About the couture process:

 

The house of PTAK follows the methods used to create garments for couture & haute couture clients the world over. The process starts with a personal interview of the client to discover her needs for the occasion and find the nuances of dress that please & delight her within the confines of my own artistic vision & style.

 

 

I personally sketch garments expressly for the client and gather samples of the finest textiles to present at the second meeting. After selecting the final garment design from among the sketches we take a series of detailed measurements. In the workroom, the draping and pattern making begins and the approved textiles and trims are ordered.

 

Next comes the ‘fitting of the muslin toile’ during which the pattern of the garment is tried on in muslin to approve the design, finesse the fit and adjust the lines. Additional decisions are made on fabrics, trims, etc.

 

 

The final step is the sewing and fitting of the garment in the actual fashion fabric. During the entire couture process, the client can enjoy watching the creative process develop and see the incredible work inside the finished product. The process may take a few weeks or a few months depending on the schedule of the client and the intricacy of the garment and its hand-worked embellishment. It is truly a labor of love and great respect.

 

For a busy or distant client, we often make a torso ‘body wrap’ to do fittings on...much like the ‘moulage’ padded forms used by couture houses in Paris. This wrap exactly matches the client’s torso so the curve of the hips and the shoulder angles are nearly perfect at the first fitting.

 

 

An explanation of haute couture terms-

* When referring to the French terms ‘couture’ or ‘haute couture’, it is essential to understand the subtle shades of meaning the terms convey. Literally translated from the French, ‘haute’ means ‘high’ and ‘couture’ means ‘dress-making’. Although all garments designed and made at the house of PTAK are technically created using the extraordinarily precise methods of the haute couture, we insist on only using the term ‘couture’ when referring to PTAK originals. This preserves proper respect for the French traditions governing the use of fashion’s most illustrious term ‘haute couture’.