Some designers take inspiration from iconic movies. Others from prominent individuals or classic design periods. The Lebanese designer Caroline Seikaly, however, takes her cues from the fabrics she unearths at her favourite textile companies. “I have a few manufacturers I always go to because I love what they do,” she explains. “I love Italian prints – they’re the best. And French lace. Whenever I find a nice fabric or nice print, I take it from there.”
It is the beautiful French lace that Seikaly loves so much that is at the heart of her most famous dress. Worn by the likes of Madonna at a Marc Jacobs show in New York and Mila Kunis in Black Swan, and featured on the cover of French Elle, Seikaly's versatile Lace Dress is now available to fans via an online, made-to-measure service.
The dress comes in three colours – black, nude or dark jade – and clients can choose the length, neckline and back detailing before making their purchase from the designer’s website. From here, the customisation really begins. Each buyer will receive a phone call and form – both advising them how to take their exact measurements, while an online size chart will also offer a helping hand. This allows for the dress to be tailored precisely to each individual’s body shape and size, and for the buyer to make any last-minute or special requests. Seikaly’s atelier will personally follow up once all the details have been submitted and the finished product will be delivered in around two weeks. Prices start from Dh6,832.
Seikaly’s read-to-wear brand was launched in 2009, but her love of fashion and couture started much earlier. Inspired by her grandmother – a costume designer for the Moulin Rouge in the 1930s – Seikaly began her career with a six-month internship at Christian Lacroix in Paris, which was followed by a position with Karl Lagerfeld as part of the creative team responsible for the development of the Lagerfeld Gallery, from 1999 to 2006.
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