We are dedicating the month of July to those who have shed blood, sweat and tears in the process of creating dream weddings for brides everywhere.

In our weekly “Wedding Series”, we'll be speaking to four individuals including a wedding dress designer, wedding photographer, wedding planner and newly wed to talk about everything wedding-related.

When it comes to wedding dresses, the name Celest Thoi is one that brings smiles to many faces. Applauded for her impeccable taste in fashion on and off the aisle, this talented designer has given the gift of perfect wedding dresses to brides everywhere including Lim Ai San, Gabrielle Tan and Geraldine Yeoh.

From graphic to bridal designing
Celest started as a graphic designer in Melbourne and the idea of becoming a wedding dress designer never crossed her mind until the time came for her to walk down the aisle in New Zealand.

While hunting for her wedding dress, she realised the lack of options in New Zealand's wedding industry. It was also during this time that she rekindled her long-time love for delicate fabrics and embellishments used in wedding dresses. This further strengthened her desire to start a bridal boutique that would fill the void in the industry and her heart.

After her initial success in New Zealand, Celest moved back to Malaysia where she became the Creative Director for PrettyinWhite, a local bridal fashion label. Finally in 2011, she debuted her very own namesake bridal fashion label in Publika Shopping Gallery and never looked back.

For those who know Celest personally, they will tell you that this petite and sprightly designer always loves a challenge. Even when a bride once turned up with her mother’s old dress and asked to incorporate it into a new wedding gown, Celest agreed to it immediately.

She says, “The dress was used to complete the ‘something old’ and ‘something borrowed’ tradition for the bride. So, we had to slowly cut out the laces from the dress and trim out the stained and unusable parts before patching it onto her new dress form. When the end product came out, it was just amazing!”

From sketches to dresses
At the Celest Thoi boutique, everything starts with a meeting where Celest and her team sit down with the bride-to-be for a chat over coffee/tea to get acquainted and discuss about her needs and wants.

She says, “I am a very impromptu person. So, I don’t have a standard speech or set of questions that I give to my client when we meet. I just talk to her like how I would to a friend and see where it leads us.”

From there, sketches are drawn for the client to choose her gown and once it is decided, they will move on to more detailed options like fabrics, embellishments and colours.

Celest explains, “There are times where we will create a prototype using calico fabric to let the bride get a clearer vision of how the dress will look like. Once she agrees on it, we will move on to making the dress with the actual materials.”

Following the completion of the dress, there will be fitting sessions slotted to allow minor alterations. The final fitting usually takes place two weeks before the wedding day. This is to ensure that the dress fits properly as many brides are prone to weight loss during this period due to the hectic schedule ahead of the wedding.

Known for her perfectionistic attitude, Celest is constantly looking for a way to improve her clients' experience with her label. Apart from dresses, she also provides a bespoke shoe service where clients can match their shoes to the gown's fabric and a variety of handmade accessories that can complement the dress.

Celest says, "The entire experience will normally take 3 to 6 months depending on the design's complexity. So I always recommend brides to come in as early possible in order to create her dream wedding ensemble - shoes included."

Staying on top of the game
Like many other industries, staying on top is never an easy feat and for Celest, she holds onto two philosophies to maintain a successful business. The first is a common goal amongst her team to create the perfect dress for any bride that comes to her label.

She says, “My biggest achievement is dressing happy brides. All my clients are equally important to me and as long as they are happy with their dresses, I am happy too. After all, it is their day and not mine.”

The second philosophy is to constantly improve. For Celest, it is imperative that her business keeps growing and evolving because things are extremely fickle in fashion. One always needs to aim higher and be ahead of time to stand out from the rest.

Celest says, “I recently enrolled and completed a short design course at Central Saint Martins. It helped expand my horizons and I learnt new skills and techniques that I could apply to both my designs and business.”

She continues, “Over the next two years, I have some plans to expand my brand but it is all under wraps for the time being. So you’d have to stay tuned to see more of Celest Thoi!”

(Celest Thoi's 2014 advertising campaign photographed by Jenny Sun)

Celest Thoi’s tips to choosing the perfect dress silhouette
For many brides, finding a flattering dress silhouette is the hardest part of the process. The four silhouettes used for most wedding dresses are A-line, trumpet, mermaid and ball gown. However, there is only one thing the bride wants from her gown -- hide all imperfections and show off only the best of her, regardless of silhouette or design.

Here we ask the expert for a few simple tips in finding a flattering silhouette:

• The A-line silhouette is the general go-to shape that suits most body types. However it is also highly recommended for a petite sized bride who wants to look taller for their wedding day.
• For a curvy and voluptuous bride who wants to show off her body, the mermaid-shaped gown is the best silhouette. Sweetheart and V-shaped necklines are also great options to highlight her assets.
• For a tall and slim bride, ball gowns help to create curves and adds volume to the lower body.
• Opt for a ball gown or trumpet cut if you have a wide lower body. The ball gown can accentuate the waist while hiding the hips – creating an hourglass figure.

 

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