An Interview with Pamela Fraser Designs Interview by Laura Murdie
Find out all you need to know about the process of getting your very own wedding dress individually designed so that no other bride will ever have the same dress as you Pamela Fraser Designs is a Scottish wedding dress designer based in Angus, Scotland. Focusing on the perfect garment, Pamela ensures every dress that she designs is individual and one of a kind for all her brides. Due to the individual service Pamela is giving, the bride is encouraged to be as involved as they would like with the process so that their dress reflects their personality and style. Pamela is self-employed and runs the business by herself in her studio where she designs and makes her gowns. This is also where clients come for appointments to discuss their dream dress and try it on as it comes together. These fittings allow her to first make a toile, which is a mock up style dress made of cotton. This is to make sure the dress fits perfectly to the bride’s body before using any silk or expensive materials, saving costs and not wasting valuable silk. This also is the perfect time to change any style choices, e.g. a different neckline or sleeve length rather than further down the line. As well as individually designed dresses, Pamela also has a collection of garments which are available to buy or use as inspiration when creating your own dress.
it was cheaper to get clothes made in the Far East so the company I worked for could not compete on price and so the factory was forced to close. I took this as an opportunity to use my redundancy money to start my own business. I enjoyed everything I worked on in the design room but after seven years it was time for me to move away from mass production to a more one-to-one design focused business. While I was still working in mass production I had already started to make wedding dresses so I was beginning to move in the direction of my future business.
1. When did you first set up your business and why? I started my business in January 1990. When I first qualified from SCOT (was Scottish College of Textiles now Heriot Watt University Galashiels campus) I wanted to start my own business but everyone advised me to work in industry first. I followed their advice and worked in a design room for seven years where I designed children’s clothing for high street stores and gained great experience. But at this time
2. What was the reason you wanted to go into the wedding dress business? I wanted to go into the wedding dress business as it just seemed to be a natural fit for me. As a teenager I loved to sew and make my own clothes. My mum always made me amazing pieces so I think I got the bug from her. I also liked to draw and colour intricate design patterns. I have always been interested in dresses whether day or evening dresses with impressive details such as beading or stitch work. I love being able to sketch a dress, make the pattern for it and then go through the process of making it. Therefore, I thought it was a good idea to start a business using my skills and doing something I loved to do. I chose wedding dresses as I felt customers would pay for having a bespoke wedding dress made rather than everyday clothing. People have got so used to getting clothes made so cheaply that I felt the business would not survive on casual wear alone. As
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