PETALING JAYA, Aug 19 ― It may have begun with some hesitancy but Port Dickson tailor Suhyla Ashari overcame her initial concerns and designed an elegant wedding gown for an Australian customer using video calls.
As a home-based tailor, Suhyla usually takes requests from family and friends.
Never once did she expect to be shipping a wedding gown to a customer in the land Down Under.
She told Malay Mail that one of her relatives recommended her to an Australian friend who wanted someone to design her wedding gown.
“Initially, I was hesitant at first because of the challenge to get her body measurements via virtual calls as compared to doing it face-to-face.
“But nothing could be done as it was doing the movement control order (MCO) and I had to make do with online platforms.
“Although it was initially a challenge, I knew that this would be a good way for my designs to reach the overseas market.”
The entire process of designing, taking measurements and sewing the wedding dress took about two months that started in June.
She said that the customer wanted a certain colour for the gown but with shops closed during the MCO, she had to order the material online.
“It was difficult to shop around and find the right material which was an off-white colour so I managed to get the material through Shopee.
“There was once where I had to rebuy the material as the colour did not match the customer’s preference.
“But luckily, when my customer received the gown yesterday, she said it fit perfectly and no alterations were needed.”
The tailoring fee cost RM890, the cost for shipping the gown to Australia cost RM700.
The success of the wedding gown has inspired Suhyla to open her own shop in the future after her success in designing a wedding gown for her customer.
“It’s my dream to have my own store and workers as many would then notice me as compared to working from home.
“I’ve always loved fashion and seeing people happy in the clothes that I’ve designed for them,” she said.
