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Under One Roof
"Being a bride is probably one of the toughest tasks a woman will undertake in life - ever. For starters, she has to deal with the different opinions others have to offer about her gown," says Margaret Seow, designer and owner of Margaret Brides. "She may like a particular design but hubby prefers something else. Or friends who tag along will pick out another gown they think is suitable for her. No prizes for guessing the outcome, because it is ultimately natural for the bride to want the guests to think she is beautiful." These are words that strike a chord with most of her customers. After all, the petite designer, who started her own bridal boutique more than five years ago has dressed many women in her signature cool and elegant pieces for that all-important walk down the aisle.
So instead of custom-making gowns - which the women had to return after use - Margaret now sells ready-made pieces. The debut collection has a very romantic feel and is somewhat different from previous designs, reveals Margaret. Although the number of designs is unconfirmed, each comes in three sizes: Small, Medium and Large. Based on the four seasons, the dresses come in various themes of lace, crystal, embroidery and fabric - "Singaporean ladies generally love details like these because they highlight the mood of romance." So where lace is used, for example, it is the soft type like Chantilly. As for the gowns with crystals, they are scattered all over to create an overall sparkly effect. And to complete the one-stop experience, customers can also pick up accessories such as undergarments, costume jewellery, shoes and ring-pillows at the shop. It makes the process more exclusive, hassle-free, and thereby, more efficient. As soon as customers pick out their dress, Margaret gets down to work putting together the necessary finishing touches. Brides-to-be can then look into other more time-consuming aspects of the wedding such as the banquet or the guestlist. Which brings us back to choosing that gown. Margaret feels that local ladies can afford to be more confident about their preferences; since it is their wedding, they should wear anything that makes them happy. As a bridal service provider, she prefers to advise instead of dumping an idea on her customers. The first rule is, however, a bride should always consider her body structure and the styles suitable for it. Then come her personality and finally, her choice of fabric. The trick, discloses Margaret, is to balance between what is suitable for her and what she likes.
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One-stop
shopping to alleviate every bride's wearied search for the gown and
everything else to go with it. Ming Lee drops in on Margaret Brides.
And
in case you don't know, Margaret Brides has a new address at Duxton
Road. The larger shop space also means that she can afford to launch
a one-stop shopping retail concept. "It's not that I was sick and
tired of designing the gowns or anything like that," she explains. "But
I've always liked pushing myself constantly to explore new ways of
doing new things. I felt that I have come to grasp local women's
tastes and buying habits quite well, so it was a good time to try
out a new business plan."
Margaret
Brides is at 23 Jalan Tua Kong. Call 6327-8264 to book an appointment.
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