CUSTOM DEBS DRESSES

EXCLUSIVE DESIGNERS

Designer prices are at the higher end of the market and their Debs dresses may be more aspirational than affordable for the average Debutante, but if you’re willing to splurge…

Gay Power of DePaor Designs in Dun Laoghaire, works on an exclusive basis designing 10 dresses every year and selling another 12 off-the-rail. “We would be on the more expensive side – it would wouldn’t be worth my while otherwise. I couldn’t compete with the other chain stores.”

All the designs in the shop are original and individual. “Absolutely everything is designed by us and after that people can come in and add small touches.” Clients can also bring in images from magazines to design a variation of them. “They bring in pictures from the Oscars which are often very extreme designs but you just taper it down and put it into a realistic form.”

Although her creations don’t come cheap, Gay offers a professional service and is meticulous when it comes to the quality of her fabrics. “The difference with us is that even if you buy off the rail I will alter it to suit you and I don’t charge any extra. Our prices may seem a little higher but we do it all – we will do the hem, the nipping and the tucking to make the whole thing fit perfectly.”

Almost all of their dresses are made to order. “We design very specific ideas. We tend to get the customer who already has an image in their head and is not going to settle for anything that you see in the shops.”
The whole process is very precise and the initial fitting begins with a calico to help to guide the designer and client. But DePaor Designs cater for every size and shape. “Many girls are very small and short and literally all the detail has to be cut away. And then we also have the girls who need a larger size.”

One of the biggest difficulties that designers have is with fabric. Gay says that, while they stock a good selection, clients sometimes have a very specific colour in mind. “We have a good range but sometimes they’ve seen something in town and they are talking about that exactly. It could even be a dreadfully cheap material and not worth repeating at all.”

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