COMMISSIONS
Daniel By Design Couture got off to a busy start since we launched our first collection in miniature in 2021.
We picked up a variety of wonderful and exciting commissions which I really enjoyed working on.
The best part for me is making sure the client is happy with what I have created and seeing them wear a creation of mine is wonderful.
If you would like your design dream turned into a reality, please just get in touch to arrange a free consultation.
The galleries below showcase some of my favourite commissions I have worked on over the years.
JACQUI - APRIL GOTH WEEKEND 2023
'He's magic. He works magic and makes you feel magic'
Hearing these words from Jacqui after creating her Victorian Suit for October Goth Weekend (see below) was magic to me. I really enjoyed getting to know Jacqui and creating a Garment that she loved so much. Therefore, I was delighted when she got in touch after Christmas wanting another addition to her fantasy wardrobe.
We met for coffee and cake and she showed me more Victorian emsembles for inspiration from which we pulled several elements we loved. Jacqui wanted something more adventurous and in particular was keen for the jacket to have a different neckline to her first Victorian Suit, taking it into a slightly less tailored and more dressy realm.
After some sketching we settled on a design and turned our attention to fabrics and colours. We ordered many samples and Jacqui settled on the ones seen in the gallery below. For the jacket we opted for a oriental style floral brocade, which we trimmed with deep red lace appliques. The jacket was finished with brushed silver effect metal clasps, as we felt this elevated the design from a simple button.
For the skirt, we opted for a pale lilac duchess satin, chosen because of its weight and beautiful movement when walking. This was accented with a semi sheer deep red brocade bib and bustle, and accordian pleated deep red duchess satin at the hem.
I think you will agree the contrast of the soft lilac with the deep red is quite striking. Both Jacqui and myself loved this look!
JACQUI
"My first Goth/Steampunk event. I'm honestly struggling to put into words just how wonderful Daniel has been throughout the whole journey - and anyone who knows me knows that doesn't happen very often! He's magic. He works magic and makes you feel magic x"
JACQUI'S STORY
A recent commission was a request from the incredible Jacqui for a Victorian Riding Habit for Whitby Goth Weekend. This was a very special commission for Jacqui as it marked the beginning of the next chapter of her life following gender reassignment surgery. This outfit would be worn for the first major event she would attend as her true authentic self.
When we first met for coffee, Jacqui was very specific in the outfit she desired for Whitby Goth Weekend. Jacqui is a huge fan of the Victorian aethetic and in particular loved the idea of the Victorian Riding Habit style. We discussed colour options and Jacqui said she was a fan of purple.
After this first meeting, I sourced numerous fabric samples in different shades of purple and different materials before we settled on a beautiful plum coloured wool. This would work perfectly to provide structure to the outfit whilst having a beautful drape for the skirt.
Using Jacqui's measurements, I started the mock up using fabrics I had in my own stash. As usual I started by stitching together the pieces to form the jacket shape. The next step was to construct the sleeves making sure they were aligned properly and accurate to the period. Next, I constructed the skirt and apron bustle, which could be detached and worn separately.
The next stage of the process was to invite Jacqui for a fitting of the mock up. Jacqui lives with a colostomy bag and was concerned about the weight of the skirt when trying on the mock up. We had cut the skirt to sit above her bag but had not accounted for the fact that the skirt may slip down during wear. To account for this, we decided to add braces to the skirt for the final version.
The main focus throughout the entire process was to make Jacqui feel as comfortable as possible in what she was wearing but not comprising the vision we had.
The most important thing for me was to make Jacqui feel incredible.
The next stage of the process was to create the final outfit incorporating the modifications we discussed during the mock up fitting. The wool was a joy to work with and the construction was straight forward as I had already done it with the mock up. Once I had the skirt constructed, I made the braces and attached them to the skirt. We added a black velvet trim to the skirt and the edge of the jacket and black faux jet buttons to the jacket. We also incorporated ribbons inside the skirt enabling it to be bustled when walking.
And then came the final fitting with adjustments made to the braces when we fitted the skirt. We decided during this last fitting to add a cuff to the sleeve and to rework the velvet trim in the front of the jacket, tapering them to in at the waist to enhance the waistline. Having done these alterations, we stitched in a Daniel By Design Couture label and the outfit was ready to go to its new owner.
CHRIS
THE SET UP
A short time ago, a long time friend Chris (DJ Spoonzay) got in touch with Daniel by Design Couture Headquarters with a very special request.
Chris informed me that he had been invited to a red carpet event at London Fashion Week and desired to attend the event in a three piece suit but with a twist! It was an incredible feeling to be entrusted with such an important request. Furthermore, the thought of creating a custom suit with a twist and the chance to unleash my creativity was beyond exciting.
The stage was set...
THE CONSULTATION
The first step was to set up a consultation with Chris to discuss our ideas for the custom suit. Chris informed me that he had been doing a lot of work and research on Masculinity and Femininity and in particular how it is to be 'Masculine' in 2022. I discussed with Chris how one of my ethos is to design and create clothing that makes someone feel empowered when they wear it.
We agreed that clothing is power.
We decided on a traditional jacket for the suit but extending the back of the jacket into a train akin to the train on a dress. Furthermore, we liked the idea of embellishing the suit jacket with floral appliques. The next steps were to decide on a colour palette. Chris is a fan of pink, which I ran with but in my sketch I teamed it with a deep red for a contrast.
Chris was happy with the design and concept and told me he was going to have his hair styled professionally to compliment the custom suit.
The next steps were to order sample fabrics and to start on the mock up.
THE CONSTRUCTION
Following the consultation, I ordered fabric samples in a range of different colours. When I showed them to Chris, he decided on a bright pink for the jacket and a deep red colour for the trousers and collar of the jacket. The next step was for Chris to try on the mock up to check for fit and also for how Chris felt in the suit.
During the fitting, Chris requested for the train part of the suit, to start closer to the back of the jacket. When we pinned it this way on Chris, it worked really well. When Chris stood to one side, the garment looks like a straight forward jacket but then when Chris turned, it shows off the dramatic train of the suit. We enjoyed this juxtaposition. Also, the changes we made shows how collaborative this process was throughout.
This fitting was a good opportunity for Chris to ask questions: such as how many pockets the jacket and trousers would have so that Chris would know where to put important items such as his phone!
The final step was to take the mock up with its modifications and make a start on the final garment.
THE FINAL CONSTRUCTION
The first step was to take the pattern from my amended mock up to cut the fabrics for the final suit. I cut the gorgeous pink satin and stitched it together to form the basis for the jacket section. The next step was to construct the shoulders and I decided to go with volume in the shoulders to give Chris more broadness to his shape.
At this point I had a play with the deep red applique on the shoulder of the jacket. I knew I would be using a lot of the applique in the train of the suit so wanted to balance it with applique on the jacket on the opposite side. I handstitched the applique onto the shoulder organically. Next, I delved into a box of deconstructed vintage jewellery I have acquired over the years and added this to the jacket and shoulder section. I was very pleased with how this came together. The final step for the jacket was to add a collar. I used the deep red velvet duchess satin for contrast to create a shawl collar which ran into the shoulder seem to create an assymetric look.
The next part was to cut more duchess satin and form the train part of the suit. I inserted pleats into the back of the train to get the desired shape I wanted. Once formed, I stitched the train into the jacket to form the suit. Next, I pinned on the applique into the train of the suit. The applique section had red and gold details and my initial plan was to remove the gold details from the section. However, I also wanted to see what Chris thought of the red and gold details so for the moment I left them pinned on and started the trousers.
During our consultation, we had decided on high waisted trousers in the deep red duchess satin to contrast with the bright pink used in the suit. We decided on high waisted trousers so that Chris would have the option to remove the jacket at the event as the trousers would complement the black shirt Chris had selected to go with the suit. For the trousers, I also inserted pockets large enough for Chris to get his phone into. I like to make sure my suit could be functional as well as fabulous!
At this point, I arranged another fitting with Chris so that we could check a few details before I completed the suit. At the final fitting, Chris loved the progress I had made on the suit and in particular loved the red and gold details in the applique work on the bottom of the train. We took the decision to keep the gold in the train and Chris was also very happy with the vintage jewellery used on the jacket and shoulder section.
The only alteration we made at the final fitting was to move the point of the start of the train in the back of the suit further round. By doing this, it showed off more of the trousers, which Chris absolutely loved! I advised Chris that I would use red and gold buttons and a concealed zip for the fastenings on the trousers. Overall, Chris was happy with the fit.
After the fitting, the final steps were to fully line the suit and add the fastenings onto the trousers. I also handstitched applique onto the front of the trousers for extra sparkle. Lastly, I handstitched all the applique that I had originally pinned onto the train of the suit.
The result - Fabulous! (& Red Carpet Ready)
OUTLANDER RECREATIONS
This gallery contains images of my recreations of some of the fabulous costumes from the TV series Outlander.
Firstly, the iconic Red Dress, made from 15 metres of luxurious red satin cut on the bias with a huge skirt gathered with 140 cartridge pleats. She really was a mammoth task but one that brought an incredible sense of achievement upon completion.
Secondly, the incredible Floral Suit worn in the gardens of Versailles was constructed using 8 metres of custom printed fabric. It was a very detailed replica of the original right down to the placement of the flowers across the jacket. The overskirt contained 6 full floral blooms, even spaced out to ensure a fabolous 360 degree view of the suit. The underskirt was made from thick yellow cotton and the suit was fully lined.
The third outfit in this mini collection was a candy coloureed confection consisting of a shot taffetta lace trimmed jacket and lilac taffetta skirt. with matching hat. The outfit was modelled by my daughter Lily-may and this outfit was worn in the same scene as the Floral Suit from the series.
UNIQUE DESIGNS
This gallery contains commissions that are my own designs inspired by different historical periods.
Francesca - My client and very special friend told me during our consultation what a huge fan of the Victorian period she was. Better yet, Francesca also had in her possession a gorgeous set of deep purple velvet curtains. Too big to use in her home, Francesca desired for something fabulous to be created from them. The gallery below shows my inspirations, designs, work in progress and the final garment. Francesca debuted the garment at Whitby Steampunk Weekend July 2021 and was thrilled with the final result.
Robin - Robin was inspired at the Fashion Show at Whitby Steampunk Weekend February 2020 when I showcased my Rococo inspired turquiose three piece suit. During our consultatation, we decided on deep purple velvet with gold trims with pink and green floral appliques. Robin's request was simple - extravegent, expensive looking and over the top! I think I delivered... check out below.
STOP SINGING THE BLUES...
This gallery is a collection of a few of my favourite creations from over the years.
Firstly, my turquoise suit I made for April Goth Weekend 2018. Before point, I had made lots of ladieswear and childrenswear but wanted to challenge myself with menswear. I am a huge fan of the Rococo period for Menswear and felt it would suit my personality. Using gorgeous turquoise and metallic paisley fabric, I created a 3 piece suit edged in vintage lace and pearl appliques.
Secondly, I am a huge fan of fairytales especially Disney as it was a huge part of my childhood and I have not grown out of it! The dress took many metres of satin, tulle and organza to construct but the final result was stunning!
Thirdly, the Victorian blue suit I made for Lily-May for a Whitby Goth Weekend was inspired by an original garment from the V&A Museum.
The suit was made from cotton, with pure white lace applique details and trimmed with gorgeous cream faux fur.
(Images below courtesy of Paylor Photography except for the first image of my suit)
GAME OF THRONES 'ROSES' DRESS
The 'Roses' dress is still the most challenging and time-consuming project I have ever taken. As soon as I came across the costume worn by Margeary Tyrell in Game of Thrones I knew I had to recreate it for Lily-May.
To complete this creation, I had to make over 300 fabric 'Roses' which were all handstitched into the train of the dress I patterned and cut to fit Lily-May. I purchased metres of metal, which were manipulated into vines and leaves and handstitched onton the dress.
Lily-may debuted the 'Roses' dress at Whitby Goth Weekend back in November 2016 and was photographed and appeared online for The Guardian publication.
