Aoui’s signature creative flair and personalised client service has earned her a loyal following of online brand advocates.
Some people believe that every sunrise is a clean slate, others think a new year brings new fortune. But for Aoui Regala, all she needed was a chance to live her passion. Three years ago, she did just that. In her younger years, Aoui was encouraged to walk a career path that she didn’t believe was her calling. While she took the first few steps and took up a degree in Advertising, she wasn’t certain if her dream of being a designer would ever take flight. And when she took the leap and opened up an online shop for casual wear back in 2010, she had had to close it not long after.
But just like every piece she makes, the following year served as Aoui’s clean slate. She found her true calling and made sure she never let go of what she was certain she wanted to do.
“I got married in the year 2011 and it was an eye opener also for me that weddings and made-to-order is the path I wanted to take because this was where I can really express my creativity,” she says.
This time, Aoui dove in completely. She studied at Slim’s Fashion and Arts School and even took TESDA’S National Certificate II Dressmaking Exam. While the momentum picked up, she rolled up her sleeves and began to bring to life her vision—aoui Regala Atelier.
Three years in, and she’s been constantly making a buzz with her sleek yet romantic designs. You’d think that having spent a relatively short time in the business would have been a challenge, but with her earnest passion, she quickly developed the skills to make up for it.
“An Aoui Regala wedding gown is elegant and classy but still sexy with great fit and clean lines. My work is dynamic: ranging from simple to fully embroidered and beaded gowns but I make sure that no matter how detailed my works are, it should always be clean when you see it as a whole. I use just enough textures to make clean and balanced dimensions. I don’t overkill a gown by putting so much texture and detail in a piece that sometimes it gets too overpowering for the bride,” she explains.
Aoui isn’t afraid to let her work speak for her. One of her more ambitious creations was the wedding gown she designed in 2010, worn by model Michaela Fariñas who she also tapped during the shoot for
Aoui Regala Atelier’s first collection. She recalls how stunned Michaela was that model who promised she’d also get Aoui for her own wedding one day. True enough, Aoui adorned her in Swarovski on her wedding day.
With her unyielding devotion to fashion, Aoui has managed to produce gowns that are classic and timeless, dipping in trends though never removing her own touch. But her signature is more than just a specific type of stitching, a billowed gown, or working with intricate lace; a bride knows she’s worked with Aoui when she feels taken care of. All over social media, giddy brides display Aoui’s hands-on craftsmanship, as well as talk about her enduring friendship.
“When I design my gowns its not just all about me. Every bride has different styles and personalities. I always take that into consideration. Some like it simple; some like it grand. I look at it as teamwork with my bride. I infuse my style and vision but I always have to make sure that theirs is not disregarded. It’s very personalized and the fun part of it is also gaining genuine friendships in the process,” Aoui says.
Whether it be an A-line off-shoulder gown, a vampy lace number, or an ambitious billowing piece, each one of Aoui’s designs is infused with story, character, and friendship. With her own journey driving her craft, she understands the discipline it takes to create a gown with a wearer in mind, with their own journey in mind. Because every single one is a story made from scratch. Every single one is a clean slate.