Get the wedding gown done early. Don’t make it the last thing to check off on the list.
Also, schedule for the dress to be picked up early so that you won’t rush or stress about it.
The last few days leading up to the ceremony are hectic and you don’t want to add to the stress.