After two years of operating out of her Ada home, bridal fashion designer/creator Shannon Gales decided to bring her custom bridal creations to the heart of Grand Rapids. So last Friday, she opened her first
Vue Design retail showroom and studio in the Shops at Monroe Center and Division, known as MoDiv (40 Monroe Center).
Gales, 44, began sewing at age 10. She spent 23 years in the corporate fashion design industry and then stepped out on her own two years ago with Vue Design. Now she finds herself in a temporary 200-square-foot space at MoDiv -- a space she'll leave within the month to walk her creations down the aisle to a boutique space twice the size.
"I have examples of some of the work we've done, a few boleros and ready-made bridal gowns, handbags," Gales says. "The larger shop will be a working design studio with sewing machines where customers can observe us working. We'll also have a showroom of examples and ready-to-purchase items, a consultation room with fabric samples and a changing room."
The "we" Gales refers to includes two student interns from Calvin College's art program. Calvin doesn't offer a fashion design course, says Gales, "So this allows students interested in fashion to experience it in a working studio." She adds that she'll be adding two more interns soon.
The custom bridal gown design experience begins with Gales learning the bride's dreams for her wedding day. She works with the bride's body type to design the most flattering gown, even helping the bride learn what styles look best by fitting her with prototype skirts, bodices and sleeves.
During the design process, dress mockups are fitted to the bride and then the dress is created. The process can take as much time or as little time as the bride wants, Gales says.
Gales says the gowns typically start at about $1,200, but she says she never wants a bride to be deterred by price and can design simpler gowns to fit a more limited budget.
Source: Shannon Gales, Vue Design
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor
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